← Back to sermon library

Alright, you can turn to Deuteronomy chapter 5, part 2 of the 8th commandment, you shall not steal. Deuteronomy chapter 5, specifically verse 19, but I'll read the section just to remind us of the Decalogue or the 10 words or 10 commandments that God spoke through Moses here in the plains of Moab, first from Mount Sinai in Exodus chapter 20.

Remember, this is the second giving of the law. It's the same law, but rather it's the second generation as they're getting ready to go into the promised land, to engage in the conquest, and to take the land that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

So beginning in Deuteronomy 5 at verse 1, And Moses called all Israel and said to them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb, The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, those who are here today, all of us who are alive. The Lord talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire. I stood between the Lord and you at that time to declare to you the word of the Lord. For you were afraid because of the fire, and you did not go up the mountain.

He said, 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. "'Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy, "'as the Lord your God commanded you. "'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 ox, nor your donkey, "'nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger "'who is within your gates, that your male servant "'and your female servant may rest as well as you.

And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm. Therefore, the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long and that it may be well with you in 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 wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.

These words, the Lord spoke to all your assembly in the mountain, from the midst of the fire, the cloud and the thick darkness with a loud voice. And he added no more. And he wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. Amen. So as I said, 519, you shall not steal. So basically last week, we looked at the prohibition of the command tonight. We'll look at the positive aspect or the reason for the command and then the positive aspect of the command. and then end with some concluding thoughts.

But in terms of prohibition, remember the sample of sins that are forbidden in the Eighth Commandment. The act of burglary, entering a dwelling with the intent to commit a crime, especially to commit theft. The act of robbery, taking something from someone by the use of violence or intimidation. The act of kidnapping, to detain or take somebody unlawfully. and usually for ransom or for slavery. The act of fraud, a deception deliberately practiced to secure unfair or unlawful gain. And there are several types of fraud that the Bible mentions, the moving of a landmark, the use of unjust weights, the exploitation of hired workers, and the theft of time. The fifth is the act of extortion, acquiring money or property by undue legal power or undue influence.

So again, Seventh Commandment comprehends all of these particular offenses. Sixth is the destruction of property, either through negligence or through wickedness. And then the act of religious theft, failure to comply with God's law with reference to giving. As Gary North says, men want religion, but they want it cheap. God says to pay your tithes and offerings.

We looked at the inner disposition involved. The sin of covetousness, the 10th commandment is gonna speak specifically to that. The sin of discontentedness, we're gonna see that in a positive treatment tonight. And then the sin of idolatry.

So you shall not steal is a comprehensive word from God, respecting the private property of other people.

So we come now to the reason for the command. The first is the sovereignty of God. You can turn to the Psalm that we sang, Psalm 24. A foundational principle concerning property is that God owns it all. God gives some to his people so they can be faithful stewards and not just to his people. He causes the rain to fall and the sun to shine on the righteous and the unrighteous as well.

But notice that the earth belongs to God, Psalm 24, one, the earth is the Lord's and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. For he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters. Psalm 115, 16 says something very similar to that. The heaven, even the heavens are the Lord's, but the earth he has given to the children of man.

So it's not the case that we are the originators of our stuff. God in his goodness and kindness has conveyed it to us or given it to us to use it properly for his glory. So foundationally is the sovereignty of God. The earth belongs to him, but as well, God gives wealth. You can turn to Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy chapter eight, specifically at verse 18. We see that wealth comes as a result of God's goodness to his people.

So Deuteronomy 8, 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. So God's sovereignty is seen in that the earth belongs to God. It's seen in the fact that God gives wealth and as well, turn to Deuteronomy 15, 11, the Lord withholds wealth. Deuteronomy 1511, certainly Jesus invokes this when he's speaking to his disciples. And in Deuteronomy 1511, for the poor will never cease from the land. Therefore, I command you saying, you shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy in your land. Jesus says, the poor you shall always have among you. So there is the principle in terms of God's sovereignty.

Secondly, in terms of the reason for the command, is that man bears God's image. And therefore, when God gives him property, it's not righteous for somebody to take that property from him, or to deprive it from him, or to cheat him out of it. And of course, Genesis 1, 26 and 27 speaks of us imaging God. And then Psalm 8 as well underscores that reality.

Thirdly, it is ultimately an attack upon man. Now, obviously, murder and shooting somebody in the head and knifing them in the throat and engaging in acts of violence upon their persons are obvious displays of a threat to a human being. But I think Poitras gets it right when he says, the destruction or expropriation of property is an indirect attack on the human life supported by it. In other words, if you deprive somebody of their ability to pay for food, you are indirectly attacking them at the very level of their being. And so it's wretchedness. And then, of course, the law of God. The law of God, specifically the Eighth Commandment, prohibits stealing from another human being.

So the reason for the command, God's sovereignty, man's image bearing, the attack upon man, and then the law of God.

Now, thirdly, we're going to spend a bit more time here, the positive aspect of the command. The positive aspect of the command. I think Westminster Larger has a good answer here. What are the duties required in the Eighth Commandment? and an endeavor by all just and lawful means to procure, preserve, and further the wealth and outward estate of others as well as our own." So when it comes to this whole idea of the positive aspect, there is a necessity for diligent labor.

a necessity for diligent labor. And we'll see that as we move through this section. So the fourth commandment is definitely a command to rest. We are to cease from our labors. In fact, turn back to Deuteronomy 5, specifically at verse 12, observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy as the Lord your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. So the command is to observe the Sabbath. The command in Exodus is to remember the Sabbath. But the The presupposition is, is that you're working those six other days. The assumption is, is that you are engaged in diligent labor those six other days. It's not the case that you've taken six days off and now God says, go ahead and take another day off. The Sabbath comes after that cycle of diligent labor.

And of course, the Eighth Commandment speaks to this necessity as well. You're not supposed to steal. So you live in a world where you're dependent upon food. You live in a world where you need clothing. You live in a world where you need shelter. So if you're not engaged in diligent labor, you're gonna die, or you're gonna turn to theft and deprive others of their property so that you can sustain your own life. And so the Eighth Commandment has, again, a presupposition that not only should you not steal, but you should work diligently in order to provide for your needs and for the needs of others. That's what the Catechism speaks to there.

So when we look at Scripture, we see this demonstrated. You can turn to Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4. I think this is the overarching text or principle that sort of codifies this idea. The necessity of diligent labor. Notice in Ephesians 4 at verse 25, just notice how Paul reviews the commandments of God, applying them to new men in Christ Jesus. We've been blood bought, we have the Holy Spirit. How then ought we to live? Is there some other code of ethics? No, it's the Decalogue, it's the Ten Commandments. Remember the Ten Commandments are trans-covenantal. Whatever covenant you happen to be in, you're under God's moral law.

So notice in 425, therefore, putting away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. There's your ninth commandment. Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. There's your sixth commandment. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him work, laboring with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need." There's your 8th commandment and your 4th commandment.

So notice, "...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 obviously when you work and you provide for yourself, you are engaged in labor, diligent labor, but when it's enjoined upon us to be able to make enough money to give to others who are in need, obviously diligent labor is in view. This is a positive aspect of the eighth commandment.

Now the book of Proverbs is filled with an emphasis on diligence and hard work and condemnations of laziness. You can turn back to Proverbs chapter 10. Proverbs chapter 10. Again, it's not an isolated scenario. When we looked at unjust scales, we noted that Solomon speaks concerning unjust scales in many, many places in the book of Proverbs. So when you see these constant recurring themes or these repetitions of themes, you know that these are important themes and they are themes that find us where we live and move and have our being.

Notice in 10, four and five, 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 and harvests is a son who causes shame. Drop down to verse 16 in chapter 10, the labor of the righteous leads to life, the wages of the wicked to sin. And then in verse 26, as vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy man to those who send him. Again, constantly through Proverbs, you see the commendation of diligent labor and the condemnation of laziness or indolence.

Notice in chapter 12 at verse 11, he who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, but he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding. 13, four, the soul of a lazy man desires and has nothing, but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. Now, again, that doesn't mean that everybody who ever works hard is necessarily going to be rich. These are general principles. It's not the case that it's a formula. God, I worked hard all week. Why am I not rich? Well, if you work hard all week, you are rich in that you're able to provide food and shelter and clothing.

I saw a meme my son sent me, and it was a picture of a cat. Not that it was a cat meme, but it said, me in the afterlife trying to explain calorie counting to a 14th century peasant that watched his family die in a famine. Right? You know, the people that are always counting calories so that they don't get too fat or gain too much weight. Explain that to a 14th century peasant that watched his family die in a famine. So when Solomon commends diligent labor and condemns laziness, these are principles embedded in and flowing from the Eighth Commandment. Notice in 1311, wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labor will increase. And then verse 22, a good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

1423. 1423, in all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty. 1519, the way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, but the way of the upright is a highway. 1626, you're seeing a recurring theme with Solomon. The person who labors, labors for himself, for his hungry mouth drives him on.

2105, Again, I'd argue that all of these flow from a proper understanding of the Eighth Commandment, a condemnation of laziness and indolence, and a commendation of diligence in one's work. 21.5, the plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty. 22.29. 2229, do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings. He will not stand before unknown men.

Solomon doesn't condemn hard work. Solomon doesn't condemn a godly ambition. There is a sinful ambition. Do not overwork to be rich, Solomon says elsewhere. I mean, If all you're consumed with is money and your priority structure is money first and then other things after that, then that's obviously wrong. But hard work and diligence in your workplace is certainly commended by Solomon.

Notice 27, 23 to 27. 27, 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. 2819, he who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough.

Thomas Watson in his book, A Godly Man's Picture, drawn with a scripture pencil, he says, 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.

The Protestant work ethic is directly connected to this appreciation of the Eighth Commandment. I'm sure you've all heard of the Protestant work ethic. Max Weber wrote a book on it, foundational to Western civilization. This whole idea of not stealing any longer, but rather laboring, working with your hands what is good that you may have something to give him who has need.

So the necessity of diligent labor. You can turn to 1 Thessalonians 4 for another New Testament example. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, specifically in verses 9 to 12. 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 9, but 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.

And then second Thessalonians chapter three, a passage that I'm sure we're all familiar with specifically at verse six, but 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.

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.

For even when we were with this, we commanded you this, if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. That's a pretty broad or a pretty pointed and direct condemnation. You shouldn't get to eat if you don't work. I don't know why this is a revolutionary concept in the modern world. I mean, we just hand out money to people that are lazy and indolent and just let them buy food. And it's just a sad, direct violation of what God speaks in his word.

So the necessity of diligent labor. A second positive aspect of the command is charitable love toward others. Here you can turn to 1 Timothy 6. 1 Timothy 6. necessity of charitable love toward others. 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 there's a positive aspect of the commandment. God's prospered you, you've worked hard, you've labored, you've been diligent. Make sure you don't trust in, command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches, but always trust in the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

Don't you love that? He gives us all things not to be miserable, not to feel guilty over it, but he actually gives us those things to enjoy that. It's not, you know, sin to enjoy the good gifts of God Most High. In fact, in the Covenant Curses in Deuteronomy 28, they're condemned because, or one of the things they would be condemned for is to go into the land to enjoy the benefits and not express their gratitude toward God.

So the rich are commanded not to be haughty, don't trust in uncertain riches, trust in the living God who gives us richly all things to enjoy, and let them do good, that they may be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come.

Again, throughout Proverbs, we see that emphasis on charitable love toward others. We see that kindness extended on the part of those who have to those who have not. Again, not the indolent and the lazy, it's the brethren that are working that perhaps aren't making enough or need some help or need some assistance. That's the way it ought to be.

And then a third positive part of the commandment is the necessity of biblical contentment. If you're still in 1st Timothy, look at 1st Timothy chapter 6, 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. Having food and clothing with these, we shall be content.

There ought to be a contentedness about us if we have those things that are necessary to sustain life. We ought not to be pining away for everything we don't have or everything everybody else has. I mean, that is a bad pattern and a bad practice, this whole idea of guilt and envy. All of these things that are, you know, sort of rolled up into our approach to God's providence and the things that He has given us or withheld from us, a content spirit with what God has blessed us with is a good thing.

In other words, this is what the Bible says, and having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. We could be like those Israelites who whined about the manna. Well, we'd much rather go back to Egypt because there we had meat, and there we had garlic, and there we had leeks, and there we had melons. No, be happy with the manna that God has provided you. You're in a wilderness scenario. God didn't promise you steak and lobster as you were traversing that wilderness. You get manna, and there's a whole host of ways for you to prepare that manna, and you should be content with that manna instead of whining and yearning to go back to Exodus. where you were slaves.

They would rather be slaves having access to that food than being free men and women with manna, but on their way to the promised land that was going to flow with milk and honey. So do we have something of that Israelite spirit? We're always yearning for other people's stuff. We're always yearning for what's in other people's pots. If God has blessed us, we need to be content with that and to be thankful for that.

Now, that doesn't mitigate working harder, getting promotions, transferring to a new career field. All those things are ordained by God for His glory. He gives you power to gain wealth, according to Deuteronomy 8.18. He doesn't just open heaven and drop bags of money into your bank, or hopefully not into your bank, into your closet. If your bank got it, you wouldn't get it. But if He were to send all... He doesn't just drop money into your pocket. He gives you the power to get wealth. If you've got this ambition or this drive or this zeal, then go make more money. That's okay. God's not against that. He doesn't condemn that. Do you see a man who excels in his work? He shall stand before kings. But the underlying principle is a content spirit with what God has provided to us.

Now, as we come to some application or conclusion, first, the penalties involved in violating the command. I think that's always important for us when we're studying law to see what the penalties are involved or what penalties are involved with reference to breaking the command. The act of kidnapping was a capital offense. If you stole a man, you were subject to capital punishment. Kidnapping punishable by death. Exodus 21 16 Deuteronomy chapter 24 verse 7. But other violations of the 8th commandment were not punished by death. They were not punished by death. Christopher Wright says, in the Old Testament, theft was penalized and remedied by restitution, sanctioned by the threat of slavery if necessary to cover what needed to be repaid, but never punished by death. As well, punitive amputations are not indicated as the punishment for the act of theft. There's one instance in the Old Testament that I'm aware of, of punitive amputation, and it's in Deuteronomy 25, 11, and 12. And in that particular scenario, a woman reaches out and grabs the genitalia of a man that is fighting her husband. And in that instance, and in that alone, she is, or it's commanded to cut her hand off. Now, it's probably having to do with seed and the jeopardizing of the man's ability to procreate. That's probably why there's a punitive amputation.

But the eighth commandment given to us by God through Moses, expounded and amplified all through the old covenant, never mentions amputation for theft. In other words, if you go to Walmart and you steal something, there shouldn't be a guy standing there with a sword to hack off your hand to teach you not to steal. Now, I realize that other religions practice such things, but not the Bible. If anybody ever thinks or anybody ever says, oh, the Bible is so barbaric, show me one instance beyond 25, 11, 12, where there's punitive amputation. You're not going to find it. It's only in that instance and it's only in that particular scenario that probably happens less frequently than people getting struck by lightning. A whole lot less frequently than people getting struck by lightning.

So as Wright points out, the punishment or penalty for theft is restitution. The penalty involved restitution. The criminal had to pay back the victim. He didn't go to jail to pay his debt to society. He paid the victim. What good does it do us if somebody burns our church building to the ground and then they catch the arsonist and they put him in a provincial prison or a federal prison to pay his debt to society? He didn't burn down society, he burned down our church. This whole idea of going to prison and paying your debt to society is another unbiblical concept.

The penalty involved restitution. If you go back to Exodus 22, we've seen this in a number of applications in our studies in the Ten Commandments, but Exodus chapter 22, verse one. Here's restitution. If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep. Restitution. And usually with more. Why? For pain and suffering and deprivation. That's legit. That's just. That's righteous.

The other form was indentured servitude. Notice in 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 sun is risen on him, there shall be guilt for his bloodshed. He should make full restitution. If he has nothing, that he shall be sold for his theft. Again, this all sounds barbaric to the 21st century cultured mind, but given the opportunity, I've said this before, go to life in prison without parole to be victimized and brutalized by professional criminals or be sold into a covenant family that has soup and devotions every night, I'll take the latter, thank you, and I'll pay off my debt. I would welcome indentured servitude in that scenario. Absolutely, positively hands down. I would prefer the death penalty personally than life in prison without parole. I mean, to me, the theft of a man or the taking away a man's freedom is probably the worst thing you can do. If I committed a crime, I'd opt out for the death penalty.

So the penalties, restitution, indentured servitude. The principle is simple. You pay back what you stole. You pay back what you stole. Somebody steals, they don't go to prison to pay their debt to society. That just means more money to the government. The use of the Eighth Commandment.

Now, when we talk about the uses of the law, there are three of them. We call the first the civil or political use, the second is the pedagogical use, and the third is the normative use of the law. So first, with reference to the civil, and civil simply means a political or civil use, God's law functions to restrain the wickedness of man. That's what we mean by the civil use of the law. It's a hedge, it's a perimeter, it's a guardrail to keep man on earth from being as bad as man can be. Everybody everywhere is always subject to the civil use of the Ten Commandments. Whether they know it or not, God's law functions in such a capacity to keep us from making hell on earth. That restraint is there. Man has that law in his heart. According to Romans 2, 14, and 15, it's a creational revelation on his heart. He suppresses that truth to be sure, but his conscience still bears witness. He's not as bad as he could possibly be.

So the civil use of the law with reference to the individual, the individual, the disregard for the property of others, the theft of the property of others, and the general disregard of the commandment is a curse in modern society. This again, I mentioned it last week, it's unfortunate. No, it's not unfortunate. It's an abomination that so many property theft and vandalism and depriving others of their hard-earned goods, nothing happens. That ought not to be. Again, I'm not saying chop hands off at the back of Walmart. That's not what I'm saying. But restitution at a minimum? And I would vote for indentured servitude. I mean, we ought to start our own political party. We're going to break some real change to indentured servitude.

He was the first guy to whim. To whim. I know that this may not make everybody happy, but some people don't think that the Bible addresses economic theory. Now, I'm not suggesting that, you know, it says in Romans 17, there's not a Roman 17, by the way, you must all be capitalists, or you must all be communists, or you must all be socialists, or you must have a monarchy. But the Eighth Commandment certainly forbids a couple of them. The Eighth Commandment forbids the abolition of private property. And when it comes to economic theory, the Eighth Commandment is foundational with reference to our consideration of how we're going to do civil polity. If we have a society based on theft, at a governmental level, I can't see personally how that society prospers in the long run.

As well, when we come, let's just get right there, 1 Samuel chapter eight, we see that God told us what government was gonna look like. Remember that the children of Israel were yearning for a king. And they were yearning for a king, because the monarchy was already regulated in Deuteronomy 17. There's principles governing kings in Deuteronomy 17. You don't get the first king till Saul. So there was always programmatically a reality that there was going to be a monarchy in Israel. But in 1 Samuel 8, they want a monarchy so that they'll be like the other nations. That's the driving force. It wasn't the monarchy per se, but it was their motivation for monarchy that was condemned by God. So notice specifically in verse four, chapter eight, 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 and the Lord said to Samuel, heed the voice of the people and all that they say to you for they have not rejected you, But they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them, according to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day, with which they have forsaken me and served other gods.

So they are doing to you also. Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them.

So what we see in modern government and the gross, gross taxation—not all taxation is sin. Romans 13, Paul says, pay your taxes. But at some point, it seems to become sin when we're taxed left, right, center, up, down, and most of that money never goes to benefit the place we actually live.

But God tells them that you're going to have a king, but this king is going to oppress. I don't think he means specifically Saul or David or Solomon, but kingship, monarchy. What's the tendency with reference to a bureaucratic government? Is it to shrink? Is it to benefit? Is it to help? No, it's to grow. It's to suck from in order to thrive itself. Well, again, that's not new, what we're seeing in our own body politic.

God says very clearly, however, verse nine, you shall solemnly forewarn them and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them. Now, I'm going to read the next section, and I'm going to ask after I read the section, what verb do you hear over and over again? For those of us new to the whole parts of speech thing, verbs are action words. Nouns are persons, places are things. Verb is an action word. So let's listen for what verb comes up a lot in the next section.

So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who asked him for a king. 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 10th 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 10th 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.

Nevertheless, the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they said, No, but we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us and fight our battles.

What's the verb? Take, take, take, take, take, take, take. There's nothing new under the sun. Oh, I can't believe our modern, I can't believe our modern government, but there's nothing new under the sun.

Notice, the king will exploit your families, your sons, your daughters, your servants, your goods. He's gonna take your sons to do his work. He's gonna take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He's gonna take your servants and he's going to employ them for himself.

Notice the king will appoint a bureaucracy. Notice in verse 12, 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.

Notice in verses 14 and 15, 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. Again, nothing new under the sun. I mean, it's horrible, but that's what God said.

And the king will enslave you through taxation. Notice in verse 17, he will take a tenth of your sheep and you will be his servants. David Samura says this is a royal tax on agricultural products. It is different from the tithe for the religious institutions. This is on top of your tithes and offerings that you're giving to Yahweh's house. And then you will be his servants, all that the people have, and they themselves are subject to arbitrary use by the king.

So Samuel outlines this for them in very clear detail. Take, take, take, take, take. They refused to obey the voice of Samuel and said, no, we will have a king over us. You'd like to think they would have said, well, if that's what you're presenting, we'd rather not have a king, but they took the king.

So the government has to embrace the reality, and I realize to say the government, it's not like five guys, but the collecting taxes, taxation is biblical, but the government collecting taxes is supposed to function, in the language of our confession, under God, over men, for the glory of God, and for the public good of men. And they are supposed to be involved in what? maintaining justice and peace, not financing gender, what is it, gender-free rice in some third world country? Do you know where your tax dollars go? Do you ever pay attention?

Again, I'm not, you know, I mean, I don't like taxes, but in principle, because God says in Romans 13, pay your taxes. I certainly don't like in principle taking taxes from people that work in Canada and sending it everywhere else. I don't know where the rationale for such is, but it is what it is.

And have you ever considered that if you and I figured out a way to print money, we would be counterfeiters? But when banks do it, it's called fractional reserve banking. When governments do it, it's called inflation. And that's perfectly appropriate and legal. But it's just as bad. It's counterfeiting. It's making money out of thin air.

Now, there might be arguments for the facility and the usefulness. But it's just so lopsided, the way that things are functioning. And for whatever reason, the body politic I mean, I think we care, but there's a lot of people that just don't care. I don't know why theft, stealing from people, in an institutional way, government stealing from their people, is okay. It really isn't okay. It should be an offense to all of us and at least pray that God will raise up somebody somewhere that has the mindset that, you know what, the job is really about the maintenance of justice and peace. Not funding every possible program that could ever be envisioned by a group of strange men. It's one of those sins or those crimes that's just become so commonplace. It's kind of like with politicians. I mean, the idea of a politician who lies, that doesn't even cause us to bat an eye anymore. We expect them to lie. They're not supposed to. They're under God, over man, for the glory of God and for the good of man. 

Why is it okay? I've never understood why people that are so miserable at their jobs get to keep them, and just so horrible. There ought to always be fireability in everybody and some degree of accountability. And I know they say, well, the voting box. Yeah, I want a fireability right here, right now. But government theft is still theft, and it's wrong. So in terms of the civil use, yeah, individuals, it's bad. Don't steal. Don't deprive others of their property, their hard-earned goods. The same with government. They're not supposed to steal. They're not supposed to take your tax money and throw it away on whatever it is that they want to do or build up their bureaucracy. It sounds exactly what's described here in 1 Samuel 8. Take, take, take, take, take. That's a demoralizing effect upon the body politic. 

Secondly, the pedagogical use. That's the child tutor use of God's law. If we are thieves and the law of God tells us not to steal, hopefully we see our sin and misery and we flee to Christ and we look to him and live by God's grace. And then in terms of the normative use, just a couple of things. The payment of our taxes, Romans 13, seven. Again, if you leave here tonight and said, Butler, you know, fomented tax evasion. Did not. If you're prepared to spend your life in court, that's what tax evasion is. It seems to be a fool's errand to me. Now, that doesn't mean you pay. You pay, but if you can get somebody that knows the tax code to help you, that's a good thing. It's good having a son that's an accountant. 

And then the payment of our debts. We need to pay our debts. The honoring of our contracts. The use of just weights and measures. The returning of lost or erroneously credited money or property. The honoring of just claims and liabilities. The making of restitution for wrongfully acquired property. The practice of diligent labor. the practice of charitable giving, and the cultivation of contentment. Again, it's not, you know, brain surgery or rocket science tonight. Don't steal. Leave people's stuff alone. Be content with what God has given us and be thankful for the blessings, the manifold blessings that he has given us. And if we're in a position to work harder and make more money, the Bible doesn't condemn that. But those rules apply. Don't be haughty. Don't trust in uncertain riches. Trust in the living God. Be ready to do good and to give to those who have need. all commended by our Lord. 

Well, let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you for these commandments and for the simplicity and the beauty of these things. And we do pray for civil government. We pray that the persons in high places would have a fear of God, would see the emphasis in their positions as the maintenance of justice and peace. We just pray that you would be merciful. We pray as well in our churches, in our lives, in our hearts, in our minds, in our families, we would be a content people seeing all the blessings that you give us, all the mercies that you have shown us in the gospel. And Lord, help us to just glorify you in the way that we use our resources. And may you indeed continue to bless in this local church, help us to be faithful to you. And we ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

Any questions or comments? I don't know where that particular verse is. I think it's somewhere. I just can't find it. Yes. Yeah. Onerous. Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, I've read guys that say, you know, when I pay my taxes, I you know, I'm thankful that I live in a country where I can work and make money and I have all these good things. And and I get that. And, you know, that that is an aspect of that contented heart. And there should be that.

But, man, dishonesty, theft and deception is bad if, you know, if it's practiced by somebody breaking in or going into Walmart and stealing stuff, or if it's the government. I don't know how, in principle, the guy robbing a bank is horrible, but the government robbing everybody is somehow okay. So yeah, there's gotta be a fine line. I don't wanna be that Debbie Downer that's just constantly, oh, it's not that. But when we talk about theft, it seems to me that Christians don't think at all about economics.

I remember years ago, I forget the election cycle, it was, you know, it's not about, you know, Christianity is not about the economy. It is, the Eighth Commandment, how is it not? How is it okay for a group of people, bureaucrats, government, you know, the monarchy, whatever, God's not saying it's good that they take, take, take, take, take. He's not condoning, encouraging, or promoting that. He's saying this is what you're gonna get. You know, when you get into economics or you get into any sphere of ethics, man is sinful. There is that natural inclination to, you know, make a lot of money and get a lot of power and step on everybody else.

So I just don't think it's a righteous response to, well, you know, that's just the way it is. Well, it shouldn't be that way. We shouldn't be accepting of institutionalized evil. It's bad. I mean, we hate violations of the Sixth Commandment. Don't murder, don't commit abortion, don't euthanize. We hate Seventh Commandment. Don't commit adultery, no porn, whatever. Eighth Commandment, it's happening all the time. But it's like we're... somehow okay with, well, it's just the way the government works.

I think it's just living in a sober way before the Lord, that realistically, like, this is what we are facing, right? Like, this, it is wrong. It is wrong, but still being able to live within that tension of having the contentment. Yeah. What God has given us by understanding and teaching our children that it is wrong. Sure. Right?

And, you know, it's the, It's easier to contemplate contentedness here in Canada as we read Myanmar updates on the regular. I mean, all things being equal, yeah, we got it good. I'm not suggesting otherwise. I mean, we had a nice taco salad for dinner. Peter and the orphans didn't have taco salad for dinner. And I understand that. I get that. The contentedness needs to be present. But the principle of the Eighth Commandment, that it's so quickly dismissed as unimportant, or that's just the way it is, I don't think that's legit. I'm not advocating, you know, a revolt or anything like that. Yeah, that's a great question. What are our options? One I'm not prepared to try and answer, though.

response, at the time, biblically, in 1 Samuel chapter 8, against the theocracy and the order of authoritative governance by God over the people. So when they were saying, we want a king like the other nations, that was, we want democracy, we want to have a certain degree of power and authority and decision making for ourselves. We don't want to just listen to what you've got. Oh yeah, that's what God says. We want to be able to do what we want to do, and even if Basically, this is what's going on. This is what you're going to get. We're all take away from you. You're going to be crying in the day. And that's the just recompense and punishment for your disobedience. But I'll give you what you want. Yeah, you got it. Clearly, you don't want me. Be careful what you wish for. Yeah.

Dictate the theocratic future and where society is moving. And so and today, I think we face that same We're under that same burden. We're under that same authoritative power struggle. And we elect our rulers. And of course, they take advantage of those positions of authority and power. And it is hard to be content. But we also ought to be grateful for what we do have compared to other countries like you suggested there. So it's a tough balance. It is a tough balance, yeah.

The tax man comes, Uncle Sam, but yeah, anyways, that direct rebellious act has consequences that have rippled down through all history now. We can't figure out in and of ourselves as sinful human beings, right? And it's because we live in a democratic society, we're safe. No, go ahead. Yeah, usury is bad too.

It seems to me that, yeah, yeah, it's, I mean, that's a whole big discussion, but the way it's set up, yeah, it's like everybody's a slave, you know. You know the Old Testament, I think as we work through Exodus, it was wrong for a covenant person to impose usury on covenant person. But it seemed to me, as I recall, that you could impose it on the Gentiles. So. How does that apply? If you loan Landon money, don't charge him usury. Because we're brothers. Because you're brothers in Christ, yeah. I mean, that's how I would see that application. And you could go to your bank and say, don't charge me usury, because I'm your brother.

What if they're not my brother? No, I know. Yeah, I don't see any way around that. That was for the growth and development of society of a specific group of people, right? What, in the old times? Yeah, to lend freely without interest, usury, to develop a unity and a bond under the covenant, right? Yeah. Yeah, you can ask the bank to adopt you.

The thing is, though, that's like indebted servitude, though. Like, I love hard work and making a little money and doing this and doing that and investing and doing that. It's all great and dandy, but in the end, when you look at this huge discussion, but, you know, when you look at the government and how they take and take and take and constantly, like, there are ways to defer and there are ways to move around and have accountants like I do. But at the end of the day, I just feel like their intent is to keep you as working as long as possible, keep you paying taxes as long as possible.

But other than the TFSA, there's like so many, it's just, you're just constantly paying for their mistakes. Do you know what I mean? Like through printing money and the Fed and interest and just everything and how the whole system's working. decisions and there's just no end to it. Sure, I want to have payment so I can get to work, but on the roads and I like the lights and everything, but I mean it's just constant, it's almost, you know, you're just becoming a slave to the system. I don't see a lot of freedom in that.

I agree. I feel like we have to find and create ways that are legal to to create scenarios that can benefit oneself and one's family. And you have to think outside the box. Oh, yeah. And people have been doing that for millennia. I mean, in difficult scenarios, difficult kings, difficult governments, the hard Protestant work ethic usually adopted is that helpful protection against absolute disaster.