THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT.
PROPERTY. HONESTY.
Thou shalt not steal.
_What is meant by this commandment?_
We should so fear and love God as not to rob our neighbor of his money
or property, nor bring it into our possession by unfair dealing or
fraudulent means, but rather assist him to improve and protect it.
* * * * *
The object of this commandment is to protect every man in the possession
of that which is lawfully his own. Without such protection the
individual could not support his life, and society could not exist. The
industrious and thrifty would be at the mercy of the lazy and wicked.
This commandment _forbids_ us to use dishonest means of acquiring
property. It _commands_ us to assist our neighbor to improve and protect
his own.
PROPERTY consists of whatever each person lawfully acquires of the
earth's lands, forests, water, mines, houses, goods or money. It may be
rightfully acquired by original claim, inheritance, gift, or labor of
body or mind. Honest labor united with economy is the best way to
acquire it.
UNEQUAL DIVISION. God, who is the absolute owner of all things, [I Cor.
10:26] divides to each as He will. [Jer. 27:5] He "maketh poor and
maketh rich." [I Sam. 2:7, Prov. 22:2+] Much poverty, however, is due to
men's own laziness, idleness, [II Thess. 3:10+] carelessness or
extravagance; and much wealth has been wrongfully gained contrary to
God's will as expressed in this commandment. _Communism_, or the equal
division of property among all men, is not practicable. It failed in the
apostolic Church. [Acts 5:1-10] If all things were equally divided, some
would soon clamor for another division.
POVERTY AND RICHES. The happiest person is he who is neither rich nor
poor, but has sufficient for his needs. [Prov. 30:7-9+, Prov. 15:16-17+]
Poverty may tempt a man to dishonesty; and riches may lead him to
avarice, hardness of heart, worldliness and extravagance. [I Tim. 6:9,
10, I Tim. 6:17+] Riches make it hard for a man to enter into the
kingdom of God. [Matt. 19:24+, Matt. 13:22] We should respect men for
what they are, and not for what they have. We should not flatter the
rich nor despise the poor. [Jas. 2:1-4]
USE OF PROPERTY. God entrusts earthly property to us as His stewards.
[Luke 19:12-27, Matt. 25:14-30, Luke 16:1-8] Whether we are rich or
poor, we should so use our property as to be able to give an account to
God. _For ourselves_ and those dependent on us [I Tim. 5:8+] we should
use it for the supply of our bodily needs (food, clothing, shelter, a
reasonable amount of pleasure) and of our spiritual needs [Luke 12:15+,
Matt. 6:33, I Cor. 9:14] (the Church and the Gospel). _For our
fellow-men_ we should, when necessary, use it according to our ability
for their bodily needs (the poor) and their spiritual needs (Home and
Foreign Missions). [Matt. 22:39]
I. WHAT IS FORBIDDEN.
1. ROBBING OUR NEIGHBOR. The grossest forms of dishonesty are Robbery,
Theft, Burglary, Embezzlement, and Forgery. These are recognized by all
as wrong. But it is also wrong to bring our neighbor's property into our
possession, by
2. UNFAIR DEALING AND FRAUDULENT MEANS, [Prov. 29:24, Lev. 6:2, 3, Ps.
37:21, Jer. 22:13, Lev. 19:35, 36, Hab. 2:6, Prov. 15:6, Deut. 24:14,
Jas. 5:4, Prov. 11:1] such as Concealing stolen property, Withholding
lost or borrowed property, Evading taxes, Refusing to pay debts, Wilful
idleness and beggary, Betting and gambling, Lotteries and chancing,
Bribery, Useless lawsuits, Negligent management of another's property,
Stealing car-rides, Unfaithful labor, Insufficient wages, Cornering the
market, Overcharging, Usury, Adulterating goods, Giving short weight or
measure, and Cheating of any kind.
3. _Dishonesty in the Heart_. Dishonesty has its source in the
covetousness and greed of the human heart. [Mic. 2:2] Men first covet,
and then steal or defraud. We must beware of covetousness. [Luke 12:15+]
The love of money is a root of all evil. [I Tim. 6:10+] We must be
honest even in small matters. He who is dishonest in little will be
dishonest in much. [Luke 16:10] We must avoid all that would tempt us to
dishonesty; namely, evil companions, idleness, speculation,
extravagance, etc.
II. WHAT IS COMMANDED.
We should
1. ASSIST OUR NEIGHBOR TO IMPROVE AND PROTECT HIS PROPERTY. [Exod. 23:4,
5, Matt. 7:12] We should help him to get along well in the world, and do
what we can to prevent him from being deprived of his possessions.
2. _Restore to the real owner_ whatever has been dishonestly gotten.
[Luke 19:8]
3. _Be Ready to use our money_ and property in order to help and benefit
our neighbor. [Eph. 4:28+, Heb. 13.18+, I Pet. 4:10] We must be helpful
and charitable toward our fellow-men.
QUESTIONS.--1. What is the object of the seventh commandment? 2. What
does this commandment forbid? 3. What does it command? 4. How may
property be rightfully acquired? 5. Explain why property is unequally
divided among men? 6. What is to be said about communism? 7. Why is he
who is neither rich nor poor the happiest man? 8. What is the right use
of property? 9. Mention some gross forms of dishonesty? 10. Mention some
other ways in which this commandment is broken? 11. Where does
dishonesty have its source? 12. If we would be honest, what must we
guard against? 13. In what ways does this commandment require us to
assist our neighbor?
SCRIPTURE VERSES--Prov. 22:2. The rich and poor meet together: the LORD
is the maker of them all.
II Thess. 3:10. This we commanded you, that if any would not work,
neither should he eat.
Prov. 30:7-9. Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not
before I die: Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither
poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full,
and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal,
and take the name of my God in vain.
Prov. 15:16-17. Better is little with the fear of the LORD, than great
treasure and trouble therewith. Better is a dinner of herbs where love
is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.
I Tim. 6:17. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not
highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who
giveth us richly all things to enjoy.
Matt. 19:24. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the
kingdom of God.
I Tim. 5:8. But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those
of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an
infidel.
Luke 12:15. And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of
covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the
things which he possesseth.
I Tim. 6:10. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while
some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced
themselves through with many sorrows.
Eph. 4:28. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour,
working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give
to him that needeth.
Heb. 13:16. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such
sacrifices God is well pleased.
READING.--The Unjust Steward, Luke 16:1-7; or, Matt. 25: 31-46.
ILLUSTRATIONS.--_Poverty and Riches_: The Rich Man and Lazarus, Luke
16:19-31; The Rich Fool, Luke 12:15-21; The Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11
seq. _Dishonesty_: Achan, Josh. 7. Gehazi, II Kings 5. Judas, Luke 12:6,
Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 5. _Benevolence_: The Good Samaritan, Luke
10:30-37; Dorcas, Acts 9:36; Cornelius, Acts 10:2.