DAY 1 – JUNE 7

“BACK TO BASICS” (a study of the Ten Commandments)

TITLE: “STEALING IS NEVER IN SECRET”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: Exodus 20:15

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Exodus 20: 15

KEY VERSE: “You shall not steal.” Exodus 20:15

After some last-minute Christmas shopping with her grandchildren, Clara Null tells how her friend was rushing them into the car, when four-year-old Jason said, "Grandma, Susie has something in her pocket." He reached in and pulled out a new red barrette. “Though she was tired, my friend knew it was important for Susie to put the item back where she had found it. They did just that.”

“Later, at the grocery store checkout, the clerk asked, ‘Have you kids been good so that Santa will come?’ ‘I've been very good,’ replied Jason, ‘but my sister just robbed a store.’" It seems that there are often no secrets when it comes to children. What had taken place had been exposed.

Stealing is never done in total secret. It always takes place in front of God. The living God is all-knowing, all-seeing and always presence. Wherever you go, God is present. Stealing is always done in the presence of God. “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Psalm 139:7-10.

The sin of stealing cannot be hidden from the eyes of the One who sees all, for whatever you do, God sees. Proverbs 15:3 says, "The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.” I remember reading about a prisoner who was held in a cell behind a big wooden door. There was a hole in the wall large enough for a guard to look through and keep his eye on that prisoner. The entire time the prisoner was in that cell, he was being watched. The prisoner was never out of the sight of the guard.

We are never out of the sight of the all-seeing God. There are no secrets with the Lord. Stealing a piece of candy from the store, a package of paper from the office, or hundreds of dollars in taxes are all visible to God. Live in the awareness of the ever-present God who sees all that we do.

DAY 2 – JUNE 8

“BACK TO BASICS” (a study of the Ten Commandments)

TITLE: “STEAL NO LONGER”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: Exodus 20:15

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Exodus 20: 15

KEY VERSE: “You shall not steal.” Exodus 20:15

I read a story that said when California cop, Al Moussa responded to a robbery at a local high school, the three thieves took off running. Big Al, loaded down with equipment, knew he'd never catch 'em, so he had to make a snap judgment. He hollered out, “Stop, or I'll sic my dog on ya!" The problem was, Al did not have a dog, but he was hoping they would think he did and stop. However, the guys kept running. According to the story, Al took his idea a step further; he started barking like a dog. Amazingly, all three immediately stopped in their tracks and surrendered to Al. The thieves were stopped by the imitation of a barking dog.

The word of God calls us to stop stealing. We cannot escape the reality that we are accountable to God. We can never run away from our accountability to God for what we do. One of my former professors was W.T. Purkiser. He was a prolific writer and speaker in the Church of the Nazarene before he went home to be with the Lord. He wisely made this observation. He said, “Sin would have few takers if its consequences occurred immediately.” We are to stop stealing, for we are accountable to God. Stealing is something we never ultimately get away with.

Paul made this clear to the church in Ephesus that they were to stop stealing. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, was calling for a change of life for those who are in Christ. In calling for changes in the life of Christians, Paul called the people to put away falsehood and to speak truthfully to his neighbor. He told them not to let the sun go down while they were still angry and not to give the devil a foothold. Later on, he instructed the church that they must not to let unwholesome talk come out of their mouth, but to build others up according to their needs. The people of God were to get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. They were to be kind and compassionate to one another and to forgive each other just as the Lord had forgiven them.

In addition to the other instructions, he called them to forsake stealing. They were to not just stop stealing, but they were to replace stealing with useful work so that they would have something to share with those in need. “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.” Ephesians 4:28.

DAY 3 – JUNE 9

“BACK TO BASICS” (a study of the Ten Commandments)

TITLE: “STEALING CAUSES OTHERS PAIN”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: Exodus 20:15

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Exodus 20: 15

KEY VERSE: “You shall not steal.” Exodus 20:15

Sharon and I are so thankful for the calling of God through the years and the people we have had the privilege of partnering with in the work of the Gospel. Among the places we have had the privilege of serving is a town in Southern California known as Chula Vista. The town is located in the general area of San Diego.

While we were pasturing the Chula Vista Church of the Nazarene, we would have Sunday evening services. One Sunday night, just a few minutes after I arrived at home, I receive a call from one of our families who had been at church. He was our head usher and was a wonderful servant of the Lord. When he called me, he was weeping and asked if I could come right over to his house.

When I arrived, the police were there. While this couple had been at church that evening, someone had broken into their home. They had been robbed. This couple enjoyed their home and spent much time keeping it clean and very nice. However, the thieves had thrown everything out of the drawers while looking for money, and things were in great disarray. This couple was devastated. They were filled with a variety of emotions, ranging from fear to disbelieve. They asked several times, “Pastor, how could someone do this to us?”

Sin destroys and hurts. The sin of stealing hurts others. This commandment speaks against violating others by taking from them. This couple’s lives were greatly impacted by what had taken place. Stealing always disrupts. It causes someone else to pay a cost, not just the cost of whatever is taken and the damage done, but the cost of being violated. Trust is broken and fear often stirs in the soul.

I have wondered at times if the thief or thieves who had broken into their home could have experienced the pain this couple went through if they were to have their home violated and things stolen from them. I have wondered if these thieves really realized the hurt and pain of what they had done.

Ted Turner has declared the Ten Commandments obsolete saying, "We’re living with outdated rules. The rules we’re living under are the Ten Commandments, and I bet nobody here even pays much attention to them because they’re too old. When Moses went up on the mountain, there were no nuclear weapons, there was no poverty. Today, the Ten Commandments wouldn’t go over. Nobody around likes to be commanded. Commandments are out!" The reality is that the commandments will never be out. We need the commandments. We need the sixth commandment, for the violation of it causes other great pain.

DAY 4 – JUNE 10

“BACK TO BASICS” (a study of the Ten Commandments)

TITLE: “THOUGHTS FROM MATTHEW HENRY ON STEALING ”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: Exodus 20:15

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Exodus 20: 15

KEY VERSE: “You shall not steal.” Exodus 20:15

I am thankful for the library of books that God has graciously given me. In my library, I am privileged to have many commentaries that have been a blessing. Among these is a set of commentaries written years ago by a theologian and pastor by the name of Matthew Henry. He was the second son of Katherine and Philip Henry. He was born on October 18, 1662 in Broad Oak, in a farmhouse located in Flintshire, a Iscoyd township in the county of Salop. His father was one of about two thousand ministers who resigned or were ejected from their pulpits by the Church of England for daring to dissent to the conditions set forth in the Act of Uniformity (1662).

Though in poor health physically, intellectually and spiritually, Matthew was gifted. As a child prodigy, he was able to read out loud a chapter of the Bible when he was only three years old. In school, he soon gave up his legal studies for theology, and in 1687, he became a minister of a Presbyterian congregation.

Matthew Henry told the story of being robbed one night on his way home from church. At first, he said he was mad, then remorseful, then humble, then thankful. He said, “First, I thank God that this was the first time that I had been robbed. I could have been robbed a hundred times. Second, I thank God that the man took my money and not my life. Third, I thank God that though he took everything, he didn’t take much. Fourth, I thank God that I was the man that was robbed and not the man who did the robbing. For the robber himself was the one who lost most.”

Commenting on this commandment, Matthew Henry wrote, “The eighth commandment concerns our own and our neighbor’s wealth, estate and goods. This command forbids us to rob ourselves of what we have by sinful spending, or of the use and comfort of it by sinful sparing, and to rob others by removing the ancient landmarks, invading our neighbor’s rights, taking his goods from his person, or house, or field, forcibly or clandestinely, over-reaching in bargains, not restoring what is borrowed or found withholding just debts, rents, or wages and to rob the public in the coin or revenue, or that which is dedicated to the service of religion.”

Matthew Henry reminds us of the seriousness of stealing. Take a few moments to reflect on the sin of stealing and to search your own hearts today, giving Him thanks for all He has given you.

DAY 5 – JUNE 11

“BACK TO BASICS” (a study of the Ten Commandments)

TITLE: “THE COST OF STEALING”

WEEKLY SCRIPTURE READING: Exodus 20:15

DAILY SCRIPTURE READING: Exodus 20: 15

KEY VERSE: “You shall not steal.” Exodus 20:15

Among the stories of thieves who have been caught is the story of the man who held up a convenience store wearing his motorcycle helmet as a disguise. The only problem was that his name was emblazoned across the front of the helmet in big, bold letters. Police tracked this robber down very quickly.

God warned His covenant people that stealing would destroy the nation. The cost of stealing cannot be measured in just the amount of money or property that is taken. To steal from another is not merely to steal one’s possession, it is to assault another’s dignity as a human being who has the right to the toil of their hands, the produce of their talents and the property that is theirs. Stealing destroys trust and integrity. Stealing destroys community, relationships and individuals. Stealing is a selfish, self-centered act that hurts others, as well as the one who steals.

Speaker Zig Ziglar tells of a thief, a man named Emmanuel Nenger. The year is 1887. The scene is a small, neighborhood grocery store. Mr. Nenger is buying some turnip greens. He gives the clerk a $20 bill. As the clerk begins to put the money in the cash drawer to give Mr. Nenger his change, she notices some of the ink from the $20 bill is coming off on her fingers, which are damp from the turnip greens. She looks at Mr. Nenger, a man she has known for years. She looks at the smudged bill. This man is a trusted friend; she has known him all her life; he can't be a counterfeiter. She gives Mr. Nenger his change, and he leaves the store. But, $20 is a lot of money in 1887, and eventually, the clerk calls the police. They verify the bill as counterfeit and get a search warrant to look through Mr. Nenger's home.

In the attic, they find where he is reproducing money. He is a master artist and is painting $20 bills with brushes and paint! But, also in the attic, they find three portraits Nenger had painted. They seized these and eventually sold them at auction for $16,000 (in 1887 currency, remember) or, a little more than $5,000 per painting. The irony is that it took Nenger almost as long to paint a $20 bill as it did for him to paint a $5,000 portrait! It's true that Emanuel Nenger was a thief, but the person from whom he stole the most was himself.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ Psalm 139:23-24.