The Ten Commandments, stand as a monumental and foundational text, not just for the Israelites at Mount Sinai, but for all who seek to understand God's will and live a righteous life. More than a simple list of "dos and don'ts," these commandments are a divine blueprint for flourishing human existence—they detail how we are to rightly relate to our Creator and how we are to rightly relate to one another. As we embark on this study, we are invited to look beyond the surface rules and engage in the continuous process of self-reflection and alignment with God's guidance. Our goal is to uncover the deep wisdom, the sacrificial love, and the enduring relevance of these ten statements, allowing them to shape a stronger, more Christ-centered foundation in our own faith and priorities.
This session is centered around the eighth commandment Exodus 20:15 NIV You shall not steal.
Exodus 20:1-3 NIV [1] And God spoke all these words: [2] “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. [3] “You shall have no other gods before me.
the first commandment
Exodus 20:3 NIV You shall have no other gods before me.
the second commandment.
Exodus 20:4-6 NIV [4] “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. [5] You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, [6] but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
This commandment addresses two critical aspects of worship: the method and the motive.
the third Commandment,
Exodus 20:7 NIV “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
The core idea of treating God's name as empty, false, worthless, or meaningless applies to how we speak about Him, how we make promises in His presence, and how we live our lives as His representatives.
The Fourth Commandment
Exodus 20:8-11 (NIV) “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
God wants us to delight in His Word, enjoy his creation, celebrate beauty and love, and rejoice in the harvest. God intended for his people to enjoy their relationship with Him and each other by valuing the Sabbath. The Sabbath is 6set apart to connect with God and with other people. No one was excluded from the command to rest – even foreigners, servants, and livestock were called to take a break from work on the Sabbath. It was to be a blessing for all of creation.
"The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath"
The Fifth Commandment, "Honor your father and your mother," is unique among the Ten Commandments as it is the only one that comes with a specific promise
Exodus 20:12 NIV “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
It establishes the fundamental principle of respect for authority and order within the family—the basic unit of society.
Exodus 20:13 NIV “You shall not murder.
While it is one of the shortest verses in the Bible, its implications reach deep into the human heart, our social structures, and our walk with God.
God looks at the heart. Murder is the physical fruit of a heart full of hate, pride, or greed.
Exodus 20:14 NIV You shall not commit adultery.
The Seventh Commandment is often viewed as a "marriage rule," but in God’s eyes, it is a Commandment of Faithfulness. It protects the purity of our bodies, the sincerity of our worship, and the integrity of our promises.
In Scripture, God describes His relationship with His people as a marriage. When we turn to idols—money, career, or self-worship—we are being "unfaithful" to our Creator.
Isaiah 54:5 NIV For your Maker is your husband— the Lord Almighty is his name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.
Revelation 19:7 NIV Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
Today the eighth Commandment
"Thou Shalt Not Steal" (Exodus 20:15)
Exodus 20:15 NIV You shall not steal.
How we handle resources is a direct reflection of our faith. Moving us from a mindset of "taking" to a life of "stewardship."
While both a believer and an unbeliever might agree that stealing is "wrong," their reasons and the depth of that conviction vary significantly.
The Perspective of the Unbeliever
The rule against stealing is more about playing fair in society and avoiding the legal fallout.
Since there is no higher "Owner" to answer to, resources are often seen as "finders keepers" or "survival of the fittest." If they can get ahead without getting caught, the moral barrier is much thinner.
The Perspective of the Believer
For the believer, this commandment is viewed through the lens of Covenant Relationship and Divine Stewardship.
The Character of God. We don't steal because God is just and honest, and we are called to reflect His image.
The believer avoids theft because they want to honor the Provider and respect the dignity of the person God has blessed with those goods.
The Theological Foundation: Who Owns the Earth?
To understand theft, we must first define ownership. In God’s Kingdom, humans are not owners, but managers.
Psalms 24:1 NIV The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
Expansion: In the ancient world, kings claimed the land as theirs.
This Psalm makes a counter-cultural claim: God holds the title deed to everything.
When we steal, we aren't just taking from a person; we are violating God’s sovereign distribution. Stealing is a physical manifestation of the belief that God has made a mistake in what He provided for us.
The Definition of Theft: Much broader. It includes "stealing" time from an employer, withholding a compliment (stealing encouragement), or failing to give God His due (we’ll talk about that later). It’s about the intent of the heart, not just the legality of the action.
The Heart Issue: The believer trusts in Divine Providence. They believe that if they lack something, they can "Ask, and it shall be given" rather than taking it by force.
Matthew 7:7-12 NIV [7] “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. [8] For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. [9] “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? [10] Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? [11] If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! [12] So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Key Differences at a Glance
The Breadth of "Stealing" in Daily Life
Biblical stealing includes any form of dishonesty for personal gain.
Proverbs 11:1 NKJV Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight.
Merchants would use weighted stones to cheat customers. God calls this an "abomination"—the same word used for grave moral sins.
Modern Application: This applies to padding timesheets, "cutting corners" at work, or failing to give a full day’s labor for a full day's pay.
How can an employer steal from an employee
Leviticus 19:13 NIV “ ‘Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. “ ‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight.
James 5:4 NIV Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.
We’ve been talking about stealing from other humans but the Bible says we can rob God too.
The most famous reference to robbing God is found in the final book of the Old Testament.
Malachi 3:8-9 NIV [8] “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. [9] You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me.
In the biblical context, the "tithe" was set aside to support the Levites (ministers) and the poor.
Numbers 18:21 NIV “I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting.
Deuteronomy 26:12 NIV When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.
When the people kept it, they weren't just saving money; they were starving the spiritual and social infrastructure God had ordained.Today's Application: We rob God when we treat our
income as ours. Since Psalm 24:1 tells us everything belongs to Him, giving the "first fruits" is an act of returning a portion of His own property to Him. When we withhold it, we are essentially "stealing" from His mission on earth.
Proverbs 3:9-10 NIV Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; [10] then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
This is a principle of priority. By giving the "first," you acknowledge that God is the source of the entire harvest. If you wait until the end of the month to see what is left over, you are treating God as a secondary priority rather than the Owner.
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