THE DECALOGUE by John William Watt

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 18, 1899

THE DECALOGUE.

By John William Watt

The Eighth Commandment.

"THOU shalt not steal," reads the eighth precept of the Decalogue. Every one of the commandments of God is founded upon a great principle of righteousness, both broad and deep. It condemns sin to its lowest depths, striking to the last fiber of that class of sins condemned. But the same commandment that condemns sin at the same time approves righteousness, demanding the highest ideal of right-doing on the line considered.

Mr. Webster defines the word "steal" as follows: "To take without right or leave." Anything taken unjustly from another in any way is stealing. There are many ways by which this may be done, some of which we will notice. If a man is hired by another to perform ten hours' labor per day, for which he is to receive $1.50 per day, and he loiters away one hour of the ten, working only nine hours, he has stolen 15 cents from his employer, the price of one hour's work. Again, the employer may by some unjust means compel the man to work twelve hours per day and only pay him the wages of ten hours. The employer thus steals two hours' wages from his hired man. God would have His people deal honestly with all men, and ever remember that they must practise in this world the same pure principles of righteousness that are practised in heaven if they themselves would enter that holy place. "Provide things honest in the sight of all men." Rom. 12:17.

To obtain anything from our fellow-men dishonestly in any way is a violation of the eighth commandment. To deal justly with all men in all things is the righteousness of God on that point as revealed to men in this commandment of God. We deem it a very bad thing for one man to rob another, but how much worse it must be for a man to rob God! Yet how many there are in the world who are doing this! "For ye are bought with a price." 1 Cor. 6:20. "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." 2 Peter 2:1. The Lord by the sacrifice made on Calvary has bought all men, but how few are willing that the Lord shall have His own, that He may do with it as He will! How many are taking themselves daily out of the hands of the Lord, and that, too, without His consent! Neither have they a right to thus deprive the Lord of His own. Would it not be a violation of the principle we are now considering to do this?—It certainly would; for it is taking for ourselves that which belongs to another.

Another way that men break the eighth commandment is by withholding from the cause of God the money which should be given to support God's work in the earth. "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed Thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse; for ye have robbed Me, even this whole nation." Mal. 3:8, 9. This refers to the Lord's professed people. How sad it is, yet it is true or the Lord would not say it! But mercy still lingers, and all may have opportunity to repent and cease robbing God. The Lord will have a people living on this earth when He comes who will be keeping all His commandments. Rev. 14:12.

The larger part of the inhabitants of this world are so blinded by sin that they do not understand the pure principles of righteousness revealed in the law of God. Some who profess to keep the law, when these heaven-born principles are set before them will say that those believing such things are extremists. But God's "judgments are a great deep." We may study as best we can these great principles, and get the most exalted ideas of righteousness that it is possible for finite minds to grasp, and still we shall have more to learn when we reach heaven. O, that men might see that in studying the law of God they are studying the character of God the Father, of Christ the Son, of all unfallen intelligences, and the character we must bear if we associate with these holy beings throughout eternity! All fraud, deceit, overreaching in deal, and everything of this kind, is forbidden by the eighth commandment, while all purity, uprightness, honesty, and sincerity of purpose, both in our relation to God and man, is approved.

Does this precept condemn us? Then let us turn from the sin and walk in the righteousness of God through Jesus our Saviour. He has met the demands of the law in the flesh, making it possible for us to do the same in Him. Praise His holy name. J. W. WATT.