Good Morning.
“You shall not steal.” (Exodus 20:15)
In my view there are only a few things more vile than a thief. To take someone’s property and belongings is to steal the fruit of their ambition and hard work. And so when you think of it that way, to steal from someone is an assault on them personally. Perhaps, that is why those who have been victimized by a thief feel so violated and vulnerable. This kind of personal assault would also include theft by forgery, embezzlement, swindling and just plain cheating.
There are some forms of theft that don’t necessarily involve someone’s property. I would suggest that we might consider manipulation and emotional coercion as a form of theft as well. Then there are the situations where taking from someone might be considered legal, technically speaking, but still regarded as unlawful scripturally. For example, taking advantage of someone’s ignorance or emotional distress for personal gain would fall under this category.
In John’s Gospel, Messiah referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd watching over the flock. At the same time, He hinted that Satan is a thief and robber and that theft is but the first step in an effort to destroy God’s people. The thief, He said, comes to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10). Obviously, this kind of behavior should be abhorrent to God’s people. In fact, we should go out of our way to make sure we are viewed as honest, just and respectful of our brother’s property. When we do this, we exhibit the attributes of our Father in Heaven and avoid any association with the Adversary and his ways. We are not here to take from our brother, but as followers of Christ, we are on this earth to give to our neighbor that which we have freely received from our Master.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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