The Eighth Commandment – Daily Ethics

The Eighth Commandment

Daily Ethics

“You shall not steal.” Exodus 20:15; Deuteronomy 5:19

“If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution.” Exodus 22:6

Launched on a trajectory

Show of hands: How many of us would have ever applied Exodus 22:6 to the way we use our tongues? Or to your relationship with your wife or husband? Thanks, put your hands down.

Now how many of us are willing to let this statute – and the eighth commandment as a whole – lead us into the liberty of love and growth in grace? Good. This is the way the Law works. The commandment serves as a kind of launch pad: “Don’t steal!” OK, got it. Then, as we launch out into our everyday lives, the statutes accompanying the commandments mark out a kind of course or trajectory, carrying the intent of the commandment beyond the letter into the spirit of it. They supply moral checkpoints on the map of neighbor love that help to guide our good intentions into the way of righteousness.

You won’t steal from your neighbor. No way. And you’re not worried about any fires you might start burning up his grain or house. But can you see now, in the light of James’ indirect “borrowing” on this statute, that this commandment and this statute guide you into a larger trajectory still, and equip you to deal with specific things the Scripture doesn’t address, but that the Spirit can bring to mind?

When we saturate our hearts and minds with the laws, precepts, and statutes of God, they shape our consciences to value the things the Lord values and to keep His priorities central. Our conscience, in turn, guided by the Law of God, trains our affections and thoughts so that the actions which issue from our soul will be in the path of righteousness. What’s true with the eighth commandment is the same with all the holy, righteous, good, and loving Law of God.

How can we use the Law of God to make wise ethical choices? Order your copy of The Ground for Christian Ethics today. Click on www.MyParuchia.com, then click Publications, Waxed Tablet.

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore.

T.M. Moore is editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001,2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.