Exodus 20:15, “You shall not steal.”
Many of us
have been victims of theft, it leaves us feeling violated, vulnerable and
angry. We spend much of our lives trying to avoid being victims, we put several
locks on our doors, we have car alarms, we don’t carry large sums of money, and
we lock our valuables up in a safe. Every street we walk down, or building we
enter has security doors, security guards, CCTV and many other security
measures design to deter thieves, or to catch them in the act. Therefore this
commandment is one that we all desire to see upheld and instilled in our
country.
Why did God
give this commandment?
We shall
look four at reasons.
In order to
understand why God gave this commandment, we need to ask what lies at the heart
of theft, what prompts a person to steal? Often the desire and motivation to
steal is that of envy, selfishness and greed. They see something they desire
and want, therefore they take it, without regard for those who might be harmed
or affected by their actions. A thief shows no respect for ownership, for
property or possessions, or for those whom they impoverish. God desires for the
people of Israel to respect each other’s property and possessions, to live in
contentment and peace with one another. Furthermore God desires that they learn
to trust Him to provide for their needs and to be willing to work for that
which they need, instead of stealing it from others. All this is design to
build a stronger nation, whereby there are relationships of trust between each
other, where people, their property and what they have worked hard to earn is
respected and protected. It is designed so as to build a nation that trusts God
in all things, including their daily needs, and a nation of diligent, honest,
hard-working people, who seek to glorify and honour God in all things.
There is
another reason as to why some people may be motivated to steal, and that is
because of poverty. Sadly we live in a world where there is much poverty, to
the point that for some the only means that they think they have to secure food
is to steal it. Therefore some theft, is as some would express it, theft of
necessity. However, we need to understand that theft is theft, whether it is
prompted by greed, or by poverty and hunger, it is still sinful. The fact that
for some theft is the only hope they have, reveals a larger and deeper problem
in society, the problem of greed and selfishness. For many in the world it is a
case of wanting to have more and more, to be richer than others, even if it means
impoverishing others. Many do not see any reason as to why they should be
willing to give, to share what they have, with those who do not have. We
withhold, hoard and refuse to share, help, or distribute evenly. This manner of
living is strongly condemned by Scripture, and God does warn the people of
Israel about failing to care for and consider those who are poor. God is not
condemning wealth, or those who come into wealth by virtue of their hard work,
but He is condemning selfishness and greed. God blesses some with an abundance,
so that they might help others who are in need.
This
commandment is a revealing one, for is exposes what lies at the heart of all
mankind, in the heart of the thief, the heart of the rich and the heart of the
poor. We are all proud and selfish, we often feel as though we do not have
enough and want more. We will be quick to condemn the thief, but fail to regard
what we do as theft, whether it is lying on a tax return, or when we are given
more change than what we should receive at the Supermarket we simply take it,
and choose not to point it out to the cashier. While this commandment is
condemning theft, it is at the same time warning us to guard our hearts against
pride, selfishness and greed, whilst encouraging us to trust God to supply our
needs, to be diligent and hardworking, and to be mindful of the poor, willing
to share out of the abundance that God gives to us.
This
commandment is one of love and life. From the protection of people, property
and possessions, to the generosity of the rich and to the consideration of the
poor, all these combine to produce a country in which there is trust, respect,
safety, peace, generosity, diligence and thankfulness. God desires for us to
live in such a manner, and we would all agree, for we would all want to live in
such a place. God desires that we love and trust Him to provide and that we
love and respect one another. If we do this, not only shall our lives be
further enriched as we come to know the wonderful and faithful provision of
God, we shall be further enriched as we love one another and receive the joy
that comes from helping and sharing with others. It is a commandment of love
and life, given in love, so that we might love and know a greater and more
joyful measure of life.
Father of all, we know that all things
belong to You, and even though everything belongs to You, You are a generous
and kind God. You faithfully supply our every need, You are the giver of many
good gifts. Forgive us for often being dissatisfied with what we have and then
looking in envy at others, forgive us for the times when we have been tempted,
or have even taken that which is not ours. We pray that You might help us to
trust You more and to be willing to follow the example You set for us, by being
generous towards others who find themselves in need. May we show our love for
You by the manner in which we love and respect one another. Amen.
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