“Take Anti-Theft Advice” | Exodus 20:15 Bible Study + Crossword

• Introduction
• Context
• Commentary
• Previous Live Stream
• Crossword Puzzle (✞-word)
• Crossword Puzzle Answers
• Conclusion
• Bibliography

Introduction

If you drive a car nowadays, your vehicle likely has some sort of anti-theft device.

According to Car and Driver magazine, the most popular anti-theft device include GPS trackers, vehicle recovery systems, hidden kill switches, brake locks, wheel clamps, steering wheel locks, loud alarms, remote locks, and smart keys.¹

And, if you own one of more of these anti-theft devices, insurance companies will often offer you a discount.

Yet, the only reason we often need any such anti-theft device is because many people discount God’s anti-theft advice (which, of course, is really a command).

Now, I know what’s it like to come outside and search in vain for a car that has been stolen. I walked up and down the block like, “I could’ve swore I parked around here somewhere.”

And then there was that slow realization that someone had taken something that did not belong to them – a car that had actually been a gift. They had taken something that had been given.

So, I called the cops. But, after an hour or so, they still hadn’t come. They were likely a little busy addressing worse crimes in the City of Brotherly Love – a city that often isn’t too loving.

In any case, the next day, my father took me back to file a police report. But, we knew there was little hope of getting the car back in one piece.

A few days later they found it abandoned, completely disabled, and stripped of all of my equipment and personal belongings – except for a few pictures left on the seat.

Thanks, guys!

And, I’m not the only one. In fact, in 2023, reportedly, there were 1 million car thefts in the country.²

Unfortunately, as many of us know, often, in this wicked world, often, crime does pay, but according to the LORD’s word, criminals have to pay back. There had to be restitution for stealing property and people. There has to be restitution for sin.

So let’s heed the Creator’s commands, let’s take God’s anti-theft advice.

Context

In previous lessons, we have reviewed the context of the Ten Commandments – the Ten Words that God gives to Israel – whom He saved from Egyptian slavery (Ex 20:1f.)

The LORD had saved His people, thus His people were to serve the LORD.

And, in the past couple of weeks, we’ve discussed the Sixth Commandment against unjust killing, and the Seventh Commandment against adultery.

We’ve talked about the sanctity of life and the sanctity of marriage. Tonight, let’s talk about the sanctity of personal property.³

Commentary

(forthcoming)

Previous Live Stream

Crossword Puzzle (✞-word)

Crossword Puzzle Answers

• Stealing Whether it’s thieving or deceiving or improperly receiving, the Eighth Commandment prohibits all kinds of ___ (Ex 20:15; cf. Lev 19:11, 13; Dt 5:19).
• The LORD (Two words) Ultimately, everything on earth was created by (and therefore belongs to) ___ ____ (Ps 24:1; 50:12).
• Humans God gave ____, whom He made in His image (Gen 1:26-27), the ability and responsibility to work on the earth, take care of the earth, and enjoy the fruits of their labor on the earth (Gen 2:15-16; Ps 115:16).
• Restitution Thieves deserve punishment (Ps 50:16-18, 22), typically in the form of _____ (i.e., paying back what they stole with interest) (Ex 22:1, 3-4, 7-12; Lev 6:1-7).
• Poor Whether or not the victim (cf. Ex 22:26-27) or the thief (Pr 6:30-31, 30:8-9) is ____, stealing can dishonor the Name of God (Pr 30:9).
• Slave If a thief could not afford the repayment for their theft, they could sell themselves as a debt ____ (i.e., temporary servant), until they worked off their debt (Ex 22:3; cf. Lev 25:39-42).
• Plunder Taking ____ from defeated enemies was not considered theft, when the LORD had led Israel against their foes and given them the victory with the spoils (Dt 20:10-14).
• Stoned Stealing treasures from the LORD’s holy war that were supposed to be devoted to God resulted in Achan and his clan being burned and ____ (Joshua 7).
• Death Anyone who kidnapped an Israelite, and/or sold them as a slave, and/or treated them as a slave was to be put to ____ (Ex 21:16; Dt 24:7; cf. 1 Tim 1:10).
• Love We are to ___ our neighbors as ourselves (Lev 19:18; Mt 22:39; Rom 13:9). And, since ___ does no harm to a neighbor (Rom 13:10), we should not steal from them (Rom 13:9; cf. Lk 18:20; Eph 4:28; 1 Pet 4:15-16)!
• Content We should not covet what others have (Ex 20:17); we should be ____ with what we have (Php 4:12-13; Heb 13:5)!
• Inherit Thieves should stop stealing and work (Eph 4:28). For thieves who persist in their thievery, along with many other kinds of unrepentant wrongdoers, will not ____ the Kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:9-11).

Conclusion

(forthcoming)

Bibliography

• Alexander, T. Desmond. “Exodus.” In New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, edited by D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, and G. J. Wenham, 4th ed., 92–120. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994. [NBC]
• Alexander, T. Desmond. Exodus. Edited by David W. Baker and Gordon J. Wenham. Vol. 2. Apollos Old Testament Commentary. London; Downers Grove, IL: Apollos; InterVarsity Press, 2017.
• Brown, Francis, Samuel Rolles Driver, and Charles Augustus Briggs. In Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1977. [BDB]
• Bruckner, James K. Exodus. Edited by W. Ward Gasque, Robert L. Hubbard Jr., and Robert K. Johnston. Understanding the Bible Commentary Series. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012.
• Childs, Brevard S. The Book of Exodus: A Critical, Theological Commentary. Edited by Peter Ackroyd, James Barr, Bernhard W. Anderson, and James L. Mays. The Old Testament Library. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004.
• Cole, R. Alan. Exodus: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 2. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1973.
• Dozeman, Thomas B. Commentary on Exodus. The Eerdmans Critical Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009.
• Durham, John I. Exodus. Vol. 3. Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1987.
• Enns, Peter. Exodus. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000.
• Fretheim, Terence E. Exodus. Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1991.
• Garrett, Duane A. A Commentary on Exodus: Commentary. Kregel Exegetical Library. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2014.
• Hamilton, Victor P. Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2011.
• Harris, R. Laird, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, eds. In Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Chicago: Moody Press, 1999. [TWOT]
• Kaiser, Walter C., Jr. “Exodus.” In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Genesis–Leviticus (Revised Edition), edited by Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, Vol. 1. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008.
• Matthews, Victor Harold, Mark W. Chavalas, and John H. Walton. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament. Electronic ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000. [IVPBCOT]
• Motyer, Alec. The Message of Exodus: The Days of Our Pilgrimage. Edited by Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball. The Bible Speaks Today. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 2005.
• Osborn, Noel D., and Howard A. Hatton. A Handbook on Exodus. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies, 1999. [UBS]
• Oswalt, John N. “Exodus”. In Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Genesis, Exodus. Vol. 1. With Allen Ross. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008.
• Phillips, Elaine. “Exodus”. In The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary. Gary M. Burge, and Andrew E. Hill, eds. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012.
• Propp, William H. C. Exodus 19–40: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 2A. Anchor Yale Bible. New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008.
• Sarna, Nahum M. Exodus. The JPS Torah Commentary. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1991.
• Stuart, Douglas K. Exodus. Vol. 2. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2006.
• VanGemeren, Willem, ed. In New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997. [NIDOTTE]
• Wells, Bruce. “Exodus”. In Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (Old Testament): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Vol. 1. Edited by John H. Walton. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009.