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1. What does this commandment protect?

Job 1:21  And he (Job) said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I will return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Let the name of the Lord be blessed.”

1. The Lord gives people the wealth and possessions they have as gifts or an inheritance, as the fruits of their labors, or through purchase or trade.
2. By this seventh commandment God protects our property and that of our fellow man.

The Truth Is:

This seventh commandment protects our property and that of our fellow man.

Lev.19:13  Do not defraud your neighbor nor rob him.

1. This seventh commandment forbids fraud, which cheats a person out of what is his.
2. This seventh commandment forbids robbery, which takes a person’s property by force or threats.

Jer.22:13  Woe to him who builds his house with unrighteousness, And his upper rooms with injustice, By his fellow man’s laboring for nothing, Because he does not give him his wages.

1. This seventh commandment forbids unjust business practices, which enrich the businessman by cheating people out of what should be theirs.
2. This seventh commandment forbids employers’ cheating their workers out of their wages.

Tit.2:9,10  Urge slaves to subject themselves to their own masters in everything, to be pleasing, not contradicting, not stealing, but demonstrating only good faithfulness, in order that they may make the doctrine of God our Savior attractive in every way.

1. This seventh commandment forbids employees’ stealing their employers’ property, when they should be trusted to take care of it like it was their own.

Col.3:22,23  Slaves, obey your earthly masters in all things, not just when they are watching you, as ones who are trying to please men, but with sincerity of heart, giving reverence to the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it from the depth of your soul, as for the Lord and not for men, . . .

1. This seventh commandment forbids employees to loaf on the job and fail to give a fair day’s work for the wages they receive.  It forbids them to disregard the work assigned to them.

Pro.20:23  Differing weights are an abomination to the Lord, And fraudulent scales are not good.

1. This seventh commandment forbids dishonesty and deception, which deprive a person of a fair transaction.  Examples: fraudulent scales, false advertising, inferior products, misreprestentation of the facts, excessive prices and interest.

Eph.5:3  But let no . . . greed, even be named among you, as is fitting among saints, . . .

1. With the ninth and tenth commandments God forbids the greed, which causes the above forms of stealing.

1 Cor.13:4,5  Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, . . . it does not seek things for itself . . .

1. Gambling is not specifically addressed in the Bible.  Our Christian love is kind.  We will not, therefore, envy the money of others and try to deprive them of it by gambling to enrich ourselves at their expense.  Selfishness and greed lie behind the desire to gamble for a profit.

This seventh commandment forbids taking a person's money or property in any way.

3. What does this commandment demand?

Phil.2:3,4  Do nothing on the basis of selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility consider one another better than yourselves, not each of you looking out for your own interests, but for the interests of others.

1. Our Christian love will cause us to consider the interests and needs of others, even helping them to protect and improve what belongs to them.

The Truth Is:

This seventh commandment demands we help to improve and protect what belongs to others.

4. What does God teach us about the use of our money?

Ps.24:1  The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.

1. Everything in this world, including ourselves as well as our money and possessions, belong to the Lord.
2. He gives us our money and entrusts it to our care, but it actually belongs to him.

1 Cor.10:31  . . . whatever you do, do all things to the glory of God.

1. We are to use the money God entrusts to us for him, since it is actually his.  We are, then, his financial managers, caretakers, and stewards, who are to use our money for the purposes for which he gives it to us.

Eccl.5:19  Moreover, every man to whom God has given riches and empowers him to eat from them . . . this is a gift of God.

1. God gives us our money and possessions to use and enjoy during our lives.  Enjoying what God has given us is not in itself sinful but a gift of God.

1 Tim.5:8  Now if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for the members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

1. God gives us our money to provide and to take care of our family and relatives.

Gal.6:10  Consequently then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the household of faith.

1. God gives us our money to help those in need, especially our fellow Christians.

Ro.13:6,7  For because of this you also pay taxes, for the governing authorities are servants of God who busily engage in just this. Give to everyone what is due him: tax to whom tax is due, toll to whom toll, . . .

1. God gives us our money to pay taxes to support our government and its officials.

Pro.3:9,10  Honor the Lord with your wealth, With the first-fruits of all your crops; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

1. Giving honor to the Lord our God is the first commandment.  Honoring him with material offerings is in keeping with the first commandment.
2. God gives us our money so we can honor him with the first part of our income, not the leftovers.
3. God promises that when we honor him with our offerings, he will bless us richly.

Mal.3:8-10  “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘In what manner have we robbed you?’ The tithe and the offering! You are cursed with a curse, because you are robbing ME, the whole nation of you! Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so there will be food in my house. And test me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I do not open for you the floodgates of heaven and pour out to you a blessing until there is no more need.”

1. Failing, or refusing, to bring a fair share of our income to the Lord our God robs him of the offerings he is entitled to.
2. During the Old Testament God’s law demanded an offering of 10% of one’s annual income.  In this New Testament era God’s love for us will move us to bring such a generous percentage of what we receive.

2 Cor.9:6,7  Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Let each one give just as he has decided beforehand in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

1. Both on earth and in heaven the Lord will reward us according to what we ourselves have given.  We can never out give the Lord.  The more we give, the more he gives us.
2. Each of us will give what we ourselves have decided to give.  Neither the church, nor anyone else, should tell us how much we must give.  The amount is a personal matter between us and our Lord based on what he has given us.  The more the Lord’s love fills our hearts, the more we will want to give him.
3. Whatever the size of our offering, we will give it cheerfully, not grudgingly.

1 Cor.16:2  On the first day of every week let each of you set aside and save as he may prosper, in order that when I come, at that time no collections be made.

1. Each of us is to give regularly for the Lord’s kingdom and work.
2. Each of us will set aside the first part, or first-fruits, of our income for the Lord, having it ready for when we come to worship him.  Offering envelopes are a good tool to help us do this.
3. The Lord does not ask us to give what we do not have; he asks us to give a percentage of what we do have.  When we commit ourselves to giving the Lord a percentage of our income, then, whether we receive little or much, we can fulfill our commitment and give an amount that equals that percentage.

The Truth Is:

The Lord our God:
1.Is the owner of our money and possessions, which he entrusts to us to use as he wants them to be used
2. Gives us our money and possessions to use and enjoy.
3. Expects us to use our money and possessions to provide for our families.
4. Expects us to use our money and possessions to help the needy.
5. Expects us to use our money and possessions to pay taxes.
6. Expects us to give a generous percentage of our incomes to him regularly and cheerfully to honor him and to express our love for him.

 

5. What does this commandment protect?

Pro.22:1  A good name is more desirable than great riches, Approval is better than silver and gold.

1. Having a good reputation that is respected is of great value.

Pro.11:9  With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor, . . .

A good reputation is quickly destroyed by what another person says.

By the eighth commandment God protects our good reputation and that of our fellow man.

This eighth commandment protects our good name and reputation as well as that of our fellow man.

6. What does this commandment forbid?

Pro.11:13  He who goes about as a gossip reveals a secret, But he who is trustworthy conceals a matter.

1. This eighth commandment forbids revealing what a person has told us in confidence, or what we know about his faults.  We have no right to gossip this knowledge to others.

Js.4:11  Do not slander one another, brothers. He, who speaks evil of his brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law.

1. This eighth commandment forbids slander that speaks evilly about a person and ruins his good name and respect with damaging reports or malicious rumors.

Pro.19:5  A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who utters lies will not escape.

1. This eighth commandment forbids telling lies about a person or to a person.
2. This eighth commandment also forbids half truths, which withhold the whole truth to harm a person.

1 Sam.1:12-14  Now it came to pass, as she (Hannah) prayed much before the Lord that Eli was watching her. Now Hannah, she was speaking in her heart – only her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. Then Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Get rid of your wine.”

1. Eli is a classic example of jumping to the wrong conclusion about a person. This eighth commandment forbids thinking the worst about a person and judging him as the next verse also states.

Js.4:12  . . . who are you who judge your neighbor?

The Truth Is:

This eighth commandment forbids:
1. Gossip which reveals a person’s secrets.
2. Slander which ruins a person’s good name and respect.
3. Telling lies about a person or to a person.
4. Thinking the worst about a person.

7. What does this commandment demand?

Eph.4:25  For this reason, laying aside falsehood, LET EACH ONE SPEAK THE TRUTH WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, . . .

1. This eighth commandment demands that we speak only the truth.

Pro.31:8,9  Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the abandoned orphans. Open your mouth, judge justly, Defend the rights of the poor and needy.

1. This eighth commandment demands that we speak well of others and defend them.

1 Pet.4:8  Above all, have intense love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

1. This eighth commandment demands that we exercise our Christian love by forgiving a person his sin and not gossiping about it to others.

1 Cor.13:7  (Love) covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1. This eighth commandment demands that we exercise Christian love:

That covers or protects a person by believing and hoping that what he says or does is correct and for the right reasons;

And that remains constant.

Mt.18:15  Now if your brother sins against you, go, correct him when you and him are alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

1. This eighth commandment demands that rather than gossip to others about what a person has done to us, we talk only to him in private about the matter.

The Truth Is:

This eighth commandment demands:
1. We always tell the truth.
2. We speak well of others and defend their good name and reputation.
3. We keep a person’s faults to ourselves, forgive him, and put the best construction on his words and actions.
4. We talk only to the guilty person about his faults, not to others.

 

8. What do these commandments forbid?

Ro.7:7  For I would not have known about coveting if the law had not said, “Do not covet.”

1. Through the fall into sin the human race lost its knowledge that it was not to want what belongs to someone else, which is called coveting and covetousness.
2. These commandments forbid wanting whatever belongs to someone else and what is not ours to have.

Lk.12:15  And he (Jesus) said to them, “Beware and guard yourselves against every kind of greed, because a man’s life does not consist in having an abundance of his possessions.”

1. In agreement with these commandments Jesus also warned against greed.

1 Tim.6:9,10  But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, which love of money some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves through with many griefs.

1. The love of money, not the money itself, is the root of all kinds of evil in the world.  People who want money and to be rich entangle themselves in sins which cause them to lose their faith, experience many sorrows and difficulties, and result in their eternal damnation.

The Truth Is:

These ninth and tenth commandments forbid wanting whatever belongs to another person, which is not ours to have, and greed, which is the love of money and material possessions.

9. What do these commandments demand?

Lev.19:2  You shall be holy, because I the Lord your God am holy.

1. Covetousness, or wanting what belongs to someone else, is a thought and desire of the heart.  In place of such covetousness these commandments demand holy thoughts and desires.

1 Tim.6:6-8  But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we have brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But having food and clothing, with these we will be content.

1. These commandments demand that we be content with what we have.

Ps.37:4  Delight yourself in the Lord, And he will give you the desires of your heart.

1. Rather than delighting in what someone else has or in the things of this world, let us delight in the Lord.  Then our heart will desire the very things that the Lord desires, and these he will gladly give to us.

The Truth Is:

The ninth and tenth commandments demand that our thoughts and desires be holy and that we be content with what we have.

10. Having studied the commandments, what will we be moved to do?

Ps.25:11  For the sake of your name, O Lord, Forgive my iniquity, because it is great.

1. Having studied the commandments, we will acknowledge the greatness of our sins and confess them to God.

1 Jn.1:8,9; 2:1,2  If we say that we do not have sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous -- he forgives our sins and purifies us from all unrighteousness. . . And if anyone should sin, we have one who pleads our case with the Father – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. And he is the reconciling sacrifice for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the sins of the whole world.

1. Having seen our sins and having confessed them, let us believe the gospel that God forgives our sins for Jesus’ sake.

Ro.7:24,25  O wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

1. Let us thank God that he has saved us from the guilt of our sins and blessed us with eternal salvation through Jesus Christ.

Gal.2:20  . . . and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and delivered himself up for me.

1. Let us live our lives by faith in Jesus according to his commandments.

The Truth Is:

Having studied the commandments,
1. Let us acknowledge our sins and confess them to God.
2. Let us believe the gospel of God’s forgiveness for Jesus’ sake.
3. Let us thank God for his gift of eternal salvation.
4. Let us live our lives by faith in Jesus according to his commands.

Review Questions

1. Indicate whether each of the following statements is true or false.

 a. Stealing is limited to theft, robbery, shoplifting, and pilfering.
 b. Charging interest is always a sin.
 c. How we spend our money is only our own business.
 d. False advertising is a form of stealing.
 e. Taking advantage of a person’s ignorance is shrewd business.
 f. Money is a great evil.
 g. The love of money is the cause of a great many sins.
 h. Loving money is idolatry.

2. Are we the sole owner of our money and property?  If not, who is?
3. True or false.  To enjoy life and our money and possessions is a sin.
4. The church is wrong in preaching about money.  Is this true or false?  Why, or why not?
5. When we bring our offerings to the Lord, on what basis will he judge them?
6. Evaluate this opinion.  The Old Testament demanded an offering of ten percent.  We are now free of that law.  Therefore, we are free to bring nothing if we want to.
7. True or false.  The church invented the bringing of offerings to support its institutions.
8. Who says we are to bring offerings?  Does any commandment apply to bringing offerings?  If so, which one?
9. Why is gossip a terrible sin?
10. With what does God tell us to be content?
11. How has the study of the commandments affected the attitude of our heart?