This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘The Ten Commandments’. Her main scriptures were taken from the book Exodus 20:1-26; 2 Samuel 15:1-17; Matthew 6:19-21;
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS – INTRODUCTION
The Ten Commandments are ten laws that God Himself gave to the ancient nation of Israel thru His servant Moses. These Biblical principles apply to men’s relationship with God and with one another. If all people on earth keep at least one of these commandments, the world will be a better place. These Commandments were spoken directly by God at Mount Sinai and written by God’s finger on tablets of stone and given to Moses. This act makes them unique in the Bible. These Ten Laws are commands and not suggestions. They are personal, spoken to individuals.
I AM WISER THAN MY ENEMIES
“Oh, how I love Your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies” (Ps 119:97, 98)
People complain that God’s commands are too harsh. We are fools if we think like that. God has the right to command His creation to live and to do what He wants. These commands are given so that we fear God and that our lives will be better. God’s commands reflect His perfect wisdom.
THE 8TH COMMANDMENT – YOU SHALL NOT STEAL!” (Ex 20:15)
Stealing is defined as taking the property of another unlawfully, without the owner’s permission or knowledge. Stealing is done secretly or openly, by force. Like a drug, stealing is addictive. Most of the time it is habitual practice. Stealing is the most common crime. Most people go to prison because of stealing. The root of stealing is a combination of greed, laziness, anger, selfishness, and wickedness. A thief is angry against God and man. In every culture, people agree that stealing is wrong, but they still do it. Even the children steal, and they do it without learning how to do it. We are born sinners; we are born thieves. Therefore, we all want to get free things, without working. But God’s Law convicts us all! The commandments are all connected. For example, the 4th command says: “Six days you shall labor and do all your work” (Ex 20:9). Work is God’s command. Thieves hate work. That is why they steal. Adultery is another form of stealing. You steal another man’s wife, and you destroy the love in that marriage. If you obey one command, it will be easier to obey the other.
God hates stealing, especially when it is done by religious people. “I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering” (Is 61:8). Stealing is an attack on God’s character. God is sovereign and self-sufficient. He does not need anything to exist and be God. Everything created belongs to God. Stealing is a negative picture saying that God needs something else that He does not have. That is an insult on God! When man steals, he insults Jehovah Jireh who has promised to supply all man’s needs. Stealing connects with the idea of ownership and property. In this world, there are wealthy people and others who are poor. The government also owns property. But God is the real Owner of everything. “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein” (Ps 24:1). This verse tells us that planet earth, with all the visible and invisible riches, including all the people alive or buried, belong to Jehovah God. Stealing from man means stealing from God.
Why do people steal? Mostly because of greed. The philosophy of the thief is this: ‘I like that thing. I must have it!’ It is complete selfishness and wickedness. He just does not care about others! That is why, no one can have a genuine fellowship with a thief. A thief divides a family and the church. In the Bible, stealing means taking what belongs to another, or keeping what does not belong to you. “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?” (Lk 16:10-12). Our Lord Jesus says that some people have material wealth. He calls that ‘the unrighteous mammon’. Others possess ‘the true riches.’ Because of material wealth, people are divided into two general groups. There are people who own property and ‘work for themselves’ and others who work for them. All over the world, there are landlords, tenants, and slaves. Faithfulness for Christ’ sake in working for another is rewarded by God. The slave becomes free, and the tenant becomes a landlord. At the same time, faithfulness to God in serving Him thru tithes and offerings is rewarded with spiritual anointing and many blessings. The Bible says that God owns everything. He gives us things to enjoy in this life. We are accountable to God for the way we make, and we manage our wealth. The principle of faithfulness is basic. God blesses those who are obedient and faithful to His commands.
OPPRESSION
Oppression is a form of stealing by force. It is defined as the prolonged, unjust, and cruel exercise of authority or power over people. Oppression manifests as persecution, human rights abuse, or controlling people. The oppressive regimes prohibit freedom of speech and of religion. They arrest or kill anyone who revolts against the government. There is gender, economic, racial, social, or religious discrimination. The victims of oppressive powers are all uncomfortable, afraid, and depressed. In Hebrew, the word ‘oppression’ means extortion, unjust gain, fraud, or injury. Extortion means getting something, especially money, through force or threats. Power and wealth gained through oppression is robbery. God is all powerful. He punishes oppressors and helps the victims. “Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them. God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God. Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work” (Ps 62:10-12). God is merciful even with the oppressors, giving them time to repent. If they refuse to repent, God punishes them unexpectedly. “Therefore, thus says the Holy One of Israel: “Because you despise this word, and trust in oppression and perversity, and rely on them, Therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach ready to fall, a bulge in a high wall, whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant” (Is 30:12, 13).
This is a warning to all oppressors! “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. Indeed, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned; you have murdered the just; he does not resist you” (Jam 5:1-6).
The employers can exploit their workers too by stealing from them. It is a curse for any man, company or nation that does not pay the workers’ salaries or their pensions. Unjust salaries, or paying the salaries late, is stealing and God will judge that sin. “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by injustice, who uses his neighbor’s service without wages and gives him nothing for his work” (Jer 22:13).
PILFERING
Pilfering means stealing little things. “Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things” (Tit 2:9,10). This command applies to slaves and their masters. But it also applies to workers and their employers. Pilfering is a particular type of stealing. The workers steal small amounts of money or things, often, again and again. Most of the time, no one notices. For example, people steal the whole roll of toilet paper from a public toilet. Children steal meat from the pot. Workers use the company’s phone or computer for personal needs. Another form of pilfering is stealing time. People pretend to be sick when they are not; or they come late to work and leave before closing time.
KLEPTOMANIA
Kleptomania is a rare mental health condition where a person feels an overpowering, irresistible urge to steal things. People who have this disorder know that stealing is wrong and could get them into trouble, but they can’t stop themselves. Generally, they feel guilt or shame about stealing. Many try to compensate for their sin by returning the stolen items. It happens to people of all ages, starting with children and even to the elderly. It is more common with the females. This form of stealing is not planned. It happens on an impulse. The thief feels excited as he steals, but later, he feels guilty. Many throw the things away because they do not need the stolen things. Most of the people who suffer with this condition have anxiety, depression, and are at a higher risk of suicide. The condition lasts a lifetime. It isn’t dangerous, but it can severely affect the person’s life. The offenders often face legal consequences if caught. Kleptomania can cause personal problems. It is hard for these people to keep a job, or to maintain friendships. There is medication for it. Prayer and counselling also help. This is a good practical advice: never go alone to buy things. Let somebody who knows your weakness accompany you. This is a great help!
KIDNAPPING IS STEALING
Kidnapping and selling the person into slavery is sin and a form of stealing. It means that you steal the person’s freedom. In the Old Testament, kidnapping was punished by death. “He who kidnaps a man and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, shall surely be put to death (Ex 21:16)
BUSYBODIES ARE THIEVES
“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 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” (2 Thess 3:6-12). Someone who ‘walks disorderly’ is a thief. The word in Greek means somebody who is a troublemaker, undisciplined, idle, and disruptive. In Nigeria we say that he behaves ‘anyhow’. A busybody is someone who is more interested in the affairs of others and neglects his own. He asks many questions. He offers advice if you want it or not. He is fault finding and enjoys gossip. He is too busy with other things and careless or lazy with his life. The busybodies are rebellious, and they are thieves! Apostle Paul commands us, with the authority he has from the Lord, that we should withdraw from such people. In Greek, the word ‘withdraw’ is a nautical term meaning ‘to shorten the sails’, so that the ship slows down. This is the first step before more discipline may be applied. Anyone who refuses to work, talks too much, dreams big, but does not pay his bills is a dangerous person. He is a thief! Separate from such! Selah!
CHEATING IN BUSINESS
“Diverse weights and diverse measures, they are both alike, an abomination to the Lord” (PV 20:10). “You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume. You shall have honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. ‘Therefore, you shall observe all My statutes and all My judgments and perform them: I am the Lord” (Lev 19:35-37). A hin is a container for liquids of about 5 liters. “You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a heavy and a light. You shall not have in your house differing measures, a large and a small. You shall have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure, that your days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. For all who do such things, all who behave unrighteous, are an abomination to the Lord your God” (Deut 25:13-16).
In ancient times people loved to cheat in business. It is the same now. The official authorities cannot control these malpractices. That is why God gives these commandments and warnings, to address the conscience of His people. For example, those who sell take advantage of the ignorance of the buyers and inflate prices. During crises, the sellers increase the prices because the goods are scarce. If the buyer mistakenly pays more than he was supposed to pay, the seller will keep quiet and just pocket the change, or the seller may sell inferior products for the price of the original. Illegal downloading of music over the internet is a common form of theft today.
Cheating in business is common. In many offices, if the bosses are oppressive and demand too much, the employees deceive them so that their performance looks better and so, they keep their jobs. Children cheat their over-demanding parents about their grades. Athletes cheat by taking illegal drugs. Many people sell products online (for example, through Facebook marketplace etc). Scammers are attracted to these sites too. These are some warnings: the scam buyer sends you a fake notification payment. He hopes that you send him the product before you discover the deception. The scam buyer tells you that by mistake he has paid twice, and he is telling you to refund one of the payments. The scam seller sends fake things especially to people in another country. It is hard to reject the product after you have paid for it and for the transport. Advice, buy only from people you know, and sites you trust! Watch and Pray! God sees! God judges!
“You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another… ‘You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning” (Lev 19:11, 13). Internet scam (yahoo boys) is stealing. “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold” (PV 22:1). Gossiping, slandering others, is stealing their reputation and good name.
Why do people cheat in business? First, because it is quite easy to do and hard to be caught. Secondly, when people want to succeed and fail to do so by honest means, they turn to deception. They think that fake dreams are better than no dreams at all. They see cheating as an exciting adventure. Cheating is learned from others. It is hard but not impossible for a cheater to become an honest worker or for a thief to become a hard-working generous person. Only in Christ there is hope, deliverance, and victory!
REFUSING TO PAY YOUR DEBTS IS STEALING
“Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Rom 13:7, 8). “The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the righteous shows mercy and gives” (Ps 37:21). When we refuse, or are late in paying debts, loans, or bills, we are stealing. Refusing to return borrowed goods (books etc) is stealing. “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,” when you have it with you” (PV 3:27, 28). Concerning paying taxes, Jesus said: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Mk 12:17). This is the lesson for all: be sensitive to the sin of greed that leads to stealing. None is above God’s Law! God sees and God judges! Selah
MONEY LENDING WITH HIGH INTEREST (USURY) IS STEALING
“If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest. If you ever take your neighbor’s garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down. For that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What will he sleep in? And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious” (Exo 22:25-27). “To a foreigner you may charge interest, but to your brother you shall not charge interest, that the Lord your God may bless you in all to which you set your hand in the land which you are entering to possess” (Deut 23:20). “One who increases his possessions by usury and extortion gathers it for him who will pity the poor” (PV 28:8). If you give a loan to somebody in need, be sure that it is not with a wicked mind to exploit that man, to make too much interest from it. Be kind to the poor. You may make interest from others, but not from your brothers (spiritual or natural). This is God’s Law: Lovers of money shall become poor. In the Parable of the Tenants, Jesus commands His disciples to make profit with what they have received. To the lazy wicked servant, He says: “you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest” (Matt 25:27). Making profit or interest is not a sin. Having a wicked heart when making business and oppressing men to make money, that is sin! Selah!
I read that the Jews do not ask for interest when they loan money to other Jews. It does not matter if they are rich or poor. They give free loans, or they become partners in business. This is part of their history. A Jew can give money as a gift to another Jew and help him in his business. Then they can both share in the profit. But if they take a loan or they give a loan to a non-Jew, they pay the interest. The reason they do so is to obey God’s command and because they see one another as ‘family’. God has blessed the Jews in many ways, especially financially. This is an information taken from the internet: Since the mass immigration some 100 years ago, Jews have become richest religious group in American society. They make up only 2% of US population, but they make 25% of 400 wealthiest Americans.
NOT PAYING TITHES AND OFFERINGS IS STEALING
“Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the Lord of hosts; “And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” Says the Lord of hosts” (Mal 3:8-12). Many Christians ignore God’s command to tithe. They say this command is for the Old Testament. Be careful! God never argues with His creation. Christianity is a work of faith. But no matter what man says, God’s Word tells us to tithe. We owe God the first tenth of our pay or profit. When we do not give God His due, we are robbing God.
God promises special spiritual and material blessings to those who tithe. God increases your harvest. God also protects your harvest from ‘the devourer’ (the one who eats your harvest). The testimony of millions who tithe faithfully is a confirmation that God’s Word is true. God protects those who tithe. They do not waste money thru sickness, accidents, stealing or deception. For those who tithe, 90% from their salary or profit, is enough to cover all the bills more than those who keep 100%. Also, God promises that if we tithe, we shall be a blessing to many nations, and never a liability to people. Amen!
Many pastors have over-emphasized tithing. This is the truth: tithe does not save your soul! Tithe is not a passport of a visa to heaven. But tithing has its function. God does not need our money. The money is used to take care of God’s work and house. Paying tithes gives you the confidence that you are a serious spiritual son and not a visitor. God monitors all we do, especially in His house. This is what our Lord said when condemning the religious hypocrites: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone” (Matt 23:23). Jesus is saying is that we should first be concerned with spiritual things like justice, mercy, and faith. Secondly, we should pay our tithes and offerings. There is no argument! Selah!
HYPOCRISY IS STEALING
“Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor 6:18-20). Jesus died for our sins. He paid for our freedom with His precious Blood. He bought us, body, soul, and spirit with His Blood. The religious hypocrite lives in sin and still attends church. He dishonors His Savior and robs God of His glory. Adulterers in the church are cheating themselves. God will judge them as thieves!
THE ITEMS MOST STOLEN WHEN THIEVES BREAK INTO A HOUSE
Thousands of homes are broken into every day all over the world. Thieves want to steal objects that are not too bulky and that they can quickly sell for cash. They do not care of the pain they leave behind. The items most stolen are these: cash, jewelry, and wrist watches, electronics, phones, laptops, keys of the cars parked outside, personal IDs, passports, ATM cards, bank statements, or driving licenses. These are used to blackmail or used for identity theft. Thieves break into cars and steal phones, laptops. They also steal your car registration and license plates. They can use these on stolen cars to avoid detection. Rims are tires are easily stolen because they can resell these without fear of being tracked. Stealing from cars is an opportunistic crime. This is good advice: Do not let your valuables in plain sight; close your windows, and always lock your car. The most common forms of punishment for stealing are jail time, fines, community service, and restitution.
FEELINGS OF THE VICTIMS OF THEFT
After a thief entered and stole property in your house or car, you may feel grieved initially. The thief stole things that have value to you. You may feel angry at the thief or at the police for being too slow in catching the thief. You may experience fear, especially at night, thinking that the thief may come again. Victims of theft lose trust in people generally and it affects their relationships.
THE DEVIL IS A THIEF
The devil was an archangel called Lucifer. He was created by God. He was in charge of the worship ‘choir’ in heaven. He became proud. He wanted to be God. By refusing to honor God he became a thief. He stole God’s honor. He deceives men so that they will not worship God.
Also, God created man and gave him dominion over the earth to exercise God’s delegated authority. Through deception the devil stole that dominion. The only way for man to recover what was stolen in through Christ! “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (Jn 10:10). In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus says that if anyone does not understand the Gospel, the devil will steal the word from his heart. “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside” (Matt 13:19). In Greek, the Word ‘snatches away’ means to seize as an armed robber. It is our duty to pray for understanding and retaining memory of God’s Word. An idle careless distracted mind supplies food to the devil.
Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus’ disciples. He was the treasurer of the disciples. He loved money. He was a thief. He yielded to the devil. He betrayed and sold Jesus for three hundred denary. In today’s money, that is between 100 to 3000 US$. It was the price for an ordinary slave. “Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead. There they made Him supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always” (Jn 12:1-8). Judas wanted to sell the worship of Jesus. Be careful with ‘worship leaders’ who sing for money! Judas returned the money to the Pharisees who called these coins ‘blood money’. They rejected the money too. Judas hanged himself. He went to hell not because he was a thief or because he committed suicide. He went to hell because to the end of his life on earth he rejected Christ. Selah!
STEALING IN NIGERIA
Nigeria is known abroad as a place where stealing and corruption is almost a culture. Many Nigerians are very religious and also like to steal. They combine the worship of God with stealing from men. Many people have tried to explain the reasons why stealing is so common. These are some reasons I have found on the internet. Nigerians hate poverty with a passion. They say that poverty has no relatives or friends. At the same time, Nigerians love wealth and visible success. Many pastors preach the so called ‘prosperity Gospel’. It affects the people who attend these churches. They imagine that God overlooks sin in the process of them becoming wealthy. In Nigeria, honesty, modesty in dressing, contentment in life and working hard are not always celebrated. Becoming rich quickly is fashionable.
In Nigeria, stealing is a crime punished by the Law. There is a difference between stealing and robbery. Stealing is the act of taking something from another with the intention to deprive the person of it. Robbery is the illegal taking of a property from a person, in or out of the person’s presence, by use of violence or intimidation. In Nigeria, stealing is punishable by up to 3 years imprisonment. Robbery is punishable by imprisonment of not less than 21 years.
Cybercrimes are crimes committed using the Internet, Computers, and Information Communications Technology. It is a dominant form of criminality perpetrated by Nigerian youths and students. Cybercriminals are called ‘Yahoo Boys’. Nigeria is ranked first in African and third globally in cybercrime. Over 40% of undergraduates and 60% of unemployed graduates in Nigeria are involved. Poverty, lack of opportunities, high unemployment levels, greed, materialism, contemporary youth culture, and extravagant lifestyles drive some to engage in cybercrime. Peer influence plays some role in cybercrime, but joining the crime is willful and not by coercion or chicanery. Parents’ unwillingness to report the crime, as well as their acceptance of the proceeds, suggests that they do approve of cyber-crime. This contributes to its increased rampancy.
This is the sad story of a beautiful country. That is why we pray for revival for Nigeria. “Righteousness [moral and spiritual integrity and virtuous character] exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (PV 14:34; AMP). God the Holy Spirit alone can change men’s hearts to become genuine, mature, fruitful believers. May revival come to this land! Amen!
THE EFFECTS OF STEALING
*FAILURE IN LIFE
Stealing makes God angry. By stealing, we lose God’s protection. For example, Achan stole a Babylonian garment. God was angry. He let His people be defeated in battle. “The Lord said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. Therefore, the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore unless you destroy the accursed from among you… Then it shall be that he who is taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire, he, and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel” (Josh 7:10-12, 15). Achan refused to confess his sin. That’s why he had to be killed with his family. This is a warning against all rebellious, covetous and thieves. None can hide from God.
*DISGRACE
Disgrace is the portion of the thief and his family. “the thief is ashamed when he is found out” (Jer 2:26).
*POVERTY
The spirit of poverty enters the thief and his family. “People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; He may have to give up all the substance of his house” (PV 6:30, 31). The thief loses what he has stolen. “Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labor will increase” (PV 13:11). You can never become wealthy through stealing. You can deceive men, but you can’t deceive God. God cannot bless stolen money. All unrepentant thieves end in poverty and disgrace!
REPENTANCE AND RESTITUTION
When stealing, God insists on confession of sin, repentance and even 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. 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 has risen on him, there shall be guilt for his bloodshed. He should make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the theft is certainly found alive in his hand, whether it is an ox or donkey or sheep, he shall restore double” (Exo 22:1-4). If a thief is found breaking in a house or store in the night, the owner can fight and kill the thief. That is not murder. But if the thief breaks in during the day, if the owner kills him, he will be punished for murder. Why? In the night, it is hard to find help. During the day, people will come and help fight the thief. If the thief is caught, he must pay back what he stole and even add to it. If what he has is not enough, the thief becomes the slave to the owner for the next 6 years. By working for the owner, he has redeemed himself from the sin of stealing.
This God’s Law: “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel: ‘When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit in unfaithfulness against the Lord, and that person is guilty, then he shall confess the sin which he has committed. He shall make restitution for his trespass in full, plus one-fifth of it, and give it to the one he has wronged” (Nu 5:5-7).
SPIRITUAL STEALING – ABSALOM STOLE THE HEARTS OF GOD’S PEOPLE (2 Sam 15:1-14)
King David committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband. Why was he not put to death? Because he was the king. There was no tribunal in the country that could judge him. But God judged him. God sent a prophet called Nathan who said: “the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife” (2 Sam 12:10). Four of David’s sons (his baby with Bathsheba, Amnon, Absalom and Adonijah) died untimely violent deaths.
Absalom was the third son of David. His mother was a pagan princess. He was handsome, proud, and very ambitious. He was a leader, gifted in talking to men. He could flatter them easily. He was also a violent man. He killed his half-brother Amnon, for raping his sister Tamar. He waited for David to punish Amnon. When David did nothing about the crime, he took matters in his hands and killed Amnon in cold blood. It was a premediated murder. He fled to his mother’s country for about 3 years. He manipulated his way back to Jerusalem and back to his father’s heart. He knew the power of visible wealth to influence the people. He provided himself with chariots with horses and an entourage of men. This was the opposite of his father’s more humble life. His strategy was to look humble and helpful. He stood at the gate of the city, He greeted and kissed the people who came to Jerusalem. They needed to see King David to give them justice. Absalom gave them hope that he will give them justice if elected the judge of the land. He flattered the people. “A man who flatters his neighbor Spreads a net for his feet” (PV 29:5). Through these false hopes of justice, flattery, and prosperity, Absalom ‘stole’ the hearts of the people. They believed and followed him. This is how the conspiracy against his father, King David, started. Absalom stole the hearts of men. In Hebrew, the word ‘stole’ it means also to deceive or to kidnap the hearts. He won the love and trust of the people through deception. The people did not know that they were deceived. They forgot about King David and now they were ‘in love’ with Absalom. Most followed him ignorantly and foolishly. They did not see that behind the sweet words of flattery was a criminal, a young prince who was ready to rape and kill his family to gain the throne. Absalom divided the country. Some faithful men stayed with David. There was a war between the two groups. Eventually, Absalom died. He was handsome and gifted. But he had no character to be king. And God was with David!
Like a corrupt politician, Absalom promises men great things. He promises men a good life giving them big hopes. They become proud. Absalom kisses them. Sin kisses to make you proud. Absalom was helped by Ahithophel, David’s friend and counsellor who betrayed his master. He was the Judas of the Old Testament. Like Judas, he too committed suicide.
How did Absalom steal hearts? The heart is God’s place. It is with the heart that man loves God. Absalom represents sin, and the devil. Absalom came with his mighty fancy entourage. Sin has its own pleasure and entertainment. The TV and the pornographic movies, internet, worldly adverts, and fashion are all agents of Absalom. There is a spirit in the churches called ‘Absalom spirit’. How does he manifest? Some Christians who are gifted but proud, rebel against the church’ authority. They imagine that they can preach better than the pastor. They start grumbling. Quietly, they start gathering followers. They divide the congregation. Their victims are people who are not happy with God and with men. They are bitter in life. They want ‘justice’. They don’t care who will give them justice. They don’t care about the methods used to satisfy them. The spirit of Absalom tries to enter thru ‘the gates of hell’. But in a living church he never succeeds. He will be exposed and disgraced. This is what our Lord Jesus Christ said: “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matt 16:18).
Pastors can steal sermons from others giving the impression that it is their own. This is the spirit of Absalom who stole his father’s throne.
“I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart, who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams which everyone tells his neighbor, as their fathers forgot My name for Baal. “The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?” says the Lord. “Is not My word like a fire?” says the Lord, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? “Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” says the Lord, “who steal My words everyone from his neighbor. Behold, I am against the prophets,” says the Lord, “who use their tongues and say, ‘He says.’ Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” says the Lord, “and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore, they shall not profit this people at all,” says the Lord” (Jer 23:25-32).
Lesson: be sensitive and careful in detecting the poison of rebellion in a family or in the church. The devil divides to conquer. Submit to God and to the delegated authority. If you believe that the pastor lives in sin and preaches wrong doctrines, quietly leave that church, and look for another. Do not join rebellious proud troublemakers. God deals harshly with rebellious spirits. Before the creation of man, the devil rebelled against God. He is a rebellious proud liar, and a thief. His followers end in tragedy. Never forget this: God always punishes rebellion! Selah!
WORK TO PUT BREAD ON THE TABLE! BE GENEROUS!
“The thief [who has become a believer] must no longer steal, but instead he must work hard [making an honest living], producing that which is good with his own hands, so that he will have something to share with those in need” (Eph 4:28; AMP).
From this scripture we see that even the born-again Christian may not stop stealing immediately. Sanctification is a process. The Christian must pray for the strength to resist and conquer the power of sin. If a man says he is saved and he continue to steal habitually, that one is not yet saved. A child of God may fall unto sin, once or more than once, but he does not dwell habitually in sin. A man steals because he is idle and lazy. He also steals because he hates hard work. Now, things must change. No more laziness. The man must work hard to pay the bills! A thief does not appreciate the hard work behind the things he steals. That is why most thieves waste their money thru drugs, alcohol, and fornication. The former thief who is now a believer, must learn to work hard. In Greek, the word ‘work’ describes a man who labors hard until he sweats. By working hard, the ex-thief learns the honor and respect of honest labor. He also discovers that God blesses the work of his hands. He will make good money. He will have more than enough to share with others who are in need. A thief is very selfish. He only thinks of himself. He has no feelings of compassion for the victim. Now, the believer learns the power of the unity of the Spirit with others, in his family and in his church.
SOME LESSONS…
First, let us thank God for the Gospel, which is the only power that can save and change sinners. The Gospel is not for good men. It is for sinners like me and you. Because Jesus died for our sins, we have the hope of eternal life! We also have the hope that we can change from wicked sinners into saints. There is no man, religion or power outside the Gospel that can do this miracle of change, that can give man a new beginning.
Justification is by grace and thru faith. It is an instant work done by God. The process of sanctification starts immediately. The Holy Spirit may kill some sins by His power almost instantly. But other sins remain. The baby Christian needs to cooperate with the Holy Spirit and learn how to kill the desires of the flesh. This is a process. It may take some time before you hate stealing and you stop it, even in your heart. Love will move in and will occupy the place of the heart where stealing was. You can now worship God freely!
Paul says that man should work with his hands producing something good and useful. The reason is that hands have been polluted by stealing. Now, the hands must be redeemed for God. May God bless the work of your hands! But stealing is more than taking something with your hands. Wasting another’s time is a form of stealing. During your working hours, you are not supposed to read your Bible or evangelize others. You are paid to do your job. You may not like to hear this, but it is the truth. Be the best example as a worker too! That is a greater form of evangelism!
This is God’s Word: stop stealing! See that Paul is not saying praying about it. He does not say God will remove stealing from you. Paul commands the believer who is stealing: Stop it! How do you stop it? Look at the sin. See how ugly sin is. See how wicked you are to steal!
Secondly, labor honestly for an honest salary. Do something useful with your hands. The word ‘labor’ is a strong word. It says: ‘work until you get exhausted’. In this way, you will have no time or strength to think about stealing.
As he was getting ready to travel, Paul told the Ephesians elders: “I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Ac 20:33-35). The pagans are always lazy and love pleasure. Christians are always known for their hard work and faithfulness to God and man. God created man to work. A lazy man’s mind becomes weak. A thief is foolish. During every revival people saw work as honorable. Many Christians get wealthy because they work hard, and they do not waste their resources on sinful activities. It is so good to go home in the evening after a busy day at work. It is so good to eat dinner and sleep well.
Lesson: teach your children the value of work. It is sad to see the children of wealthy men who were not trained to work. When their father dies and they inherit a fortune, they waste it all on prodigal living. This is because they are not used to working hard. They cannot maintain the wealth. Remember that we are not the real owners of things on earth. We are stewards. God is the owner. We must give an account for the way we managed the resources entrusted to us. Thieves are irresponsible. Christians are always responsible to God for everything He gives to them.
In the world, only 21% of people love their work. The rest hate their work and their bosses. This hatred produces anxiety, anger, and depression. Before you resign, think, and pray about it. You must be practical. Be mature. Be humble! Think of the benefits of that job you dislike. Don’t resign on an impulse. Learn to be patient and more prayerful. God can change people and circumstances. Find fulfillment not in people or jobs, but in Christ! Remember to care for others. Love the needy people. Help them! You must see both marriage and work as honorable. If not, you will start becoming lazy and distracted. Be careful! You are going to fall into sin!
MY TESTIMONY
These are three scriptures that helped me over the years to fight the spirit of Absalom and stealing: “The king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing.” So, David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. And David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So, the Lord heeded the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel” (2Sam 24:24. 25).
“Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality” (Col 3:22-25).
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:19-21). Our Lord commands that we should be wise about our treasures. We are not to lay our treasures on earth… but we should lay them in heaven” Treasures is more than money or material things. It is my attitude to all my possessions and achievements. The world is a system, a lifestyle that is an enemy to the believer. The world says that you should accumulate things and you should struggle for success in life. The treasure of a worldly man is in this earth. He cannot carry it with him after death. Jesus says that this mentality is dangerous. As Christians, how are we to view possessions? Jesus says that we should use what we have (money, material possessions, position in society etc) to make an eternal investment. We can use money to help the poor for Christ’ sake. Jesus sees, appreciates, and rewards all good things done in His name. He says to those who did good: “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Matt 25:40). God saves and God rewards. Using your possessions to do good for Christ’ sake opens your eternal account in heaven. No thief has access there. The more you deposit there, the stronger your faith will be, the less you feel like a wasteful manager or thief on earth. Your heart connects with your treasure. A heavenly treasure established your heart!
Long ago my husband and I made a covenant with God that if anyone steals our things, that one must surrender to Christ. That is why I do not feel cheated when people steal my things. For me, by paying my tithes and offerings and helping the needy I have been able to conquer the spirit of stealing. I loved my work as a medical doctor. I love my work as a pastor now! God has blessed both my works! Praise the Lord!
FINALLY…
This is God’s eternal Word: “A good name [earned by honorable behavior, godly wisdom, moral courage, and personal integrity] is more desirable than great riches; And favor is better than silver and gold” (PV 22:1; AMP). Invest and build your character more than your bank account! Obey God! He will bless the work of your hands! Serve God in your local church! Pay your tithes and offerings! Learn to be generous! Start sharing! Be grateful for a new beginning! The Lord Jesus said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive!” (Ac 20:35). Worship the Lord!
Green Pastures 