The Eighth Commandment

He who said: "You shall not murder! You shall not commit adultery!" also said: "You shall not steal!" Ex. 20:15. This command relates to direct encroachment on someone else's property and extends to a person's thoughts and feelings.

The fact that this commandment was spoken very briefly, without additional explanations, carries within itself a very deep possibility for amazing discoveries for seeking and truth-thirsting minds.

Theft is the illegal appropriation of someone else's property and possessions without the owner's consent. This is any kind of fraud, copyright violation, robbery, kidnapping, both privately and at the state level.

It is written that whoever sins in one thing will be guilty of all (James 2:10). It is also said that thieves will not inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:10).

Someone else's property or possessions can be things, land plots, a person's free choice, his personal space, his intellectual achievements, plans and dreams, his happiness and spiritual inheritance that he received from his parents.

The eighth commandment can be violated at an unconscious level, for example, through non-repayment of debt, unfulfilled promises, retention of books, cassettes, disks or other information carriers taken for temporary use, as well as damage to someone else's property without compensation for the damage caused.

Not every thing or property is needed by its owner, and somewhere he himself may through his absent-mindedness lose something or leave it unattended in a public place, giving others temptation to violate God's commandment.

I live in Germany, in that region where it is not customary to steal and take what belongs to others. And this has so entered into the culture of the local population that you are not afraid to leave or forget your things on the street, knowing that no one will take them. And it is interesting to observe how many builders performing street work leave their tools unattended and go to lunch or on other business, not worrying that something will disappear.

The commandment "do not steal" can also extend to family relationships, where spouses give all of themselves, their freedom, their best years of life, their habits and interests to each other as a blessing for building a happy family. But someone is found who begins to illegally steal one of the spouses to satisfy personal needs, lust of the flesh and other needs, and then this person completely destroys the family.

Also, any abusive relationships in the family can rob a person and deprive him of peace in his heart, everyday happiness, mental health and hope for a happy life.

God loves every person and cares for any of His creation. He respects people's choice, the right of their personal property and personal space. By giving the eighth and other commandments, the Lord openly established the rules of relationships between people and Himself. And it turns out that the commandment "You shall not steal" also extends to relationships between God and man.

Man began to rob God. Ask with what? With tithes and offerings that the Lord designated for Himself in the form of support for His servants. Mal. 3:8-10.

Besides this, God also set aside for Himself a certain part of time, which man cannot simply appropriate with impunity for satisfying personal interests.

The fourth commandment says: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work..." (Ex. 20:8-10).

If we dig even deeper, God created man for Himself. And when this God's property chooses another god for itself and goes into the world, not trying to understand God's will, then by this very thing the sinner steals communion with Him from the Creator and deprives himself of the right to the Kingdom of Heaven. God will have to punish such people and give them the right to death.

Once, when taking Jericho, God declared this city His own and devoted it to destruction. But someone was found who decided to take something from the devoted things as a lawful trophy. And such an action brought a curse upon the entire community and almost destroyed it. The culprit was, fortunately, found and punished. From this example in history we can see that thieves are capable of becoming a curse not only for themselves, but also for any God's work, because such people deprive their neighbors of promised blessings.

It is sad that believing people of the last time can also enter the category of thieves, falling under the influence of the world and cooling toward God's purpose. The Faithful Witness therefore calls them lukewarm, assuring them that they don't even know how poor and miserable, blind and naked they are, and moreover also unhappy, robbing each other and God with their pitiful condition.

Jesus offers us a way out of such a position by purchasing certain goods from Him.

By enriching myself with Heavenly gold of faith and love, I thereby make not only myself richer, but also the Creator Himself, my neighbors, with whom I share this tested gold. The white clothing that I acquire from the Faithful Witness is a symbol and uniform of an honest person who does not rob God and his neighbors, but on the contrary, becomes a source of their blessing and enrichment through endless transmission of Heavenly gold.

Love respects the freedom and property of every person, and not claiming what belongs to others, it is ready to share its own and what is in the power of its possessor. It loves to give itself away. And what will bring happiness to other people, make someone's life better, help solve problems and make them as loving and happy.

Love dedicates all the intellectual property of a person to distribution and service to other people, motivating them to live and work for the happiness of others. It only thinks about what else to give, so that someone else's life becomes easier, better and more interesting.If you have such a loving friend, then value him, and he will constantly enrich you with his Heavenly gold.

Appropriating someone else's property or possessions through legal means, with the owner's permission, is not a sin. Moreover, this is part of God's plan for correct relationships between people, since it is more blessed to give than to receive.

I remember a case when I decided to give a good new chainsaw to one of my friends who would really need it. But someone stole it from me. It was so sad that I couldn't gladden someone's heart and bring benefit to someone. Although this thing was no longer mine, and I wouldn't use it anyway, but the very fact that it went not for its intended purpose caused me significant damage. It turns out that they robbed not only me, but also that friend who could have become the owner of this wonderful tool.

God has prepared many different blessings for us to enrich us with them and make His servants happy. He has already parted with His bounties in His heart and awaits the next buyer of this Heavenly oil from the parable in Matt. 25:1-12. But the enemy of souls does not want us to become possessors of the Heavenly, and replaces this with the earthly. And what happens? Instead of becoming rich in God, I become poor and miserable. But it shouldn't be so. God doesn't want us to steal from ourselves our right to Eternity, and offers us the very best that will make us suitable for life in Heaven.

1. Please read Deut. 5:19; Rom. 13:8-10; John 10:8-10; Prov. 1:17-19; 28:24; Lev. 19:11; Ex. 21:16; Josh. 7:11-12,19-26; Titus 2:9-10; Eph. 4:28; Mal. 1:12-14; 3:8-10; James 2:10-12 in light of this lesson.

2. What other verses from the Bible came to your mind?

3. What did you understand from this topic?

4. Is it possible to be a thief in God's eyes while considering yourself an honest person?

5. Is it always bad to appropriate someone else's property without the owner's consent?

6. How can the eighth commandment manifest itself in the family between spouses?

7. Will the Lord consider not only a person's deeds, but also his thoughts?

8. What to do if I find myself in such a situation where I cannot help but steal? For example, my entire business is built on deception, but brings great profit.

9. How is violation of the eighth commandment manifested in thoughts?

10. Is someone who steals from the rich to give to the poor a thief?

11. Can one's behavior steal from a neighbor his right to Eternity? If yes, then how can this happen?

12. Does love for God and neighbor solve the problem of theft in a sinner's life?

13. Why, if a person sins in one thing, does he become guilty of violating all the commandments?

14. How not to become a thief in God's eyes?

15. Is every theft within the framework of state laws theft in God's eyes?