When you think about thieves, robbers, and burglars, you probably think about ski masks, crowbars, and getaway cars. It may bring up scenes of bank or house robberies. You may think of Marv and Al attempting to rob the McCallisters or Robin Hood stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Theft and stealing bring up these fancy escapades or intense moments in our minds. We think of thieves and robbers as being among the lowest of the low in society and as a group entirely out there.
So you, like me, may wonder, why do I need to listen to an episode on the eighth commandment? Exodus 20:14 still says “Thou shalt not steal.” We may think “Okay, I’ve definitely got this one down. I can skip onto the next commandment.” You may not be robbing banks, stealing cars, and swindling grandmas so why would you need to listen to this? Better said - Why should you want to listen to this?
A couple of reasons.
First, it is the Word of God and all Scripture is given for our teaching and help (2 Tim. 3:16-17. This is obvious, but it cannot be overstated. We study the whole bible because we need the whole Bible to glorify God as His children.
Second, we must remember that the Ten Commandments are far deeper and more pervasive than we realize. Every one is about exactly what they say, but they also have much more to say.
Third, the section we are in shows us how to relate to our neighbor. Therefore, if we will love our neighbor for God’s glory we must know this commandment.
Finally, and most important for this question, every negative commandment has a positive counterpart.
So, we’re going to explore Exodus 20:15 from this angle - How can we obey this commandment?
We must know how this commandment is broken
We must know Jesus as the perfect keeper of this commandment.
We must know that this commandment is about doing good to others.
