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Okay, you can turn to Exodus 
chapter 20. Exodus chapter 20, moving through the book as a 
whole, but we're slowed down in chapter 20, going through 
the commandments one by one. We're in chapter 20 at verse 
15, the 8th commandment, you shall not steal. I'll begin reading 
in verse 1, though, to set it in its context. And God spoke 
all these words, saying, I am the Lord your God, who brought 
you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 
You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make 
for yourself a carved image, any likeness of anything that 
is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that 
is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them, 
nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am 
a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children 
to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing 
mercy to thousands to those who love me and keep my commandments. 
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for 
the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. 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, 
you nor your son, "'nor your daughter, nor your male servant, 
"'nor your female servant, nor your cattle, "'nor your stranger 
who is within your gates. "'For in six days the Lord made 
the heavens and the earth, "'the sea and all that is in them, 
and rested the seventh day. "'Therefore the Lord blessed 
the Sabbath day and hallowed it. "'Honor your father and your 
mother, "'that your days may be long upon the land "'which 
the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder, you shall 
not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear 
false witness against your neighbor, you shall not covet your neighbor's 
house, you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male 
servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor 
anything that is your neighbor's. Now all the people witnessed 
the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, 
and the mountain smoking. And when the people saw it, they 
trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, You 
speak with us, and we will hear. But let not God speak with us, 
lest we die. And Moses said to the people, 
Do not fear, for God has come to test you, and that his fear 
may be before you, so that you may not sin. So the people stood 
afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God 
was." Amen. Well, we'll proceed in similar 
fashion in the manner in which we treated the other commandments. 
We'll look tonight at the prohibition of the command, and then secondly, 
the reason for the command, and then God willing, next Wednesday 
night, take up the positive aspect of the command, and then look 
briefly at a biblical view of economic theory. So tonight, 
the prohibition of the command will go through some of the sins 
subsumed in this, you shall not steal. There's a whole host of 
ways that men are able to steal from one another, and the Bible 
speaks to those particular issues. So we'll do a sample of those 
sins forbidden, and then look at the inner disposition involved 
relative to the prohibition of the command. So generally, it 
is the unlawful taking of another's property either by force or by 
fraud. So it's taking something that 
does not belong to you either by force or by fraud. And so, 
in the first place, we have the act of burglary. You can turn 
over to Exodus chapter 22, verses 2 and 3. We'll eventually get 
there, and we'll see how the doctrine of self-defense is grounded 
in Exodus 22, verses 2 and 3. But the particular act is burglary, 
entering a dwelling with the intent to steal. So notice in 
Exodus 22 at verse 2, if the thief is found breaking in, and 
he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his 
bloodshed. If the son has risen on him, there shall be guilt 
for his bloodshed. He should make full restitution. 
If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft." Now he's 
entering the dwelling to take another person's property. The 
homeowner, however, does not know that that's his intention. 
So in the hours of darkness, the homeowner, in defending himself 
and his property, if in that exchange he kills the intruder, 
there's no guilt for that bloodshed. If, however, the son has risen, 
then there could potentially be guilt for the bloodshed of 
that criminal offender. In the nighttime hours, you don't 
know his purposes. You don't know if he's there 
to steal your cutlery or to cut your throat with your cutlery. 
So that is why there is that distinction made. If the sun 
has risen on him, you're better able to determine why he is there. 
Plus, the idea is that in the daytime hours, there are neighbors 
perhaps that could help and assist in that particular situation. 
but burglary is forbidden by the Eighth Commandment. Secondly 
is the act of robbery. We often use these words without 
a precise definition. Burglary, again, entering a dwelling 
with the intent to steal. A robbery is taking something 
from someone by the use of violence or intimidation. In Luke chapter 
10, in that parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus uses that illustration, 
uses that analogy, uses that to set the stage for the Good 
Samaritan. for robbery. Proverbs chapter 
1, speaking of the wicked generally, underscores the reality that 
they are at hearts, at least some of them, are robbers. In 
Proverbs chapter 1, specifically at verse 10, My son, if sinners 
entice you, do not consent. If they say, Come with us, let 
us lie in wait to shed blood. Let us lurk secretly for the 
innocent without cause. Let us swallow them alive, like 
Sheol and Hol, like those who go down to the pit. We shall 
find all kinds of precious possessions. We shall fill our houses with 
spoil. Cast in your lot among us. Let us all have one purse. 
My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your foot from 
their path, for their feet run to evil, and they make haze to 
shed blood. Surely in vain the net is spread 
in the sight of any bird. But they lie in wait for their 
own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives. So are the 
ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life 
of its owners." And then the third one is the act of kidnapping. 
Some suggest that that's the primary emphasis in the Eighth 
Commandment. You shall not steal. That means 
to seize a human being and detain them unlawfully and usually for 
a ransom. That's the more typical way that 
we involve or we see kidnapping, but it could also be to enslave 
them. Take them from one particular 
area, bring them to another particular area, and use them as slaves. And again, the scriptures are 
clear that this is not legitimate. Exodus 21, Exodus chapter 21, 
and we'll see more in terms of laws concerning property damage, 
bodily injury, and those sorts of things when we move on. After 
the general commandments of the Decalogue, you have concrete 
applications in chapters 21 to 23. But tonight, notice at Exodus 
21, 16, he who kidnaps a man and sells him, or if he is found 
in his hand, shall surely be put to death. Now this is the 
only example of kidnapping in terms of capital punishment. 
If you stole in Old Covenant Israel, you were not put to death. 
If you stole in Old Covenant Israel, you were typically sold 
into indentured servitude, which meant that you worked off the 
debt you owed to the particular family that you stole from, or 
there were just the payment of restitution. You paid back what 
you had stole from that particular person. So it wasn't the case 
that there was sort of execution for theft. It wasn't the case 
that there was capital punishment, except with reference to kidnapping. And then over in Deuteronomy 
24, same sort of prohibition. Deuteronomy 24 at verse 7, if 
a man is found kidnapping any of his brethren of the children 
of Israel and mistreats him or sells him, then that kidnapper 
shall die. and you shall put away the evil 
from among you." Again, capital offense to kidnap another human 
being. Paul speaks of this in 1 Timothy 
chapter 1. He gives a summary statement 
concerning the law where he does comprehend all ten of the commandments 
In 1st Timothy chapter 1 at verse 8, he says we know that the law 
is good if one uses it lawfully. There are lawful uses for God's 
law and there are unlawful uses. What are the lawful uses of God's 
law? We can do that? Ask questions? Okay. I meant because of the 
microphone situation. Anyone? What are the three uses 
of God's law? Well, in this context, we're 
primarily focused on government. So we're not supposed to be going 
around and capturing people for possible scenarios. There's not 
just rents and not just monetary benefits. Some of these people 
will be captured for other meaningful different purposes, too. So normative, 
we're being instructed on how we ought to live as Christians. 
There's also a civil use where God restrains the wickedness 
of man. And then the child tutor, pedagogical use, where the law 
shows us our need for Christ. So back to 1 Timothy 1.8, notice 
we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully. Knowing 
this, that the law is not made for a righteous person. So here 
it's being spoken of in the civil use or the political use. It's 
not made for the righteous person. Why? Because the righteous person 
is already doing it. The righteous person is already 
engaged in this particular activity. he or she is doing what is required. 
So knowing this, the law is not made for a righteous person, 
but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, 
for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers 
of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for 
kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing 
that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel 
of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. So one 
man says, it is today regarded as certain that the prohibition 
of stealing referred originally to the kidnapping of a free person. It's wrong to strip another human 
being of their freedom or of their liberty that God has given 
to them. So we've got burglary, we've 
got robbery, we've got kidnapping, and then fourth is the act of 
fraud. Now this is a deception deliberately 
practiced to secure unfair or unlawful gain. So the act of 
fraud, and there's a few ways that this can happen. In the 
first place, the moving of a landmark. You can turn to Deuteronomy chapter 
19. Deuteronomy chapter 19. You move somebody's boundary 
marker and you are frauding them or defrauding them. In Deuteronomy 
chapter I'm sorry, Deuteronomy 19 at verse 14. You shall not remove your neighbor's 
landmark which the men of old have set in your inheritance 
which you will inherit in the land that the Lord your God is 
giving you to possess. And then again in 27. 17. And 
27 should always alert us that this is in fact a very serious 
crime. Deuteronomy 27 is the list of 
curses that is pronounced upon Israel, if they go into the land 
and they live in a manner that is inconsistent with the law, 
they will be ejected or removed from the land. So Deuteronomy 
27 verse 17, Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor's landmark. Same emphasis in Proverbs, Proverbs 
chapter 22. There's a lot concerning justice 
in the book of Proverbs which is appropriate. Solomon was a 
king and he was instructing his sons who would be kings after 
him. And in Proverbs chapter 22 at 
verse 28, do not remove the ancient landmark which your fathers have 
set. And then over in chapter 23 at 
verse 10, same emphasis, do not remove the ancient landmark nor 
enter the fields of the fatherless. So the moving of a landmark is 
an act of fraud, a deception deliberately practiced to secure 
unfair or unlawful gain. Another one Solomon speaks to 
often in Proverbs is an unjust scale. And if you look specifically 
at Proverbs chapter 11 and verse 1, Again, we're going to read 
all these because you need to appreciate the Bible does speak 
to social justice, matters that affect the body politic. The 
problem with modern day social justice warriors is that more 
often than not, they're not fighting for Christ's law, they're fighting 
for Marx's law. They're fighting for some sort 
of a thing that is not biblical in nature. But in terms of social 
justice, and again as a generic term, the Bible is definitely 
for that. 11.1. Dishonest scales are an 
abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight. 16.11. Same thing. Honest weights 
and scales are the Lord's. All the weights in the bag are 
His work. 2010, same thing, verse 10. Diverse weights and diverse measures, 
they are both alike an abomination to the Lord. And then over in 
chapter 20 at verse 23. Diverse weights are an abomination 
to the Lord and dishonest scales are not good. And then 22, 22, 
and 23. 22, 22, listen, 22, 22, sorry. Do not rob the poor because he 
is poor, nor oppress the afflicted at the gate, for the Lord will 
plead their cause and plunder the soul of those who plunder 
them. So the use of unjust weights is condemned by God. This would 
include counterfeiting, to be sure, fractional reserve banking, 
which our economies are grounded upon, and inflation, that is 
to defraud persons. It is the use of unjust weights. Turn over to Isaiah chapter 1. 
Isaiah chapter 1, God through the prophet Isaiah rebukes the 
city of Jerusalem, rebukes the covenant people of Judah. Notice in chapter 1 at verse 
21, how the faithful city has become a harlot. It was full 
of justice, righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers. Your 
silver has become dross, your wine mixed with water. Your princes 
are rebellious and companions of thieves. Everyone loves bribes 
and follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, 
nor does the cause of the widow come before that. So the reference 
is to false weights, silver replaced with baser metals or heavily 
alloyed with them. And as well to false measures, 
a quart of wine is made into a gallon by mixture with water. 
So you see, that is condemned. The Bible says not to do that. Your silver has become dross, 
your wine mixed with water. Turn to the prophet Haggai. Haggai 
1, I think is a reference to inflation, this idea where the 
currency is debased and it's basically worthless. Notice in 
Haggai chapter 1 at verse 6, you have sown much and bring 
in little. You eat, but do not have enough. 
You drink, but you are not filled with drink. You clothe yourselves, 
but no one is warm. And he earns wages to put into 
a bag with holes. That is precisely what we are 
facing in this inflationary period that we are facing. So that is 
an act of fraud. So the moving of a landmark, 
the use of an unjust weight, And then as well, the exploitation 
of hired workers. Turn over to Deuteronomy chapter 
24. The exploitation of hired workers. Deuteronomy chapter 24, specifically 
at verse 14. You're not supposed to take advantage 
of somebody because they're not as well off as you are. Perhaps they have some issues 
or challenges. You're not to oppress them. Deuteronomy 
24, 14, you shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and 
needy, whether one of your brethren or one of the aliens who is in 
your land within your gates. And then in the prophet Amos. 
Amos was a prophet, and this is typically who the social justice 
warriors invoked, because Amos did condemn the social atrocities 
that were rampant in Israel during his time. Again, social atrocities 
were breaches of the commandments of God. They were breaches of 
the Ten Commandments of the Decalogue. Notice in Amos chapter 8, specifically 
at verse 4, "...hear this, you who swallow up the needy and 
make the poor of the land fail." You see the same sort of emphasis 
in the prophet Micah, and we see it all condemned by God Most 
High. So deception deliberately practiced 
to secure unfair or unlawful gain, removing of the landmark, 
the use of unjust weights, the exploitation of hired workers. 
Now the next category is the act of extortion, acquiring property 
by undue legal power or undue influence. We already saw that 
in Proverbs 22, but turn over to Matthew 23. Comes a bit closer 
to home in the ministry of the Lord Jesus. as he rebukes the 
scribes and the Pharisees in his own generation. Notice in 
chapter 23, specifically at verse 14, Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, 
hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, 
and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive 
greater condemnation. And then notice in verse 25, 
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the 
outside of the cup and dish, but inside they're full of extortion 
and self-indulgence. Now how do we understand verse 
15, or I'm sorry, verse 14? Well, typically the religious 
leaders were looked at as shepherds among the flock of God's people. 
And if there was a man who died, then his widow would typically 
go to those religious leaders for some sort of assistance, 
some sort of an aid, some sort of care or help. We use deacons 
to minister that kind of mercy in the church today. Well, these 
men were taking advantage of these women. They were extorting 
them. They were engaging in this sort 
of thing that Jesus condemns. You devour widows' houses and 
for a pretense make long prayers, therefore you will receive greater 
condemnation. God doesn't care about your long 
prayers if you're extorting widows. If you are taking undoing from 
someone that is in a compromised or difficult situation, then 
the condemnation of Christ comes upon you. Verse 25, you hypocrites, 
you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they're 
full of extortion and self-indulgence. The next one is the destruction 
of property. Turn back to the book of Exodus. 
And there's two ways that property can be destroyed, through negligence 
or through wickedness. Both, again, are condemned by 
this Eighth Commandment. Notice in Exodus chapter 22, 
specifically at verse 6, if fire breaks out and catches in thorns 
so that stacked grain, standing grain, or the field is consumed, 
he who kindled the fire shall surely make restitution. He didn't 
kindle the fire most likely to burn the fields, but because 
he did burn the fields, he's got to make restitution. Again, 
that whole concept of involuntary manslaughter. If your ax head 
flies off and hits your neighbor in the head and kills him, Yeah, 
you're not guilty of murder, you're not going to be executed 
by the civil state, but you have to flee to a city of refuge and 
there you can ponder the error of your ways. There you can ponder 
how next time you'll make sure that your axe head is fastened 
to the handle such that it doesn't fly off again. There are sanctions 
attached to the violation of law so that sinners learn their 
lessons and don't duplicate that kind of folly and wickedness. And then wickedness is another 
thing that is condemned. Destruction of property by wickedness. Turn to Deuteronomy 22. Deuteronomy 
chapter 22. Notice in verses 1 to 4. You 
shall not see your neighbor's ox or his sheep going astray, 
and hide yourself from them. You shall certainly bring them 
back to your brother. And if your brother is not near 
you, or if you do not know him, then you shall bring it to your 
own house, and it shall remain with you until your brother seeks 
it. Then you shall restore it to him. You shall do the same 
with his donkey, and so shall you do with his garment, with 
any lost thing of your brother's which he has lost and you have 
found. You shall do likewise. You must not hide yourself. You 
shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fall down along 
the road and hide yourself from them. You shall surely help him 
lift them up again. And I think the typical response 
of the Christian reader is to say, well, we don't have oxen, 
and we don't have donkeys, and we're not in an agrarian scenario. Obviously, we extrapolate the 
principle. That's what general equity is. It's investigating 
the Old Testament case law. It's saying what is binding upon 
us in light of the Eighth Commandment, and we go thou and do likewise. 
We make sure that we are not engaged in the destruction of 
property, either through our own negligence or through our 
own wickedness. And then Proverbs 30 and verse 
14. It's the description of a godless 
generation, which sounds very similar to the generation in 
which you and I live. Probably was the same for every 
generation since the fall of Adam. But notice in Proverbs 
chapter 30 at verse 11. There is a generation that curses 
its father and does not bless its mother. There is a generation 
that is pure in its own eyes, yet it is not washed from its 
filthiness. There is a generation, oh how 
lofty are their eyes and their eyelids are lifted up. There 
is a generation whose teeth are like swords and whose fangs are 
like knives to devour the poor from off the earth and the needy 
from among men. So as we look at these texts, 
again, you see God's emphasis in terms of civil society. You 
see God's emphasis in terms of our interpersonal relationships 
and ethics. We're supposed to respect one 
another's private property. We're not supposed to take it 
from them. We're not supposed to ruin it, we're not supposed 
to destroy it. This act, or rather this emphasis 
on private property, is not simply an Old Testament concept. Turn 
to a very familiar passage in the book of Acts, Acts chapter 
5. There's certainly other places we could go to, to be sure, but 
this principle is settled by Peter in God's dealings with 
Ananias and Sapphira. Notice in Acts 5 at verse 1, 
a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold 
a possession. And he kept back part of the 
proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain 
part and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, 
why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and 
keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? Now there's 
obviously some Trinitarian theology going on in this particular section. He's lying to the person of the 
Holy Spirit, and we're told in verse 4 that that's a lie made 
unto God. That's not the emphasis I want 
to call out, but that's certainly there. So verse 3, Peter said, 
Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy 
Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 
Now notice what he says in verse 4. While it remained, was it 
not your own? And after it was sold, was it 
not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing 
in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God. While it 
was yours, you were in control. Whatever you sold it for, it 
was your prerogative to keep what you wanted and to give what 
you wanted to give. The problem was is that he lied. 
The problem was is that he was a virtue signaler. The problem 
was is that he came to the apostles and said, I sold my land, here's 
the proceeds. He was keeping some back, again, 
which in and of itself would not have been wrong if he was 
an honest man, but the fact is is that he was trying to get 
extra credit most likely for having sold the property and 
having given what appeared to be the entirety of the purchase 
price. So the idea of private property, 
so God willing, as I said, next week, we'll look at a bit of 
a biblical view of economic theory. Very often, amongst Christians, 
especially around election time, if some Christians want a person 
that's honest when it comes to finance, we're told that that's 
not spiritual. That's not spiritual. The Christians 
shouldn't be concerned about the economy. We should be concerned 
with the Sixth Commandment. And well, we should. They shouldn't 
murder babies. They shouldn't euthanize old 
people. we should be concerned with the seventh commandment. 
This idea of transitioning for children, self-mutilation, sterilization, 
the fact that this is going on is an abomination to God Most 
High and the people of God should be vociferous with reference 
to the seventh commandment. But the Eighth Commandment is 
still binding. It is a spiritual matter when 
the government steals from its people. That is not lawful behavior. It is something that is condemned. 
We have the right, under God, who owns the world and everything 
in it, to be stewards of those things that he gives us. Nobody 
has the right to take that, whether it's a burglar who enters into 
our dwelling at night, or whether it's the federal government with 
unjust taxation or with inflation, which is just a hidden tax, ultimately, 
because they devalued the currency, so that money that you have saved 
is worth a whole lot less than when you initially put it away. 
That's not righteous behavior, brethren. And for the Christian 
church to say, oh, we shouldn't be concerned about the economy, 
We better be concerned about the economy, because they are 
destroying it. They are ruining it. They're 
creating an environment where it's going to be tough to feed 
our families. And that is a spiritual issue. I love what Verne Poitras says. 
The destruction or expropriation of property is an indirect attack 
on the human life supported by it. Okay, you may not have cut 
my throat, but you have given me no ability whatsoever to buy 
bread. You might as well just cut my 
throat and do it a whole lot quicker than me suffer the pangs 
of starvation. So this whole idea that we shouldn't 
be concerned about economic theory as Christians, we shouldn't be 
concerned whether these people want to throw us into communism 
or continue down this path of socialism, we ought not to be 
concerned. The Bible is very clear at the 
point of, you shall not steal. That applies to individuals, 
that applies to families, that applies to churches, and guess 
what? It applies to the civil government as well. They do not 
have authority from on high to engage in the kinds of things 
that they are presently engaged in in a manner and in a way that 
is most horrifying to most normal people that are trying to observe 
what's happening. So this destruction of property 
and then finally the act of religious theft. Religious theft. Turn 
to Malachi chapter 3. Malachi chapter 3. Hear what 
God says through the prophet Malachi relative to religious 
theft. Malachi 3, verse 8, will a man 
rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you 
say, in what way have we robbed you? Remember, that's the pattern. 
God, through the prophet, condemns the people for a particular offense, 
and then they say, who, us? Are you kidding? Us? We haven't 
done anything wrong. In what way have we robbed you? 
Well, here it comes. In tithes and offerings. You 
are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me. Even this 
whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the 
storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and try me 
now in this, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for 
you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you such blessing, 
that there will not be room enough to receive it. Now, I know the 
wackos in the health, wealth, and prosperity world take verse 
10 and say, okay, you go out and you test God. You give us 
all your money and see how God blesses you. Brethren, you give 
because God says to give. whether or not he multiplies 
you, whether or not he gives you increase. If you're simply 
giving in order to get, that betrays the spirit of sacrifice 
in the heart of a man. The idea is, is that God says 
don't rob God. And then turn over to Matthew 
22. Matthew chapter 22. specifically at verse 21. We 
heard this bandied about all through COVID. They said to him, 
Caesars. And he said to them, render therefore 
to Caesar, the things that are Caesars and to God, the things 
that are God. Okay, give to Caesar what is 
his due. And it's legit that Caesar taxes. I'm not arguing that all taxation 
is theft. I'd probably argue that most 
taxation is theft, especially in our current situation, but 
Paul recognizes the state's obligation to tax its citizens in Romans 
13. I get that. But if we're giving to Caesar 
his due reward, but we're not giving to God what is appropriate 
and fitting for him, we've engaged in religious stuff. Turn over 
to 23-23 in Matthew's Gospel. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, 
hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and 
anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the 
law, justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done 
without leaving the others undone." Notice what he says there. He 
says that you strain out, you pay, tithe, mint, or you tithe 
the mint and the anise and the cumin. You're weighing these 
things out on your scale to make sure that God gets his 10%. And 
no more, because why would we use a scale? To make sure we 
give the bare minimum. No such thing as bounty and effusion 
and give extra. But such as it is, they weighed 
those things out. But you've neglected the weightier 
matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith. But then notice 
what he says. These you ought to have done 
without leaving the others undone. He's not condemning tithing. He's not saying, don't tithe. 
He's saying, these you ought to have done, justice, mercy, 
and faith, without leaving the others undone. paying the tithe 
of mint and anise and cumin. People today say, is the Christian 
under the tithe law? Well, the dispensationalists 
who reject the law of God like that one particular law. You 
go to an antinomian church, guess what one law they hold to? Pay 
your tithes, bring your money, Bring it to the storehouse. So 
brethren, that's what they do. As far as the Reform go, that's 
God's call upon us. Paul emphasizes cheerfulness 
and giving. He emphasizes sacrificial giving. Sacrificial giving means sacrificial 
giving. It doesn't mean you give, I mean 
that widow's mite, the widow's mites have been used to justify 
cheapness in the church. For her it was sacrifice to give 
those mites. For her it was sacrifice to give 
that little bit. For us to duplicate her in that 
is not sacrifice. It's not pinching the flesh. 
The whole concept of sacrifice means sacrifice. Gary North said, 
men want religion, but they want it cheap. And that's often the 
case when it comes to the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, 
that's a sample of the sins forbidden. Burglary, robbery, kidnapping, 
fraud by way of moving a landmark, the use of unjust weights, the 
exploitation of hired workers. And then you've got extortion, 
the destruction of property through negligence and wickedness, and 
then the act of religious theft, taking that which belongs to 
God most high. Now, in terms of the inner disposition 
involved, what does it reveal when we have that kind of a heart? 
Well, in the first place, the sin of covetousness. It's interesting 
that the Eighth Commandment and Tenth Commandment are inextricably 
connected. This prohibition against covetousness. Typically, somebody who steals, 
somebody who defrauds another, somebody who engages in any of 
these particular sins that have been listed or indicated, they've 
got a problem. They want stuff. They want stuff 
so bad, they'll illegally enter another person's property. They'll 
illegally force somebody by intimidation or threat to give up something. 
They'll engage in fraud or whatever it is in order to achieve their 
particular act. So covetousness is involved in 
the act of theft, as well the sin of discontentment, which 
is a corollary with reference to covetousness. Perhaps it's 
not as strong as covetousness, but it's certainly a subsidiary 
of covetousness. Listen to what Paul says to combat 
covetousness and discontentedness in 1 Timothy chapter 6. He says 
in verse 3, if anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent 
to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ 
and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, there is a doctrine 
which accords with godliness. In other words, the doctrine 
that we believe must emanate in or be displayed by the conduct 
that we engage in. Notice what he says. That person 
who does not do what he says, he is proud, knowing nothing, 
but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words from 
which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings 
of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that 
godliness is a means of gain. From such, withdraw yourself. He's talking about false teachers. He's talking about those who 
are trying to make a buck off of Bible studies, or trying to 
make a buck off of their teaching ministry. Now notice what he 
says in verse 6. Now godliness with contentment 
is great gain. For we brought nothing into this 
world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having 
food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those 
who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into 
many foolish and harmful lusts, which drown men in destruction 
and perdition. For the love of money is a root 
of all kinds of evil." Don't miss the point. It's not money. 
Money doesn't walk into banks and steal money. Money doesn't 
drive cars over people in a mall. Money is amoral. It's not good 
or ill. It's the heart of the man that 
employs it. See, typically we like to blame 
stuff. Oh, let's get rid of the guns. Not the heart of the man 
who wields the guns, but let's get rid of the guns. Let's get 
rid of this. The problem is with the human 
heart. The problem is inside. It's an 
internal disposition that has gone awry. So Paul is not saying, 
money bad, therefore stay away from it. Verse 10, he says, for 
the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which 
some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced 
themselves through with many sorrows. Now notice in verse 
17, Paul acknowledges the existence of rich people in the church. 
And notice the corrective. Tell the rich people to divest 
themselves of all their riches. Tell the rich people to get rid 
of everything, give it to the poor, and then go live under 
a bridge. That's not what he says. Verse 
17, command those who are rich in this present age not to be 
haughty. nor to trust in uncertain riches, 
but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 
Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to 
give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation 
for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life." 
So notice this whole idea. On the one hand, he condemns 
this desire, this love of money, which drives people to engage 
in sinful conduct in order to secure that end, that love for 
money. But on the other hand, Paul recognizes 
there are rich people in the church. They don't need to be 
condemned because they're rich. They don't need to be upbraided 
because they're successful. They don't need to be shut down 
because they're hard workers. Rather, they need to be instructed. 
Don't be haughty. Don't trust in your riches. Rather, 
trust in the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 
And then do good. Brethren, we're collecting money 
right now to send money over to Kush for Christ and Word and 
Deeds so that they can buy radios and get the gospel out. Well, 
if all of us were broke, there'd be no way we could undertake 
that particular act. As Brother Steve Lawson has said 
many a time, we don't live on love and fresh air. You need 
money in order to make it in this world. It's a tool given 
by God that can be used for good or it can be used for ill. So 
Paul condemns the ill use, but he commends the good use and 
says these persons need to be instructed in this mindset so 
that they don't devolve into this wicked practice. And then 
finally in terms of the inner disposition, idolatry. Putting 
something in the place of God. Turn to Matthew chapter 6. Matthew 
chapter 6. And not only do we have these 
sins forbidden, the actual acts that are condemned, but there 
is this inner disposition involved. Just like when we looked at the 
seventh commandment. Not just the actual act of engaging in 
adultery or in fornication or bestiality or in transvestitism. It's not just the external act, 
but there's an internal disposition that goes along with that that 
the Bible speaks to. It doesn't just condemn the external 
man. Remember back in Matthew chapter 
5. We'll look at 6 in just a moment. But look at Matthew 5, 27. You 
have heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not commit 
adultery. But I say to you, that whoever 
looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery 
with her in his heart. So there is this sin of the mind, 
there is this sin in the disposition that then gives vent or expression 
to the physical violation of God's law. But notice idolatry 
condemned by Jesus in Matthew 6, 24. He's not suggesting this 
is the only idol that a man can follow, but it is appropriate 
to his illustration here, and it is one that is most common. 
No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one 
and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and 
despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 
He chooses money as the representative idol that competes for the affection 
and attention of the sinner. That in many cases, that affection 
and attention is given to the idol versus given to God Almighty. Turn to Proverbs chapter 30. 
Proverbs chapter 30, a prayer from a wise man with reference 
to the resources that we possess. Proverbs 30 at verse 7, two things 
I request of you, deprive me not before I die, remove falsehood 
and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches, feed 
me with the food allotted to me, lest I be full and deny you, 
and say, who is the Lord, or lest I be poor and steal, and 
profane the name of my God. Lewis says, prosperity knits 
a man to the world. He feels that he is finding his 
place in it, while really it is finding its place in him. 
So very subtle temptation involved in this stuff. Yes, work hard. Yes, Solomon enjoins upon a man 
hard labor. Do you see a man who excels in 
his work? He shall stand before kings. There ought to be in us 
that desire to do well, to please our earthly masters the way the 
Apostle tells us. But with reference to this affection 
or attention given to money or mammon, over God we've got problems. Ephesians chapter 5, Ephesians 
chapter 5, same emphasis. Idolatry is engaged, or rather 
involved, in this covetous mindset. Notice in Ephesians 5 verse 5, 
for this you know that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous 
man who is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of 
Christ and God. A covetous man who is an idolater. What does that mean? It means 
that there's something in your heart that desires other things 
before God. You'd rather give your attention 
and your affection to either mammon or to anything. I mean, it could be a good thing. 
People become idolaters over a whole host of things, whether 
good or ill, but anything that takes the place of God in our 
lives is condemned by God. So that is a summary of the prohibition 
of the command. Westminster Larger Catechism 
number 142 gives the comprehensive statement. What are the sins 
forbidden in the Eighth Commandment? The sins forbidden in the Eighth 
Commandment, besides the neglect of the duties required, are theft, 
robbery, man stealing, and receiving anything that is stolen. Fraudulent 
dealing, false weights and measures, removing landmarks, injustice 
and unfaithfulness in contracts between man and man. or in matters 
of trust, oppression, extortion, usury, bribery, vexatious lawsuits, 
unjust enclosures and depopulations, engrossing commodities to enhance 
the price, unlawful callings and all other unjust or sinful 
ways of taking or withholding from our neighbor what belongs 
to him. or of enriching ourselves, covetousness, 
inordinate prizing and affecting worldly goods, distrustful and 
distracting cares and studies in getting, keeping and using 
them, envying at the prosperity of others, as likewise idleness, 
prodigality, wasteful gaming and all other ways whereby we 
do unduly prejudice our own outward estate. and defrauding ourselves 
of the due use and comfort of that estate which God hath given 
us." Two observations. One, try teaching that to your 
child to recite. And two, this pretty much tells 
us we should lock ourselves in our rooms and never move. I mean, 
it's a pretty comprehensive statement. If you want a comprehensive dealing 
with the Ten Commandments, you can do no better than the larger 
catechism in terms of just pointed statements with reference to 
the sins that are prohibited and to the duties that are required. 
So the prohibition of the command. Secondly, the reason for the 
command. Why does God give this command? In the first place, 
because of His sovereignty. Turn to Psalm 24. Psalm 24. The sovereignty of God is the 
first reason why we should understand this commandment. Do not steal. Notice in Psalm 24, Psalm of 
David, verse 1, the earth is the Lord's and all its fullness, 
the world and those who dwell therein. So God owns the earth. And God is pleased in his ownership 
of the earth to dole out goods to his creatures. He makes some 
wealthy. You can turn to Deuteronomy chapter 
8. Deuteronomy chapter 8. He makes some wealthy. Deuteronomy 
chapter 8, specifically verse 18, and you shall remember the 
Lord your God. For it is he who gives you power 
to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swore to 
your fathers, as it is this day. Brethren, I'm going to suggest 
something and hope to show it next week, but when we see a 
renegade state like we see today, they are really seeking to be 
as God. They want to be in the position 
of granting wealth. They want to be in the position 
of ensuring poverty. But look at what the text says. 
It's not the government. The government is simply to protect 
you from criminal offenders within the body politic or from foreign invaders. They're 
not supposed to try to make you blessed. They're not supposed 
to try to make you cursed. They're supposed to leave you 
alone so that you can do what God calls you to do in the pursuit 
of wealth. So the earth belongs to God, 
and the Lord gives wealth to some, but poverty to others. You can turn to Matthew's Gospel, 
Matthew chapter 26. This is based on Deuteronomy 
as well, but we'll look at Matthew 26. Matthew 26, the anointing at 
Bethany. Verse 6, When Jesus was in Bethany 
at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to him having an 
alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured 
it on his head as he sat at the table. But when his disciples 
saw it, they were indignant, saying, Why this waste? Boy, 
thanks, brethren. Thanks, fellas. I mean, why are 
they wasting this on you? What a derisive thing to say 
in the presence of the master. When his disciples saw it, they 
were indignant, saying, why this waste? I'm glad to know that 
it's a waste for her to pour this costly oil on my head. They 
say, for this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given 
to the poor. But when Jesus was aware of it, 
he said to them, why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a 
good work for me. For you have the poor with you 
always, but me you do not have always. So again, God is the 
Lord. He's sovereign over the entirety 
of the earth. He gives to some the power to 
make wealth. He gives to others poverty. And that's unfortunate, 
if that's your case. But that's what God says. There 
is that sense where there are some that are blessed and profuse 
with the pursuit of of industry and hard work and you know everything 
they put their hand to seems to turn to money. Others aren't 
blessed that way and the sovereign God is ultimately responsible 
for that. But intriguingly with 2611 notice 
what he says. He says, you have the poor with 
you always, but me you do not have always. What should we think 
of an economic theory that supposedly wants to ameliorate the downtrodden 
and the poor? That wants to supposedly bring 
everybody to the same state or same level? You can't do it. There'll always be poor people. 
There'll always be people that don't get out of bed. There'll 
always be people that don't keep jobs. There'll always be people 
that are not functioning according to the light of nature, according 
to what God says in Holy Scripture. Why should you take somebody 
who is a hard worker and strip from him and give it to somebody 
who's a non-worker? That's just not fair. It's not 
equitable, and it's not righteous, and God says, don't do that. 
So the sovereignty of God is one of the reasons for the command. 
Secondly, the position of man. Turn over to Genesis chapter 
1. Genesis chapter 1, specifically verses 26 and 27. We've used 
this argument for many of the commandments, but this is normative 
for what God has for his people. Notice in Genesis 1.26, Let us 
make man in our image, according to our likeness. Let them have 
dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, 
and over the cattle, over all the earth, and over every creeping 
thing that creeps on the earth." What does he do with that dominion? 
Oftentimes that dominion pays rich dividends. Oftentimes when 
he exercises that dominion over fish, for instance, he might 
have a wonderful business catching them and selling them. Why is 
it not the case that he possesses that wealth that his hard work 
has brought to him? If God has put us in a position 
to exercise dominion over the lesser creature, and we actually 
are good at it and we prosper in it, instead of feeling guilt 
and remorse and shame the way that the government tries to 
teach us we should, We ought to praise God, who is the owner 
of the entire earth, but has given us good things, so that 
we may steward those good things for his glory and honor. And 
then Psalm 8 rehearses the same sort of a thing. Man's position 
as God's vice-regent over the lower creature, and thus exercising 
dominion. And then as well, he is a steward 
of God's good gifts. He gives us these things richly 
to enjoy. Look at Deuteronomy 28. Deuteronomy 
28. I mentioned Deuteronomy 27, 28. 
Good passages to keep in mind. I mean, they're long, but it 
tells you what God expects when Israel goes into the land, and 
what God is going to do when they sin because of their wickedness. Let's see here. I'm thinking 
Deuteronomy 28, is it? Or maybe it's Leviticus. Yeah, sorry. The passage says, 
maybe Cam you can help me out, where God says, oh yeah, I'm 
sorry, 47. Look at Deuteronomy 28, 47. Because 
you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of 
heart for the abundance of everything. What does that imply? God gives 
you this land. It's flowing with milk and honey. 
He said to dispossess the Canaanites because they're lawless, bestial 
creatures. Get them out, render justice, 
take the land, and enjoy these things. But in your enjoyment 
of these things, be thankful to God. Respond with gratitude. Guilt, grace, gratitude is a 
reality. whether you're a New Covenant 
believer or an Old Covenant believer. And they were not grateful, they 
were not thankful, they did not express joy to their God for 
His having blessed and benefited them in a whole host of ways. So the sovereignty of God, the 
position of man, and then thirdly the attack upon man. Again, Poythress, 
the destruction or expropriation of property is an indirect attack 
on the human life supported by it. You mess with a man's ability 
to make money and feed his family, that is an indirect assault upon 
his life and an indirect assault upon the lives of his family. 
That's why property crime is most serious. I mean, California 
right now, unless you steal more than I think it's $950, They 
won't even call the cops. You can walk into a store in 
California and take a TV out and walk out and it's not even 
technically considered a crime. They will have nothing to do 
with you. I mean you've seen the footage or perhaps you haven't, 
perhaps you should. I mean looting and I don't know 
why anybody would have a business in Southern California at this 
stage in human history. There's no protection for them 
whatsoever. There's looting, there's theft, 
there's all manner of lawlessness that is being openly espoused 
in our city streets. It is horrifying and ultimately 
that is an assault upon that store owner's livelihood. Again, You may be killing him 
just as you would kill him with a knife to his throat. You're 
just doing it slower and you're doing it more methodically. And 
then finally, the reason for the command is the law of God. The fifth or the eighth commandment, 
you shall not steal. All these other passages, and 
you notice what I read from the larger catechism. We'd have been 
here all night just going through that summary of sins prohibited 
by the commandment. So there's a whole host of legislation 
in Scripture that deals with private property. It deals with 
the respect that we're supposed to have for other people's stuff. It does not belong to you. You're 
not entitled to it. Our confession of faith recognizes 
the same thing in the section on the fellowship of the saints. 
Listen to what it says. Saints, by profession, are bound 
to maintain an holy fellowship and communion in the worship 
of God. And I think it's Renahan has explained that this idea 
of fellowship and communion in the context, or fellowship in 
the context of church communion, more often than not, were acts 
of charity. It was acts of giving. It was 
helping somebody when they were in need. So, saints by profession 
are bound to maintain in holy fellowship and communion in the 
worship of God, and in performing such other spiritual services 
as tend to their mutual edification, as also in relieving each other 
in outward things according to their several abilities and necessities. which communion, according to 
the rule of the gospel, though especially to be exercised by 
them in the relation where they stand, whether in families or 
churches, yet as God offereth opportunity, is to be extended 
to all the household of faith, even all those who in every place 
call upon the name of the Lord Jesus." And then it says this, 
nevertheless, Their communion with one another as saints does 
not take away or infringe the title or propriety which each 
man has in his goods and possessions." Get this idea that whatever you 
have belongs to everybody else? That's not biblical, brethren. 
It is not biblical to argue that socialism is the way that God 
blesses and that's what he's pleased with. No, it isn't. It 
is a direct assault upon the Eighth Commandment. Communism 
heightens that. It's socialism at the end of 
a gun. And so for persons professing 
Christ to advocate that socialism or communism is somehow legitimate, 
is to betray Exodus 20 15 in the most foundational way. It is not lawful for people to 
steal other people's goods or services. That is prohibited 
by God. The right of personal private 
property is in both testaments. It hasn't been suspended. It 
hasn't been abrogated. Jesus wasn't the socialist prancing 
around the hillside in Palestine calling for everybody to just 
give up their stuff and join communes. That's not what he 
does. the Lord Jesus recognizes the 
propriety of private property, private goods belonging to people. 
That is something that is unfortunate today. You're unspiritual if 
you think about the economy. I'd say you're unspiritual if 
you don't think about the economy and you don't think about the 
Eighth Commandment and the way these people, these criminals, 
are violating that particular precept. So more on that Next 
week, a little heads up, if that's not your cup of tea, you may 
want to tune out. Anyways, I'll close in prayer, 
and then if there's any comments or questions, we can go through 
that. Father in heaven, we thank you for your word and its clarity. 
God, we know that all men know this. It's wrong to steal. It's 
wrong to take another man's private property. And yet, it goes on 
unabated each and every day in all sectors of society. And again, 
Father, we cry out to you in wrath, remember mercy. We see 
it with reference to abortion and euthanasia. We see it in 
the sexual perversion that is rampant in our own generation, 
but so often we don't see it when it comes to theft and the 
Eighth Commandment. Help us, Father, to think your thoughts 
after you each and every one of these words. All ten of the 
commandments are absolutely crucial for mankind. We ask that you 
would bless and strengthen our hearts and fill us with the joy 
of the Lord and with the Holy Spirit, that we may live in a 
manner that is consistent with our profession. And we pray through 
Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, any questions on 
any of that or comments? Well, Paul seems to underscore 
that there is taxation that's not that, that the government 
is owed for. I would imagine that if they 
are lawfully employed in protecting us from ISIS and protecting us 
from murderers, then whatever they need to do that, within 
reason, obviously, to have the weaponry necessary to do that, 
I think that would be a legit use of taxation. And that's probably 
about it for me. But I know others will extend 
that a lot further down the road. They will go a whole lot longer 
on what is lawful and what isn't. But yeah. Oh, I think border security is 
definitely crucial as well. Yeah, we got to keep the bad 
guys out. What's that? The maintenance 
of justice. Yeah. I don't know that you need a 
billion bureaucracies to administer job sets. I favor local agencies, 
but they didn't ask me. That's what the government does. 
They just keep getting bigger and bigger and bigger in these 
ideas. I saw something that was yesterday, I think, about, yeah, 
I think it's a bill that created me to think about passing this 
to tell something to do with universal income and equity. 
So it doesn't matter who you are, you're guaranteed to sit 
around. So if you want to sit around and do nothing, you get 
money. If you go to work, you get whatever you make. But I 
mean, that's stuff too, because somebody pays for everything, 
right? They're working for a tax pay. There's healing from that 
working guy to give to the guy who wants to stay home. Same 
as what happened in COVID with paying people to stay at home. 
And they couldn't get people to go back to work again. It's 
a little different, really. I don't see it. Which is the 
reason for inflation. They printed money, gave money 
away, and now Putin's the bad guy for it. They had inflated 
the money long before Putin made it print. Given, obviously, we're living 
in a sinful fallen world, would you say there's a natural order 
of inflation that is deemed acceptable? Is there a line? And what is 
the measure of inflation that would be deemed excessive? Obviously, 
right now, it's excessive due to all these things in the economy 
and the world. But, I mean, naturally, everything 
slowly begins to cost more money. I think we have this problem 
with fiat currency and fractional reserve banking. There's nothing 
that makes that note valuable other than the government saying 
it's valuable. There's nothing backing our money, 
which is highly problematic because then the government can control 
it. And I think whenever the government 
controls things, it goes awry. I'll add to that too. Inflation 
is actually not a natural occurrence. No. when they started tracking to 
early 1900s, when they went off the gold standard. So when the 
gold was a dollar and you couldn't make more gold, the price of 
everything over those couple hundred years actually drifted 
down. Because technology grew, the industrial revolution came, 
the cost of producing became less than the cost of everything. 
It actually drifted down, never went down, until right around 
1918 or whatever, and then it all of a sudden jumps up and 
you think, we're going up 10%. So with real money, there's actually 
a mild deflationary, And then they sold all the gold, and they 
just kept printing them out. It's not just a loan that you're 
getting that you pay back, but never enough to pay back. Why was he against you? Yeah, a lot of the people, they 
were for them, obviously, to use her against Laura. But that was against your brother. Yeah. Yeah. He does say when 
he gives those three points to those three people that the one, 
you know, did not agree with it, and he said he could have 
put in a bank and got some interest on it. He does so, interest is- 
I think I said something. That's more of an incentive, 
your bank gives you that in order to- I'm not going to take it 
as a payment for excedures. It's a payment for services rather, 
because the bank spends it investing your cash in what they do. So 
if they're giving you a piece of their money, you're investing 
it.