Wednesday: “You Shall Not Steal”
Right after his warning about adultery (Prov. 6:24–29), the author starts talking about another sin: stealing (Prov. 6:30-31). The relationship between the two commandments (stealing and adultery) shows how disobedience to one commandment can affect our obedience to the others. The attitude of compromise, to pick and choose in regard to God’s law, could be even more dangerous than complete disobedience to the law. The strongest bulwark of vice in our world is not the iniquitous life of the abandoned sinner or the degraded outcast; it is that life which otherwise appears virtuous, honorable, and noble, but in which one sin is fostered, one vice indulged. . . . He who, endowed with high conceptions of life and truth and honor, does yet willfully transgress one precept of God’s holy law, has perverted his noble gifts into a lure to sin.
— Ellen G. White, Education, p. 150.
Image © Pacific Press from GoodSalt.com
Read Proverbs 6:30-31. What are these verses saying about what even a desperate person does?
Poverty and needs do not justify stealing. The thief is guilty even if he is starving
(Prov. 6:30, NKJV). Although the starving thief is not to be despised, he must still restore seven times what he has stolen; this shows that even the desperateness of his situation does not justify sin. On the other hand, the Bible insists that it is our duty to meet the needs of the poor, so that they don’t feel compelled to steal in order to survive (Deut. 15:7-8).
How interesting that after going from adultery to stealing, the text now returns to adultery (Prov. 6:32–35). The two sins are indeed somewhat similar. In both cases someone is illicitly taking something that belongs to someone else. A crucial difference, however, between stealing and adultery lies in the fact that the former sin concerns only the loss of an object, while the latter deals with something much greater. In some cases one can make restitution for stealing an object; in the cases of adultery, especially when children are involved, the damage can be much more severe than when stealing is involved.
— Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 308.Thou shalt not commit adultery.
This commandment forbids not only acts of impurity, but sensual thoughts and desires, or any practice that tends to excite them. . . . Christ, who taught the far-reaching obligation of the law of God, declared the evil thought or look to be as truly sin as is the unlawful deed.
(31)
It is a sad commentary on our society that adultery is so common. The LORD's plan for marriage was that it was a life time commitment to each other excluding all others.
I think part of the problem is that people enter into marriage to lightly and for the wrong reasons. Too often it is based on emotions.
Betrayal of this commitment is so devastating and destructive to all concerned. Our society used to be based on the family unit but because this has broken down it has contributed to the breakdown of society as a whole. Proverbs talks about listening to the instruction of parents because that was the basic unit for learning of the LORD and the way to live. The best way to learn of the love of the LORD is within a loving family circle. The LORD uses the image of an ideal marriage to demonstrate His relationship with His people, and anything that damages this relationship is devastating to Him and us.
Adultery is theft...not only of someone else's spouse, but of your own future and the promise of what God had planned for you.
Proverbs 6:30 pointedly addresses the misguided notion that the means justifies the end. It does not. God also looks at the intent of our actions closely. We must always be aware of the motivations behind our actions. Nevertheless, despite the intent we are expected to take responsibility for actions, make amends and restore 'sevenfold,' to restore whatever was taken while 'starving' wherever possible.
Wow! Stealing and Adultery is similar in some sense. When one steals he/she is taking what does not belongs to him. Adultery is basically taking someone else' also. Interesting, I never look at it from that angle at all.
Prov 6:30-35
30Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; 31But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house. 32But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. 33A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away. 34For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. 35He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
While both stealing and adultery are equally violation of God's holy law, adultery worse still leaves a scar and can't be "paid back" as in the case of stealing.
The driving force in the two sins is "physical feeling"; hunger or lack - in stealing and sexual desire - in adultery.
The wise man in calling for empathy on a thief who seeks to satisfy his needs, does not elevate stealing to be a smaller sin. He brings out the comparison with regards the driving force (hunger) which is natural, necessary hence justified as opposed to sexual desire which can and must be controlled.
Further, in stealing an object can be returned or replaced, unlike the lost dignity in adultery.
The good news though is, God forgives. The blood of Jesus which speaks better than the blood of Abel is efficacious to cleanse us from both sins and give us opportunity to start anew. Amen!
How far does the concept of adultery go? Read Ezekiel 16 and see a very real spiritual application of God's command against that sin.
Sin is sin. It separates us from God. To me, that is my wake up call to do what is pleasing in his eye sight.
What if the starving thief has innocent small babes that are also starving (and may have death or terrible health consequences only slightly in abeyance)? What if? Perhaps, and thank God, most or all of our readers may never have such a reality. But assuredly this is reality in many, many, too many places on earth. Pray, let us judge such a one only if is it the first one we see when looking in a mirror. God's Mercy. Justice and Love are assured.
For our everyday lives this type of extreme thought can easily seduce us down the path to never ending 'what ifs' that lead to confusion, doubt and a blurred,darkened path. All to satan's glee.
The light of God's commandment(s) will enable us to somehow see and follow the truly wise path without veering to the right or the left.
The verse said 'if found' the thief must repay, can one assume the criteria for restitution(7 fold) should be if found? This is different from the voluntary restitution of zacchaeus in the new testament (4 fold)