Thou Shalt Not Steal

1
Thou Shalt Not Steal

• Steal- to take (anothers property) dishonestly,
  especially in a secret manner
• Burglary (Luke 1239)
• Robbery (Luke 1030)
• Poach animals, kidnap people, hijack cars,
  shoplift merchandise, plagiarize words
• Prov. 630-35 take food or anothers wife

2
Many Ways To Steal

• Deut. 2513-14 swindle in business
• Deut. 1619 extort a bribe or blackmail
• Obadiah 13 loot from a broken community
• Judges 63-4 plunder a weaker people
• Titus 29-10 embezzle from employer
• James 54 withhold pay to employees
• Prov. 327-28 (inactive stealing)

3
To Excuse Stealing

• They wont miss it
• They overcharge anyway
• They have plenty to spare
• I need it more than she does
• He got his wealth dishonestly
• If they are so stupid as to

4
Whats Wrong With Stealing?

• Owner hurt, angered, violated
• Thief prospered externally wrongfully
  (deteriorates internally)
• Motive Greed, Covetousness
• Method Threat, Violence, Deception
• Results Nothing is produced (wealth shifts
  from ones hands to anothers)

5
Ephesians 428

• Let him that stole steal no more but rather let
  him labour, working with his hands the thing
  which is good, that he may have to give to him
  that needeth.
• Let him that stole steal no more (Stop)
• but rather let him labour, (Alternative)
• working with his hands (Personally)
• the thing which is good, (Authorized)
• that he may have (Productive)
• to give to him that needeth. (Purpose)

6
Do We Steal?

• Jn. 126 taking from common treasury
• Acts 51-11 steal credit or praise
• Mal. 38 rob God by failing to give
• Rom. 137-8 not paying what is owed
• bankruptcy (as an easy out for frivolous
  spending)
• 1 Cor. 75 defrauding your mate
• Col. 322 Loafing while on the job
• Remain silent when being overpaid