Lord’s Day 42
Q110. What does God forbid in the eighth commandment?
He forbids not only stealing and robbery that the law punishes, but in God's sight, theft also includes cheating people with tricks that seem fair, such as lying about sizes and weights, selling dishonestly, using fake money, or charging too much interest. He also forbids all greed and wasting the good things he gives us.
Scripture Proofs — King James Version
Exodus 22:1
1 Corinthians 5:9–10
1 Corinthians 6:9–10
Luke 3:14
1 Thessalonians 4:6
Deuteronomy 25:13–16
Psalm 15:5
Proverbs 11:1
Proverbs 12:22
Ezekiel 45:9–12
Luke 6:35
Luke 12:15
“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”
Ephesians 5:5
Proverbs 21:20
Proverbs 23:20–21
Luke 16:10–13
Parent Guide
Discuss this question together
Discussion Questions
- 1
What are some examples of stealing that go beyond just taking something that is not yours?
- 2
Why does God forbid greed along with stealing?
- 3
Have you ever been tempted to take more than your share of something?
Illustration
If two kids split a candy bar and one secretly broke off a bigger piece, that is a kind of theft even though both got some candy. Cheating on sizes, lying about what something is worth, or wasting what God has given are all ways of taking what does not belong to us.
Application
This week, practice being generous and fair with your belongings. If you are sharing a snack or dividing something with a sibling, give the other person the bigger portion. Because God forbids greed, training yourself in generosity pushes greed out of your heart.