THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT: Thou shalt not steal.

This commandment of course includes kidnapping, but is not limited to that. When you read verses like Hosea 4. 2, then stealing is mentioned in one breath with murder, adultery and lying. Some have argued that this commandment mainly or even only concerns kidnapping, since when one steals and is apprehended, you are remanded to restore doubly or even in fourfold. And indeed both the O.T. and the N.T. make clear that theft can be undone by restoration. Solomon even says that nobody will despise a thief that has stolen for hunger. Medieval practices and Islamic Sharia law that even demanded the death penalty in the case of stealing out of hunger or that order the hand with which the transgression (not then a crime!) has been committed, chopped off; are from the devil. But to restrict this verse to the crime of kidnapping and to exclude all other transgressions or to weaken them, that goes too far.

I]    When you steal, you set aside God Who has made the economic law of the 'mine and thine.'

II]   Doing so the object stolen, is your false god.

III]   You make a vain show of your neighbor to whom it rightfully belongs and of your and his/her Maker.

IV]   You are doing your own thing, whereas you should find your sabbath rest in obedience to God.

V]   You are living a life of disobedience to the heavenly Father.

VI]   You are a murderer of the great commandments: 'Love your neighbor as yourself' and 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.'

VII]   You commit emotional adultery with the dark side of life.

IX]   Stealing goes hand in hand with lying and can only lead to worse. The path of sin is a slippery slope that ends in hell. Your life is one big LIE towards society in general. You soothe your conscience now and when it is too late, you will have singed it with a hot iron.

X]   Stealing is COVETING turned into action.