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You can turn to Exodus chapter 
20. We're studying the whole book, but we've slowed down in 
chapter 20 because it's the Ten Commandments. So we're taking 
each of the commandments in turn. We're in the eighth commandment 
tonight, Exodus chapter 20 at verse 15, but I'll read beginning 
in verse 1. 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 generations 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. 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. So last week we looked at the 
prohibition of the command and then the reason for the command. 
And basically, in terms of the prohibition, it's the unlawful 
taking of another person's property either by force or by fraud. And there are several sins that 
we looked at or several things forbidden in the law of God. 
First, the act of burglary, that's entering a dwelling with the 
intent to steal. Secondly was the act of robbery, 
taking something from someone by the use of violence or intimidation. Third, the act of kidnapping, 
which many recognize or many believe is the main emphasis 
in this particular commandment. So kidnapping is condemned to 
seize a human being and detain them unlawfully, and usually 
for ransom or slavery. That's what I think we see specifically 
in the Book of Deuteronomy, the prohibition there. And then there 
is the act of fraud, deception, deliberately practiced to secure 
unfair or unlawful gain. And there are several ways of 
doing that. The Proverbs speak of moving of a landmark. That's 
also found in Deuteronomy. The use of unjust weights. We 
looked at Isaiah chapter 1, verse 22. Your silver has become dross, 
your wine mixed with water. That is to mingle and mix and 
to engage in fraud with an attempt to take from someone else their 
money. The exploitation of hired workers. 
Again, acts of fraud prohibited by the Eighth Commandment. as 
well extortion, acquiring property by undue legal power or undue 
influence. The destruction of property is 
also considered by the law of God. And that could be either 
through negligence or willfully causing damage to another person's 
property. And then the final one we looked 
at was the act of religious theft, God's condemnation of those who 
don't give their tithes. We saw that in Malachi chapter 
3. I quoted Gary North. Men want 
religion, but they want it cheap. And that's certainly something 
that is evident today. So you've got those sins, but 
then you have the inner disposition. Certainly the commandments of 
God speak not only the external sort of act, but also the heart 
condition that's involved. You see that very vividly in 
Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, when he condemns just these with reference 
to adultery. It's not just the act, but it's 
the heart disposition that goes into the act. So covetousness. 
Discontentedness and idolatry is the inner disposition oftentimes 
with those who have a problem in terms of this prohibition 
you shall not steal. The reason for the command, the 
sovereignty of God, the law of God, and then the position of 
man. God made man as his vice regent 
to exercise dominion over the created order. As a result, God 
has given us right to private property. In other words, we 
have been blessed by God without violating the Eighth Commandment. 
And then that quote from Verne Poitras, the destruction or expropriation 
of property is ultimately an indirect attack on the human 
life supported by it. So it's a grievous crime when 
persons steal or when persons take by fraud or force from somebody 
else. Now tonight, we'll look at the 
positive aspect of the command. The positive aspect of the command. 
Remember, when we come to these particular commandments, we have 
a prohibition, or it's negatively stated in verse 15, you shall 
not steal, but we can deduce from that, by way of implication, 
the positive injunction. So for instance, you shall not 
murder. Positively, we do everything 
we can to promote life, whether it be ourselves or others. Same 
sort of thing here with reference to stealing. Not only are we 
not supposed to steal, but there are positive recommendations 
that flow from an understanding of the commandment that we should 
imbibe, that we should engage in. And the first is the necessity 
of diligent labor. The necessity of diligent labor. 
If there is a prohibition against theft, then we can infer or imply 
that there's equally a prohibition or a mandate that persons should 
work in order to satisfy their needs for material goods. We have not only the fourth commandment 
where there is this mandate to rest, but there's also included 
in it a mandate to labor. You have that here in the eighth 
commandment. You shall not steal. You can 
turn over to the book of 1 Thessalonians. a few passages to underscore 
this reality in a New Covenant setting. 1 Thessalonians chapter 
4, specifically at verse 9. The apostle writes, concerning 
brotherly love, you have no need that I should write to you, for 
you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. And 
indeed, you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. 
But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more, that 
you also aspire to lead a quiet life. to mind your own business 
and to work with your own hands as we commanded you. That you 
may walk properly toward those who are outside and that you 
may lack nothing. It's a passage that I think goes 
undervalued among Christians and the church today. That you 
also aspire to lead a quiet life. There are those strains in Christianity 
which tell us we need to be burning out, we need to be burning up, 
we need to be white hot firebrands all the time. No, more often 
than not, God calls us to an ordinary life, and we're supposed 
to labor faithfully and perseveringly. And that's the mandate here, 
that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own 
business, and to work with your own hands as we commanded you, 
that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that 
you may lack nothing. And then over in 2 Thessalonians 
chapter 3, 2 Thessalonians 3, a similar emphasis. Notice in 
verse 6, we command you brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly 
and not according to the tradition which he received from us. Now, 
specifically, the problem in Thessalonica was sort of an eschatology 
fever. They thought that Jesus was going 
to return at any moment, and as a result, there was no need 
to work, there was no need to engage in the normal sort of 
employs of life, so they just waited around for the coming 
of the Lord Jesus. Paul will have nothing of that. 
If Jesus comes back tonight, you still are supposed to have 
gone to work today. If you know that Christ is coming 
tonight, that doesn't mean you sit on your rooftop and wait 
for him. So that's the emphasis by the apostle. Notice in verse 
7, for you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we 
were not disorderly among you, nor did we eat anyone's bread 
free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, 
that we might not be a burden to any of you. Not because we 
do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of 
how you should follow us. That's a great emphasis. Notice, 
you yourselves know, verse 7, how you ought to follow us for 
we were not disorderly among you. It's disorderly to not work. It's disorderly to not go to 
your job. It's disorderly to not make money 
and provide for your needs and provide for the family that you 
have charge over. Nor did we eat anyone's bread 
free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, 
that we might not be a burden to any of you." Not because we 
do not have authority. In other words, as apostles, 
he could have said, you know, brethren, those who make their 
living from the gospel or preach the gospel should make their 
living. He does that elsewhere. He advocates for the paying of 
preachers. And he says he has the authority 
to do that here. But the end game is verse 9. 
Not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example 
of how you should follow us. So how should we follow Paul? 
We shouldn't be disorderly. We shouldn't eat anybody's bread 
free of charge. We should work with labor and 
toil night and day. And then in verse 10, For even 
when we were with you, we commanded you this, If anyone will not 
work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some 
who walk among you in a disorderly manner. not working at all, but 
are busybodies. Now those who are such we command 
and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness 
and eat their own bread." Again, emphases we don't typically hear. 
He doesn't want the people of God to be busybodies. He doesn't 
want us to be idle. He doesn't want us to be gossipy. 
He wants us to be working hard, labor in such a way when you 
come home, you have dinner, you might hang out for a bit, and 
then you're tired so you go to bed. Turn to the Book of Proverbs, 
where we see this positive admonition on labor. Laziness is condemned 
over and over and over again throughout the Book of Proverbs. 
And this emphasis on diligent labor comes to the forefront. 
While you're turning there, Westminster Larger Catechism says, what are 
the duties required in the Eighth Commandment? and endeavor by 
all just and lawful means to procure, preserve, and further 
the wealth, outward estate of others, as well as our own." 
They're commanding us to work, again, not so that we're rich 
and we have a thousand servants and we can, you know, burn money 
while we're lighting our cigars. That's not the emphasis. but 
to be able to say, or to be able to provide for ourselves and 
our families, and not to be a burden on others. That's Paul's emphasis 
there in 2 Thessalonians 3. But notice at Proverbs 10, Proverbs 
chapter 10, verses 4 and 5. He who has a slack hand becomes 
poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in 
summer is a wise son. He who sleeps in the same chapter. 
The labor of the righteous leads to life. The wages of the wicked 
to sin. And then again in verse 26, as 
vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy man 
to those who send him. You probably worked in a scenario 
at one time or other in your life, and there was a lazy man 
that you had to deal with. It was like vinegar to the teeth 
and smoke to the eyes. It was a real irritant. or it 
was a real pain, so is the lazy man to those who send him. Notice 
at chapter 12 in the book of Proverbs at verse 11. He who 
tills his land will be satisfied with bread, but he who follows 
frivolity is devoid of understanding. Proverbs 13.4, the soul of a 
lazy man desires and has nothing, but the soul of the diligent 
shall be made rich. Notice in verse 11, wealth gained 
by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labor brings 
children. But the wealth of the sinner 
is stored up, but idle chatter leads only to poverty. Notice 
at 1519, the way of the lazy man highway. 1626, you see a theme here. See 
that Solomon enjoins the diligent men. 1626, the preface says, 
the plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of 
everyone who is hasty surely to poverty. It doesn't say divest 
yourself of all your riches. No, the Bible teaches us that 
hard work pays off dividends. Hard work causes a man to be 
able to excel and for kings. And so the apostle doesn't condemn 
those who have seven. Same sort of an emphasis. Notice 
in verses 23 to 27. Be diligent to know the state 
of your flocks and attend to your herds. For riches are not 
forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations. When the 
hay is removed and the tender grass shows itself and the herbs 
of the mountains are gathered in, the lambs will provide your 
clothing and the goats the price of a field. You shall have enough 
goat's milk for your food, for the food of your household and 
the nourishment of your maidservants. And then 28, 19. 28, 19. He who tills his land 
will have plenty of bread, but he who follows frivolity will 
have poverty enough. So again, a sampling of texts 
to show us that this idea of labor, this counterpart to theft, 
is an absolutely positively good virtue given to us by God, not 
only for our well-being, but ultimately for his own glory 
and for the well-being of our children, our families. Thomas 
Watson said, the bread that tastes most sweet is obtained with most 
sweat. A godly man would rather fast 
than eat the bread of idleness. Vain professing Christians talk 
of living by faith, but do not live in a calling. They are like 
the lilies of the field. They toil not, neither do they 
spin. An idle person is the devil's tennis ball, which he bandies 
up and down with temptation till at last the ball goes out of 
play." It's a very strong statement. You know that whole idea of the 
Protestant work ethic. There's a reason for that, because 
the Bible calls men to work hard and exercise dominion in a manner 
consistent with who God is and what God's revealed about himself 
in the world. So hard work is not condemned. Just the opposite. Laziness is 
condemned. Frivolity is condemned. This 
idea of sort of leeching off of others. We looked at, when 
we've read through the pastoral epistles recently, 1 Timothy 
chapter 5. Do not allow a woman to be on 
the widow's role when she hasn't faithfully ministered in the 
church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul does not look at the church 
as an ATM. He does not look at it like a 
money machine, that anybody who comes by should just be given 
whatever resources the people of God have. No, typically we 
have a process when it comes to benevolence and giving out 
money in terms of being stewards in the church of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. That's consistent with what we find, again, met this 
criteria. It's not just the case that she's 
a goddess. That's true, but there's a lot 
of stipulations involved there. So the necessity of diligent 
labor is the counterpart to you shall not steal. Secondly, the 
necessity of charitable love toward others. You can go to 
the book of Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 4, the apostle 
highlights this. So the necessity of charitable 
love toward others. We should labor in such a way 
that not only are we not thieves, but we're able to ameliorate 
the downtrodden and the poor. We're able to help those who 
have need, that are legit in their need. Notice in Ephesians 
4, This is the conduct of a new 
man. If you look specifically at verse 20, you have not so 
learned Christ, if indeed you have heard him and have been 
taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, that you put off concerning 
your former conduct the old man which grows corrupt according 
to the deceitful lusts. and be renewed in the spirit 
of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created 
according to God in true righteousness and holiness." So chapter 4 marks 
a change in terms of subject matter with reference to Ephesians. 
You have strictly doctrinal emphases in chapters 1 and 2. Chapter 
3 is more transitional. It highlights the role of the 
apostle Paul as ministering to the Gentiles. It gives us something 
concerning Paul's place as a minister to the Gentiles and the mystery 
that was once hidden but now has been revealed vis-a-vis Gentile 
inclusion in the covenant promises of God. Chapter 4 then begins 
the emphasis on practicality. How do we live the Christian 
life? What are we supposed to do as new men and new women in 
Christ Jesus? So 4.20-24 highlights that. Putting off the old man, putting 
on the new man. And then some concrete application 
in 25 and following. Notice. Therefore, putting away 
lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for 
we are members of one another. Makes sense, right? Not only 
do we not lie, but we speak truth. Verse 26. Be angry, do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on 
your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Verse 28, "...let 
him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working 
with his hands what is good, that he may have something to 
give him who has need." So we labor in such a way that when 
a cause comes up, a benevolent need, some sort of a brother 
or sister is in dire straits or difficult circumstance, we 
have the wherewithal to be able to assist them, to be able to 
help them. Now, it's not the case that money is everything, 
but money is a tool in this life to achieve certain things. As 
my brother has often reminded me, we don't live on love and 
fresh air. We don't get radios in Southern 
Sudan by willing it or wishing for it. We get money or radios 
in South Sudan by sending money in order to facilitate the purchase 
of those things and then the distribution of them. when there's 
some calamity somewhere and we take up an offering to try and 
alleviate the suffering of the people there. Well, it's good 
to have that additional so that we can meet those particular 
needs. And again, 1 Timothy chapter 6. I alluded to it. Let's look 
at Vervantine. Command those who are rich in 
this present pension for guilt manipulation to people who have. That's not biblical. That is 
not a biblical righteous attitude. To penalize somebody because 
they've worked hard? To penalize somebody because 
they've benefited from the labor of their hand? To castigate them 
because they've worked hard and they stand before kings? There 
is this sense out there, and it's not just in the Christian 
realm, it's amongst the commies and the socialists that want 
to move our society in a particular direction to guilt manipulate 
those who have. But that's not what Paul does. 
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. There are cautions, there are 
sort of reminders, there are exhortations that are in the 
Bible that address people who have a bit of wealth on how they 
need to guard their hearts and that sort of thing. But there's 
admonitions in the Bible for the poor as well. And there are 
temptations for the poor just like there are for the rich. 
Just automatically brand based on somebody's bank account. The 
idea is the necessity of biblical contentment. Contentment. Again, Westminster larger catechism, 
moderation of our judgments, wills, and affections concerning 
worldly goods. If we don't have a lot, that's 
okay too. But we cannot be covetous wretches 
that constantly struggle with discontent. Notice what Paul 
says in chapter 6 at verse 3. Again, condemnation for false 
teachers. 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." 
Timothy, don't hang out with those kinds of people. They're 
toxic, they're sinful, they're heretical. They think that religion 
is a means to make money. But verse 6, he says, 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, for which some have strayed from the faith 
in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many 
sorrows." So contentedness is enjoined by the Eighth Commandment. We're not supposed to be covetous 
and discontent with reference to the things that God has given 
us. Now turn over to Philippians chapter 4. Philippians chapter 
4. The Apostle gives us an illustration 
from his own life. He gives us a bit of autobiography 
on how he himself dealt in the various conditions he faced in 
his own life. So Philippians 4.10, Though you surely did care, but 
you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to 
need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know how to be abased. That 
means he had been abased, and he learned how to deal in that 
condition. But then notice, and I know how 
to abound. That means he had abounded and 
he learned how to deal in that particular condition. Everywhere 
and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, 
both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through 
Christ who strengthens me. So a wonderful sort of example 
or model there from the apostle in terms of contentedness in 
whatever the situation brings. Obviously it's easier to be content 
when we abound. than it is when we are abased. But nevertheless, we need to 
pray to God and seek by God's grace to maintain a contentedness 
whether we're abounding or whether we're abased. So that's some 
positive aspects with reference to the command. And then the 
last thing I wanted to do with this command tonight is the biblical 
view of economic theory. Let's just expand our horizons 
a bit and look at the government in terms of its model for operation. We're often told that the Bible 
doesn't provide a framework for economic theory. It most certainly 
does. It's Exodus 20 15. It is the 
principle you shall not steal. So if economic theory is constructed, 
or an apparatus is constructed, that at its fundamental root 
is based on theft, then we have to say that the Bible condemns 
that particular approach. Now, as I mentioned last week, 
this is a doubly difficult subject because it's perceived to be 
unspiritual. During a voting season, for instance, 
if you said, oh, I'm not going to vote for that person because 
he's fiscally irresponsible. Well, life is more than the economy. Yeah, but it's not less than 
the economy. We can't live on love and fresh 
air. The Eighth Commandment is as 
much in play as is the Sixth and is as the Seventh. I mean, 
we can't even begin to think that in this modern situation 
that they'll ever even nod at the first table of the law. That's 
unfortunate. It is reprehensible. It's vital 
to be sure, but the best hope we've got is some second table 
legislation. They've certainly shown no regard 
for the sixth. I mean, murder of the babies, 
murder of the elderly, that's perfectly legit. They show no 
regard whatsoever for the Seventh. I mean, you can self-mutilate 
as a 13-year-old girl if you ever played with a Tonka truck, 
and you can sterilize yourself, and that's perfectly acceptable. 
So Seventh Commandment, they don't really care about that. 
But when Christians say, well, are they concerned about the 
Eighth Commandment, we're somehow told, that's not a spiritual 
concern. We really shouldn't be concerned about that. I remind 
you of that quote from Vern Poythress that I think is most appropriate 
here. The destruction or expropriation of property is an indirect attack 
on the human life supported by it. I mean, when they're causing 
the price of everything to soar in an astronomical way to the 
point where persons aren't going to be able to eat for much longer 
and forced to have to deal with learning to be content during 
an abase period, then we need to ask the question, does the 
Bible speak to this particular issue? Now you will be well aware 
that there are several options out there in terms of how to 
structure society economically. The first is that we're going 
to look at, an unbiblical one, socialism. If you're not familiar 
with socialism, here's the definition. This is from dictionary.com. 
You can check it. It's a good working definition. 
A theory or system of social organization that advocates the 
ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, 
capital, land, et cetera, by the community as a whole, usually 
through a centralized government. Now, if that doesn't horrify 
you, brethren, you haven't really appreciated the Eighth Commandment. Secondly, this is part of the 
definition as well, in Marxist theory, it's the stage following 
capitalism in the transition of a society to communism. characterized 
by the imperfect implementation of collectivist principles. Some 
might argue that's where we presently are. So what is communism? Communism 
is a theory or system of social organization based on the holding 
of all property in common. Actual ownership being ascribed 
to the community as a whole or to the state. Again, if you don't 
see a problem with that, think for just a moment what Paul says 
in 2 Thessalonians 3. If a man doesn't work, neither 
shall he eat. Why should he eat based on the 
fruit of our labor? Why should he eat based on the 
fruit of the labor of everybody else? It is a condemnation by 
the Apostle, and we're not to fly contrary to that condemnation. It is a disregard and a disrespect 
for the Eighth Commandment. Take from the haves and give 
it to the have-nots in the name of collectivism, in the name 
of communism, in the name of we're all in this together. Brethren, 
if history has taught us anything, communism is everything but we're 
all in this together. The proles are in it together, 
but the party is nowhere near the proles when it comes to that 
particular system. Secondly, in terms of communism, 
the definition, a system of social organization in which all economic 
and social activity is controlled by a totalitarian state dominated 
by a single and self-perpetuating political party. Again, if you 
haven't reflected upon the horror involved in this, you really 
need to, because this is a violation and a transgression of the Eighth 
Commandment, taking the hard work and the fruits of others 
and disseminating it equally among all. Again, theoretically 
it sounds so wonderful, Why don't we care about the have-nots? Because sometimes the have-nots 
have not because they're lazy, vile rebels against God. And we should not reward lazy, 
vile rebels against God. We should call them to work. 
We should call them to labor. We should call them to do what 
God in His Word calls them to do. The third is capitalism. Now people say, well, capitalism 
isn't perfect. No, it's not. I mean, whenever 
you have sinners, you're going to have problems. But capitalism 
respects the eighth commandment. Capitalism respects the thought 
that persons work hard, they make money, and they get to keep 
the fruit of their labor. Capitalism is simple, an economic 
system in which investment in and ownership of the means of 
production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and 
maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations, 
especially as contrasted to cooperatively or state-owned means of wealth. 
So it's free market, it's supposed to be free market, without a 
lot of government intervention, without any government intervention 
ideally, so that people can just do what they're supposed to do 
and make money as God leads them and as God has gifted them. So 
again, socialism, bad, it violates the 8th commandment. Communism 
worse because it violates the 8th commandment by force of military 
might. You submit or you die. That's 
basically it in communism. If you don't do what the state 
tells you to do, you go to the gulag or you go to the execution 
chamber. Capitalism, again, not without 
its faults, not without its greedy people, not without all of that. Notwithstanding, it's not founded 
upon a violation of Exodus 20 and verse 15. If a man works 
hard, he ought to benefit from that hard work. I don't know 
what's challenging about that proposition. That's what Solomon 
says repetitively in the book of Proverbs. That's what Paul 
honors in the New Testament scriptures. That's what God says throughout 
law, throughout scripture. You see it in the life and ministry 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. He upholds diligent labor. He 
upholds hard work. Those are good principles. So 
with reference to the biblical view, does the Bible have a Roman 
17 that says, thou must structure society in a capitalistic manner? No, it doesn't. But the fact 
that it has Exodus 20 and verse 15 and a prohibition against 
theft should caution us that socialism, which is founded on 
theft, and communism, which is founded on theft plus guns, is 
a bad option. No Christian should ever advocate 
for this particular position. Again, the question isn't, should 
God's people try to help those who are less fortunate? That's 
not the issue. Of course we should. But should 
it come at the end of a gun? Should it come through force? 
should it come through a thread of gulag. That's not what Paul 
says in terms of cheerful giving and loving our brethren. Now, 
when it comes to government, we go back to the Old Testament, 
we have two examples that we should take notice of. Turn to 
1 Samuel chapter 8. 1 Samuel chapter 8. This is a bit of a wake-up call 
for Israel when they requested a king. Now, you need to know 
something about 1 Samuel 8. The people ask for a king. Before 1 Samuel 8, there's Deuteronomy 
17. There was already laws given 
concerning the monarchy. In fact, you can turn Keep your 
pencil, and if you happen to have a pencil, put it in 1 Samuel 
8, you can turn over to Deuteronomy 17. Kind of an intriguing situation. I think at times people get a 
little bit confused by this, because after all, weren't they 
simply asking for what God already promised was going to come? Notice 
in Deuteronomy 17 at verse 14, when you come to the land which 
the Lord your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, 
and say, I will set a king over me like all the nations that 
are around me. You shall surely set a king over you whom the 
Lord your God chooses. One from among your brethren 
you shall set as king over you. You may not set a foreigner over 
you who is not your brother. But he shall not multiply horses 
for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply 
horses. For the Lord has said to you, 
you shall not return that way again. Neither shall he multiply 
wives for himself, lest his heart turn away. Nor shall he greatly 
multiply silver and gold for himself. Also it shall be when 
he sits on the throne of his kingdom that he shall write for 
himself a copy of this law in a book from the one before the 
priests, the Levites." Imagine if every king in Judah or Israel 
had actually done this. It would have probably been a 
whole lot better for the nation. And it shall be with him, and 
he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn 
to fear the Lord his God, and be careful to observe all the 
words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted 
above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment 
to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days 
in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel." So now 
go to 1 Samuel chapter 8. This is the time when they ask 
for a king. Again, persons say, well, God 
had promised a monarchy. They're simply asking for a monarchy. 
So what's the beef? What's the problem? Well, it's 
the hard attitude as to why they're asking for the monarchy. Notice 
specifically in chapter 8 at verse 5. Well, verse 4, Then 
all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at 
Ramah, and said to him, Look, you are old, and your sons do 
not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us 
like all the nations. But the thing displeased Samuel 
when they said, Give us a king to judge us. So Samuel prayed 
to the Lord. They wanted to be like the nations. That's probably the condemnation. Notice, this displeased Samuel, 
so he prays to the Lord. Now notice in verse 7, The Lord 
said to Samuel, Heed the voice of the people in all that they 
say to you. For they have not rejected you, 
but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. 
So that's what's in view here. It wasn't the monarchy per se. It was the desire for monarchy 
in this particular scenario, which was, hey, we want this 
because it'll bring us in line with the rest of the nations. 
Typically, prior to this and going forward, they should have 
first made their dependence known to God to cast themselves upon 
the Lord. Davis makes the observation, 
in the current emergency, there was no crying out to Yahweh for 
deliverance, but a demand for a king. A clear, if subtle, substitution. Their help now was not in the 
strong name of Yahweh, but in a new form of government. It 
is not monarchy, but trust in monarchy that is the villain. 
That's a very necessary distinction to make. So God tells Samuel 
to tell them what the monarch's going to look like. Here's what 
your king's going to look like. You want a king? You're going 
to get a king. And he's not going to be everything that you had 
hoped or thought he would be. See, we think that the government's 
going to come along and make sure we're looked after and make 
sure we're taken care of. Yeah. If that's still in your 
head, hopefully this little brief trot through First Samuel 8 will 
disavow you of that and just any kind of a survey of any news 
source out there right now. But notice the emphasis concerning 
kingship in Israel. Basically, the king is going 
to exploit your families, the king is going to appoint a bureaucracy, 
the king is going to enslave you through taxation, and the 
king is going to cause you to cry out. Not in praise of him, 
but for deliverance from him. Notice the king will exploit 
your families. Look at verse 11. Verse 10, so 
Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked 
him for a king. Now as we read this brief section, 
it's not a long section, look at the main verb that's used. 
It's the verb take, okay? Don't miss that. So verse 11. 
And he said, this will be the behavior of the king who will 
reign over you. He will take your sons and appoint 
them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some 
will run before his chariots. He will appoint captains over 
his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to 
plow his ground and reap his harvest and some to make his 
weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take 
your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. And He will 
take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive 
groves, and give them to His servants. He will take a tenth 
of your grain and your vintage, and give it to His officers and 
servants. And He will take your male servants, 
your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, 
and put them to His work. He will take a tenth of your 
sheep, and you will be His servants. And you will cry out in that 
day because of your King, whom you have chosen for yourselves, 
and the Lord will not hear you in that day. Now, brethren, you 
know how Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes there's nothing 
new under the sun? Look at verse 19. Nevertheless, 
the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they said, 
No, but we will have a king over us. Even if he's going to be 
that bad, yes, we want what we want. We want the king. We want the monarch. We want 
to be like all the nations around us. So again, it's going to exploit 
your families, your sons, your daughters, your servants, and 
your goods. Verses 11, 13, 16, 14, and 15, and 17. The king will appoint a bureaucracy. Notice in verse 12. He will appoint 
captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties. He'll 
set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest and some to 
take his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. Notice, he 
will give your goods, he will give your stuff to his bureaucracy. Look at verse 14. He will take 
the best of your fields. your vineyards, your olive groves, 
and give them to His servants. He will take a tenth of your 
grain and your vintage and give it to His officers and servants." 
It sounds like the Democrat Party platform. It sounds like the 
liberal platform. And we still have people that, 
in verse 19, refuse to obey the voice of Samuel and say, no, 
but we will have them rule over us. Notice, the king will enslave 
you through taxation. Verse 17, he will take a tenth 
of your sheep and you will be his servants. This is a royal 
tax on agricultural products. It's different from the tithe 
for the religious institutions. A commentator on 1 Samuel indicates 
that. the king will reduce you to slavery. All that the people have and 
they themselves are subject to arbitrary use by the king. This 
is a warning, brethren. You see, when it comes to say, 
for instance, the United States system and the Constitution, 
I'm not suggesting it's being abided by, but that Constitution 
was built with the checks and balances in. See, the idea behind 
communism is that man can actually pull this off because he's so 
benevolent and good. Do you know what the communist 
does not get? He doesn't get total depravity. 
I mean he has total depravity, but he doesn't get it as a theoretical 
concept. He thinks that a man is able 
to govern a people without any selfishness, without any arbitrariness, 
without any capriciousness. You need checks and balances 
so that we don't have runaway politicians who go nuts like 
we find here in 1 Samuel 8. The king will cause you to cry 
out. Verse 18. You will cry out in 
that day because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, 
and the Lord will not hear you in that day. So after all that 
warning, after all that exhortation, after all that admonition, they 
refused to obey the voice of Samuel and they said, no, but 
we will have a king reign over us. John Gill says, and the Lord 
will not hear you in that day, will not regard them, have no 
compassion on them, suffer them to remain under their oppressors, 
and not deliver them out of them, because they rejected him from 
being their king, and put themselves out of his protection into the 
hands of another, and therefore it was just to leave them to 
their own choice. There's an emphasis, brethren, 
theft by government. Again, the emphasis on the verb 
take. It's in verse 11, verse 13, verse 
14, verse 15, verse 16, verse 17. See, they've got us trained 
or they've got some of them trained to think that in communism or 
in socialism, it's just about getting. You will get. You will 
get. You will get. Brethren, that 
is a pipe dream. Every time it's been tried, it 
fizzles out. Man is sinful. The heart of man 
is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. If you 
want a fictional account of this, read Orwell. 1984 is the Big 
Daddy. Animal Farm underscores the same 
thing. Animal Farm. What was the commandment? All animals are created equal. 
And then it got to the point where there was one more, one 
commandment alone. All animals are created equal, 
but some are more equal than others. See, that's the totality 
today that, oh yeah, the government is out for our well-being. I 
would exhort you to go back and view the scenario. And then notice 
the confiscation of private property. This isn't a nation where the 
king was supposed to write out the law of God. Not a non-covenant 
nation that's filled with the kinds of people, even a kind 
of a society where abortion on demand, it's not just permitted, 
but trustworthy in matters of life and death. You think they're 
going to have life and liberty in the pursuit of justice? Now, 
I realize this sounds a bit of a negative Nelly message, but 
we need to wake up. The Eighth Commandment is as 
much or perhaps more under attack than all the other commandments. 
I mean, it's insane. Inflation, violation, brethren. 
The printing of more money debases the money that's already in circulation. It is a form of theft. It's a 
form of taxation. wherein persons can't escape. I think it was Brother Kevin 
last week that asked, you know, what amount of inflation is acceptable? There should be zero inflation 
because there should be a standard backing the monetary system. It shouldn't be fiat currency. 
It shouldn't be fractional reserve banking. It shouldn't be the 
sort of situation that we've come to accept and we've come 
to expect. This is not biblical. First Kings 
chapter 21, kind of an illustration of eminent domain. Only in this 
instance, Ahab doesn't want the land for government use. He wants 
it for his own personal use. So basically what you have is 
theft by government in First Kings chapter 21. The thing that 
has amazed me over the last couple of years is, you know, I confess, 
I'm guilty as charged looking at my government suspiciously 
during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yeah, I am definitely on the 
side of being overly suspicious of that. But I've been shocked 
how many people aren't. Shocked at how many people aren't. 
You've got Bibles. You've got Ahab. You've got Manasseh. You've got, you know, Omri. You've 
got these guys that extorted, that taxed, that took, that lined 
their own pockets, and they, in the name of Yahweh, of Israel. 
How is it that we can't ever accept that our government presently 
might have some nefarious thoughts in terms of the management of 
our country? I just don't get it. But notice in 1 Kings chapter 
21. You have the desire of Ahab in 
verses 1 to 7. He wants Naboth's vineyard. Notice verse 1. It came to pass 
after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard 
which was in Jezreel next to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria. 
So Ahab spoke to Naboth saying, give me your vineyard that I 
may have it for a vegetable garden because it is near next to my 
house. And for it I will give you a vineyard better than it. 
Or if it seems good to you, I will give you its worth in money. 
But Naboth said to Ahab, the Lord forbid that I should give 
the inheritance of my fathers to you. Praise God for Naboth. I mean, it cost him his life, 
but he spoke truth to power. Isn't that what we're told we're 
supposed to do? That's precisely what he does. So Ahab goes to 
his house sullen and displeased because of the word which Naboth, 
the Jezreelite, had spoken to him. For he had said, I will 
not give you the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid down 
on his bed, turned away his face, and would eat no food. What a 
baby, brethren. I mean, this guy, if your child 
acted like that, you would discipline your child. You would say, you're 
not supposed to behave that way. That's unacceptable behavior. Daddy's gonna spank you. I mean, 
when you have the King of Israel acting like a baby. Notice, he 
lay down, he whines. Now notice in verse five, Jezebel, 
his wife, came to him and said to him, why is your spirit so 
sullen that you eat no food? He said to her, because I spoke 
to, it's almost hard to not whine as you read this, I spoke to 
Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, give me your vineyard 
for money or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another 
vineyard for it. And he answered, I will not give 
you my vineyard. Now, you need to understand something 
about Jezebel. Her father was a king. Think 
up in Phoenicia, the citadel of Baalism. She probably didn't 
see her daddy cry and become Solon when he was rebuffed by 
anybody in his kingdom. Daddy probably chopped off heads 
and took whatever it was he wanted. Jezebel wasn't the I'm going 
to be Solon kind of a girl. She was the let's go take the 
vineyard kind of a girl. Let's hire men to blaspheme, 
let's hire men to say that this man blasphemed so that we can 
put him to death. Verse 7, Jezebel's wife said 
to him, you now exercise authority over Israel. Arise, eat food, 
let your heart be cheerful. I will give you the vineyard 
of Naboth the Jezreelite. She wrote letters in Ahab's name, 
sealed them with a seal, sent them letters to the elders and 
the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth. She 
wrote it in the letters saying, proclaim a fast, seat Naboth 
with high honor among the people, and seat two men, scoundrels, 
before him to bear witness against him saying, you have blasphemed 
God and the king. Then take him out and stone him 
that he may die. So the men of his city, the elders 
and nobles who were inhabitants of his city, did as Jezebel had 
sent to them. as it was written in the letters 
which she had sent to them. They proclaimed a fast and seated 
Naboth with high honor among the people. And two men, scoundrels, 
came in and sat before him. And the scoundrels witnessed 
against him, saying, Naboth, in the presence of the people, 
saying, Naboth has blasphemed God and the king. Then they took 
him outside the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died. 
Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth has been stoned and is 
dead. And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth had 
been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, 
take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which 
he refused to give you for money, for Naboth is not alive, but 
dead. So it was when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab 
got up and went down to take possession of the vineyard of 
Naboth the Jezreelite. That's wrong, brethren. And to 
suggest that no government anywhere ever has malicious intent is 
simply not reflecting adequately on life. Men in high places have 
sin. Men in high places have corruption, 
just like men in low places. This isn't a, let's just pick 
on them. It just happens to be we're making application of the 
Eighth Commandment to civil government. Men in high places have their 
proclivities, they have their propensities, they have their 
covetousness, they have their backroom deals. The thought that 
they are only out for our well-being is probably not a good one. You 
need to be on guard, and you need to judge things based on 
the law of God. If there is economic theory that 
is founded upon theft, you can know of a truth that that is 
condemned by God. So for those out there that say, 
well, communism is such a wonderful idea, I hope nobody has that 
thought in here. Socialism is such a wonderful 
idea. Again, it is founded on the principle 
of taking from somebody who has worked for something and giving 
it to somebody else. That can never be blessed by 
God, condoned by God. That is economic theory that 
is destined to fail. The right to private property 
is secured in scripture. You can turn to the book of Acts. 
other places to be sure, the 8th commandment for one, but 
Acts chapter 8, I referred to this last week. We're going to 
close here, Acts 8 and then a statement from our confession of faith. 
I'm sorry, Acts 5. I'm just looking at 8th commandment. 
Acts 5 verse 1, a certain man named Ananias with Sapphira, 
his wife, sold a possession. He kept back part of the proceeds, 
his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part 
and laid it at the apostle's 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? He kept 
it back, but he said, here's the loot, here's the money. The 
idea being that this was all the money, but he kept some back. Now, Peter says it wasn't wrong 
to keep some back. It was not wrong for you to keep 
some, to send, you know, little Susie to college. Well, to send 
her to, I doubt she was going to college in that era, but send 
her to cooking school, whatever. You could have kept some money 
back. Look at what he says. He says, while it remained, verse 
4, 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. So when we look at Acts 2, for 
instance, and the church is selling their goods and bringing that 
money and laying it at the feet of the apostles, there was no 
gun to their head. There was no coercive power by 
the state. There was no coercive power by 
the apostles. There was nobody forcing them 
to do that. It was in good faith. It was 
with goodwill. It was with charity. It was a 
blessed deed. But to make that then mandatory 
going forward, that everybody must follow suit, that's stepping 
over overboard. So chapter 4 indicates the same 
sort of thing. People were selling goods, bringing 
the proceeds, laying them at the feet of the apostles, and 
they were distributing as anybody had need. Ananias and Sapphira, 
hey, they got caught up in this too. let's sell our land, let's 
give a portion to the apostles, but we'll just let everybody 
think that this was the entirety of it. You mean people back then 
were proud? People back then virtue-signaled? 
Yes, people back then were proud and virtue-signaled. That was 
the problem, but Peter says after it was sold, was it not in your 
own control? What is Peter recognizing? the 
legitimacy and the validity of the Eighth Commandment, this 
right and entitlement to private property. Our confession, 27.2, 
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 offers 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 has this very vital 
qualifier at the end of paragraph two. It says, nevertheless, their 
communion, one with another, as saints, does not take away 
or infringe the title or propriety which each man has in his goods 
and possessions. It's just a recognized fact. So communism comes and socialism 
comes and says, no, it's not a recognized fact. Throw it into 
the collective kitty and we'll dole it out as we see fit, as 
we see is appropriate. Brethren, that is the right of 
the godly man to do with his money as he sees fit. As long 
as he's not breaking the law, as long as he's not transgressing 
God's law, as long as he is seeking to be charitable and kind and 
do everything that God calls upon him to do, he is fit and 
able to do that. He doesn't need the government 
to do that. He doesn't need the government to force him to do 
that. He simply needs to be able to do that in a society that 
is regulated, not by theft, but by the securing of private property, 
hard work, payment for it, services rendered, and all that sort of 
thing. So the Eighth Commandment does speak to the matter of economic 
theory that undergirds society. And at the very minimum, We ought 
to be able to see that socialism and communism violates that Eighth 
Commandment and therefore ought to be repudiated by the Christian. 
It's not something that we should be about. It's not something 
that we should imbibe. I realize there are so-called 
Christian socialists. I realize that there are those 
who advocate for such things. I'd like to think they're not 
doing it with the knowledge of what we've seen in our recent 
past, what we've seen in a more remote past. They probably got 
more of the idyllic or idealized version. Orwell himself, who 
wrote 1984, was a socialist. He favored that particular program. Notwithstanding, he saw where 
it goes when godless men, and he didn't even refer to them 
as godless men, but when men exercise this kind of a control 
over people, it can really, really go awry. Well, let's close in 
a word of prayer, and if there's any comments, we'll take those. 
Father, thank you for the clarity of your word. We know that the 
Eighth Commandment does regulate us as individuals. It speaks 
to us as families, as a church, to be sure, but it does speak 
to civil government, to matters in civil society. And God, we 
know that this commandment is very much disregarded in a whole 
host of ways. And we pray that you would be 
merciful in our nation. We pray that you would give sense 
and wisdom to those in high office. to do what they're supposed to 
do in a manner that is consistent with this eighth commandment. 
And we ask that you would give us grace, Father, not to be discontent 
or covetous, but to be content with the things that you give 
us and to work hard and to bring glory unto you. And we pray these 
things through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Any questions or 
comments? All right. Hopefully you read 
all of them. Hey, everybody works hard, we 
put in a collective kitty, and we make sure everybody gets their 
share. It sounds great, but sinners are involved, and sinners skim, 
and sinners cheat, and sinners just do a whole host of bad things. It's unfortunate, but you have 
to have checks and balances. You have to have those sorts 
of things so that people can't go out of line and use You know, 
our tax money to fund every possible thing out there. It's offensive. It's wrong. It's sad. All right. That's it. What's that, Gary? Yeah, I was just saying, the 
way the government causes people fear that they need to consume. 
And then in consuming, they rely upon the government or think 
that they need to rely upon the government. to live in a free market capitalist 
society where people can achieve what they want to achieve, and 
monetarism is value, and people have the rights to freedoms, 
to own land, and to do as they wish, pay their taxes on that 
land, but ultimately own it, perhaps on title. And it just 
absolutely blows my mind how people enslaved by the government, slowly, 
abruptly, and then with inflation, causing us to panic, and COVID, 
and all that. So it's very interesting how 
that's just the government's, one might say, it could be the 
government's way to just try to control the people, obviously, 
and get them to do what they want. And then a whole shift 
of governmental legislation and control occurs. I really think we underestimate 
the perniciousness of bureaucracy. No accident that infers Samuel 
A. He's going to have 50s and 100s. He's going to have his cabinet, 
his administration. He's going to have a lot of mouths 
to feed. And he's going to feed those mouths based on your hard 
work. And yeah, when government expands 
and grows and they've got new this and new that, they've got 
to have legislation and business in order to keep them going. 
So it just perpetuates the madness, ultimately. go for it, because 
like you said before, it's a self-serving, what can I get from this? I don't 
have to work and I'm still going to get it. Sure. You could see 
why some would say, I want a universal basic income. I can just lay 
on my couch and get my money. They don't teach them anything 
else in school either. No. They don't teach them how 
to work capitalism. They don't teach them how to 
do it properly. They just push socialism on you 
and it sounds awesome. Capitalism sounds confusing. 
Thank you. every economic transaction ever 
leads to inherent and automatic and unavoidable exploitation. 
So the second, let's say we do a business deal right now, let's 
say you invested in a company They assume that capital is inherently 
corrupt. Hence, we want to use government 
as a means of equaling the class warfare between, as you said, 
the proles and the proletariat, and the bourgeoisie. The other 
thing I would add to is, there's a case to be made, though, that 
corporations can be corrupt, too. You look at the Enron scandal 
as a prime example of this. So, on the one side, yeah, government 
bad, but sometimes business bad, too. When you talk about environmental 
irresponsibility, and things like that. Corporations 
can be just as bad as government with their bureaucracy. So in 
my mind, it's to say that, yeah, capitalism, but at the same time, 
there has to be a way to hold corporations accountable to the 
public too. Because corporations can hurt 
too. During COVID, I would say that a lot of corporations benefited 
from the fear factor. Look at how the government loans, 
both in Canada and the US, who benefited the most? This notion, 
so it's not just prisoners using their sin to get served and things 
like that. There was also a lot of corporate 
malfeasance, where companies would grab government money and 
invest it, and basically using the government like an ATM. So there's a lot of other stuff 
in terms of fraud that then contributes to the inflationary system. And 
that's definitely compounded in corporate corporations that 
are working with the government. And this notion where the Canadian 
government bailed out the Canadian media. So we don't have a free 
press, we have a bought out press.