Episode 51: The Seventh Commandment
The Seventh Commandment: You shall not steal. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not take our neighbor’s money or possessions, or get them in any dishonest way, but help him to improve and protect his possessions and income.
Bible Passages: Philippians 2:4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
- The Seventh Commandment seeks to protect property.
- “After the commandment about you personally and your spouse, next comes the commandment about temporal property.” LC 1:223
- What does it mean to steal? Stealing means to take what doesn’t belong to you without permission, secretly or by force.
- “To steal is nothing else than to get possession of another’s property wrongfully. … this includes all kinds of advantage in all sorts of trade to the disadvantage of our neighbor.” LC 1:224
- “To steal is nothing else than to get possession of another’s property wrongfully. … this includes all kinds of advantage in all sorts of trade to the disadvantage of our neighbor.” LC 1:224
- Stealing doesn’t only mean mugging someone at gun point or sneaking into a house at night. Stealing includes taking something by show of right or in any dishonest way.
- “You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity.” Lev. 19:35
- “So if all thieves who did not want to be known as thieves were to be hanged on gallows, the world would soon be devastated. There would be a lack both of executioners and gallows.” LC 1:224.
- Laziness or any dishonest work is also a sin. “In whatever way this can be done purposely… you can in a year steal thirty or forty florins. If another servant had taken that much money secretly or carried it away, he would be hanged with the rope.” LC 1:225
- “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” 2 Thess. 3:10
- “All these are far worse than burglars, whom we can guard against with locks and bolts and, if caught, can be treated in such a way that they will not commit the crime again. But against unfaithful workers no one can guard.” LC 1:226
- “Some are called swivel-chair robbers, land and highway robbers, not picklocks and burglars. … They rob and steal in a way assumed to be good.” LC 1:229
- “This is, in short, the way of the world: Whoever can steal and rob openly goes free and secure, unmolested by anyone, and even demands that he be honored. Meanwhile, the little burglars, who have once trespassed, must bear the shame and punishment to make the former thieves appear godly and honorable. But let such open thieves know that in God’s sight they are the greatest thieves. He will punish them as they are worthy and deserve.” LC 1:231
- You are not to steal from your neighbor or get things from him in a dishonest way. What are you supposed to do for him? Philippians 2:4 (above)
- “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” Ephesians 4:28
- “If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” 1 John 3:17
- Help him to improve and protect his possessions and income.
- “Let everyone know his duty, at the risk of God’s displeasure: he must do no harm to his neighbor nor deprive him of profit nor commit any act of unfaithfulness or hatred in any bargain or trade. But he must also faithfully preserve his property for him, secure and promote his advantage. LC 1:233
- Briefly, in summary… this is what is forbidden: (a) To do our neighbor any injury or wrong (in any conceivable manner, by impeding, hindering, and withholding his possessions and property), or even to consent or allow such injury. Instead, we should interfere and prevent it. (b) It is commanded that we advance and improve his possessions. When they suffer lack, we should help, share, and lend both to friends and foes [Matthew 5:42].
- God instituted government to deal with thieves.
- “But to check such open greediness there is need for the princes and government. They themselves should take note and have the courage to establish and maintain order in all kinds of trade and commerce. They must do this lest the poor be burdened and oppressed and the leaders themselves be burdened with other people’s sins.” LC 1:249
- “But to check such open greediness there is need for the princes and government. They themselves should take note and have the courage to establish and maintain order in all kinds of trade and commerce. They must do this lest the poor be burdened and oppressed and the leaders themselves be burdened with other people’s sins.” LC 1:249
- However, if one escapes the human authorities, God will take care of him.
- Those who escape punishment from authorities will not escape God’s wrath (Gal. 6:7-8; 1 Thess. 5:3).
- “You will find that where you have cheated or done injury at the value of one mite, you will have to pay thirty again.” LC 1:236
- Luke 12:16-21: 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
- James 5:1-3: Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.
- “In short, if you steal much, you can expect that much will be stolen from you. … For God is master of this art. … God punishes one thief by means of another.” LC 1:245
- “For we know that the godly shall nevertheless have enough [Psalm 37:25]. But you injure yourself more than another.” LC 1:246
- “Since he can complain to no one else, he will cry and call to heaven [Psalm 20:6; 146:8-9].” LC 1:247
- How does this commandment teach you to love your neighbor?
- “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them.” Matthew 7:12
- “Whoever now seeks and desires good works will find here more than enough to do that are heartily acceptable and pleasing to God.” LC 1:252
- It teaches you to protect your neighbor’s possessions as if they were your own.
- How does this commandment teach you to love and trust in God?
- “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Matthew 6:26
- “Proverbs 19:17, ‘Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his deed.’ Here, then, you have a rich Lord. He is certainly enough for you. He will not allow you to come up short in anything or to lack [Psalm 37:25]. LC 1:253
- When you steal you show a distrust in God, that he will provide you with all that you need.
- How does this commandment hint at the Gospel?
- Breaking the 7th commandment means to distrust that God will care for your temporal needs. In Matthew 6, Jesus assures us that God will take care of our temporal needs, so that we can seek first His kingdom and righteousness.
Luther’s Hymn
“You shall not steal or take away
What others work for night and day,
But open wide a gen’rous hand
And help the poor in the land.”
Have mercy, Lord!