The 7th Commandment:

You shall not steal.

Chain the Catechism: A topical study through the Lutheran confessions

2 Thess 3:10 If a man…Mt 7:12 In everything…Phil 2:4 Each of you…Heb 13:16 Do not forget…

Memorization Verses:

Big Booty

5 sticky-fingered confessions

5 christ-cleansing wipes

Prayer Activity

LSB#789 lutheran-hymnal.com/lutheranworship/lw403.mid

CEG|C-.D-.BAG|A-.G-.CDE|G-.A-.

1. Praise and thanksgiving, Father, we offer

For all things living, Created good:

Harvest of sown fields, Fruits of the orchard,

Hay from the mown fields, Blossom and wood.

2. Bless, Lord, the labor We bring to serve You

That with our neighbor We may be fed.

Sowing or tilling, We would work with You,

Harvesting, milling For daily bread.

3. Father, providing Food for your

children, By your wise guiding Teach us to

shareOne with another, So that,

rejoicingWith us, all others May know

Your care.

Thou shalt not steal. Not much to query here. Those who have worked hard to acquire a bit of property are entitled to resent those who would rather steal than work, and when society evolves to the point where there is wealth that belongs to nobody—public or social property—those who plunder it for private gain are rightly regarded with hatred and contempt. Admittedly, the prosperity of some families and some states is also founded on original theft, but in that case the same principle of disapproval can apply.

Discussion Quote

Imagine no possessions. I wonder if you can. No need for greed or hunger, A brotherhood of man. Imagine all the people Sharing all the world.

Discussion Quote

s .bnOg:t )lobnAgF (gawzal) and kleyeiz emphasize the sneaky

aspect of stealing, rather than violent strong-arm robbery. Some interpreters feel that bnAgF actually refers primarily to kidnapping (cf Dt 24:7).

Taking a person away from his family, especially to sell him into foreign slavery, separated him from his covenant blessing.

The lack of an object shows that the prohibition is comprehensive of every sort of stealing.

7th Commandment: Exegesis

Theft embodies the direct disobedience of God and a “slavery” into sin. The temptation of the snake in the garden

was a “kidnapping” or a theft of man to an enemy camp

Christ is seen as the conqueror of this enemy camp through his sacrifice to

redeem those who have been enslaved The opposite of theft is to function within God’s

providential kingdom, extending grace and mercy (physical and spiritual) to brother and neighbor Compassion and justice drive our dealings in

our vocations, politics, and our economy

7th Commandment: Application

Questions:What is for bidden?What is required?

Teams:SS: Mean?M: Forbidden?T: Theft NarrativesW: Required?Th: Helping Neighbor

Research Teams: The 7th CommandmentYou 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 protecthis possessions and income.

We believe: 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 protecthis possessions and income.

Mt 6:28-34 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?‘ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Lu 10:25-37 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered,

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

SS. What does this mean?

We believe: God forbids every kind of robbery, theft, and dishonest way of getting things.

Lev. 19:35 Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity.

Ps. 37:21 The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously.

Eph. 4:28 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.

2 Thess. 3:10 If a man will not work, he shall not eat.

Achan stole when he secretly took a garment and silver and gold (Joshua 7:20-22).

Judas was a thief (John 12:6). Gehazi obtained a present by lying and

trickery (2 Kings 5:20-24).

Pray: Here you teach me not to take my neighbor’s property, nor to hold it secretly or openly against his will. I must not be unfaithful in serving and in working, nor deceitful in business and dishonestly make my money. But I shall support myself by the sweat of my brown and eat my own bread with honest people. I shall also help my neighbor so that his property, like my own, shall not be taken away by fraud. I also learn that out of fatherly care and with great zeal, You secure and protect my possessions in this commandment, since You forbid any man to steal from me. When this commandment is not kept, You have provided a penalty and have ordered the authorities to punish the disobedient. Whenever they fail, You will punish, for thieves must eventually become beggars. Lord, teach us to pray: Our Father who art in heaven…Amen. (Luther)

M-T What does God forbid in the 7th Commandment?

We believe: We should help our neighbor to improve and protect that person's possessions and income. We should help our neighbor in every need.

Mt. 7:12 In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.

Phil. 2:4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Abraham gave Lot the choice of the land (Gen. 13:9).

Abraham rescued Lot from the enemy and recovered Lot's property (Gen. 14:12-16).

Mt. 5:42 Give to one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

Heb. 13:16 Do not forget to do good, and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

1 Jn 3:17 If anyone has material

possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?

Zacchaeus promised to give back four times what he had taken dishonestly and to give half of his goods to the poor (Lu 19:8).

The good Samaritan helped his neighbor but the priest and Levite did not (Lu 10:29-37).

Pray: O my God, grant me Your Holy Spirit, that I may learn to know my sins, seek forgiveness depending on Your grace in Christ, and there-upon amend my ways, keep myself unspotted from the worlds and its sinful ways, love my neighbor and deal with him faithfully and honestly and according to the standards of love, diligently attend to my calling, and expect the blessing from You alone; for You bless those that walk in Your ways. Hear me for Jesus Christ’s sake! Amen. (C.M. Zorn 1846-1928)

W-Th What does God require of us in the 7th command?

Questions: What is for bidden? What is required?

Answers: 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 protecthis possessions and income.

God forbids every kind of robbery, theft, and dishonest way of getting things.

We should help our neighbor to improve and protect that person's possessions and income. We should help our neighbor in every need.

Conclusion

The 8th Commandment:You shall not give false

testimony against your neighbor.

Next Week…