The Ten Commandments

Promises Of The Law - Part 17

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Biblical Law

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2019-05-26

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver expounds the Eighth Commandment, 'Thou shalt not steal,' demonstrating that theft extends far beyond physical robbery to include legal plunder, fraud, withholding wages, dishonest measures, marital defrauding, time theft, property abuse, eminent domain, property tax, and inflation. He argues that socialism and government actions often constitute legalized theft, and that the principle behind the commandment is that the laborer is worthy of his hire. The positive aspect and promise of the commandment are deferred to the next sermon.

[John Weaver] You're five and verse 19 Deuteronomy 5 verse 19 We are on number 17 of the promises of the law today we're dealing with the eighth commandment of So if you look in Deuteronomy 5 in verse 19, it simply says, neither shalt thou steal. So if you were to look in Exodus chapter 20, you would find it saying, thou shalt not steal. So whenever you think of stealing, you think of theft. And everyone knows what theft is. or at least they think they do. A thou shalt not steal covers a multitude of sins, some of which are not thought of very readily. A theft has implications toward God, man, banks, and government.

[John Weaver] Simply because someone has never robbed a bank or stuck a gun in someone's face and demanded money does not mean that that individual is not a thief. Because obviously there are a multitude of ways to steal. May I point out the fact that there may be a difference between illegal plunder and legal plunder, but plunder is still theft. Socialism is theft. Communism is theft. Confiscation of private property is theft. And any and every individual and institution and government violates the Eighth Commandment is a thief no matter what they say or how they do it. If we try to limit our understanding of, thou shalt not steal, to a forceful taking of that which doesn't belong to us, then our understanding of this Eighth Commandment is no better than the Pharisees. Because the Pharisees limited everything to the physical. And just simply because they did not stick a sword in someone's face and demand money, therefore they thought that they were not thieves. But you are going to see that thou shalt not steal covers a multitude of things.

[John Weaver] Now Rush Dooney in his book on the Institutes of Biblical Law makes this statement on page 452, and let me just read it, one short paragraph. He says, theft can be accomplished in a number of ways. First, simple theft thief robs the victim directly." So that's me sticking a gun in your face and saying, give me your money. Second he says, in complex but still direct theft the thief robs the victim as part of a group of thieves. In such a case a man may not be directly involved in the act of theft, but he is a party to it all the same, a knowing party in the corporate group of thieves. So if I had all of you acting as my thieves and I gave you orders to go rob somebody or steal someone, although I'm not doing it, I'm still a thief. Because I'm cooperating with you, and I'm giving orders. This is what he's talking about here Then he says third theft can be accomplished by indirect and legal means Hmm that is by the passing of law which steals from the rich and the poor poor or the middle classes for the benefit of a peculiar or particular group.

[John Weaver] The state then becomes the agency whereby theft is accomplished and a pseudo-moral cover is given by a legal enactment. Now, I mentioned the fact that there is a difference between legal plunder and illegal plunder. There is a book, it is a very small book, But I would encourage you to get it and read it. The title of the book is The Law. It was written by Frédéric Bastier, who is a French economist, a statesman, and author.

[John Weaver] He lived in 1801 and died in 1850. Most of his writing was before the French Revolution, a little during and afterwards as well, until he died, because he was fighting socialism. And he explained in this book how socialism inevitably is going to degenerate into communism. So I want to take the time just to read you a couple of passages. And as I read these passages, I want you to think of country not France I want you to think of our Congress and not the French government so He asked or he states in this book how to identify legal plunder He asked but how is this legal plunder to be identified?

[John Weaver] quite simply See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them and it gives to other persons to whom it does not belong See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself Cannot do without committing a crime Then abolish this law without delay, for it is not only an evil in itself, but it is also a fertile source for further evils, because it invites reprisals. If such a law, which may be an isolated case, is not abolished immediately, it will spread, multiply, and develop into a system. The person who profits from this law will complain bitterly, defending his acquired rights.

[John Weaver] He will claim that the state is obligated to protect and encourage his particular industry, that this procedure enriches the state because the protected industry is thus able to spend more and pay higher wages to poor working men. Do not listen to this sophistry by vested interest. The acceptance of these arguments will build legal plunder into a whole system. In fact, this has already occurred. The present day delusion is an attempt to enrich everyone at the expense of everyone else, to make plunder universal under the pretense of organizing it.

[John Weaver] Hang on for this one. Legal plunder has many names. He continues, now legal plunder can be committed in an infinite number of ways. Thus we have an infinite number of plans for organizing it this legal plunder tariffs Protection Benefits subsidies encouragements progressive taxation public schools Guaranteed jobs guaranteed profits minimum wages a right to relief or welfare as we would say, a right to the tools of labor, free credit, and so on and so on. All these plans as a whole with their common aim of legal plunder constitute socialism.

[John Weaver] Now since under this definition socialism is a body of doctrine, what attack can be made against it other than a war of doctrine? If you find this socialistic doctrine to be false, absurd, and evil, then refute it. And the more false, the more absurd, and the more evil it is, the easier it is to refute. Above all, if you wish to be strong, begin by rooting out every particle of socialism that may have crept into your legislation.

[John Weaver] This will be no light task." He continues,"'Socialism' is legal plunder. Here's another Frenchman. Mr. D Montal on bear has been accused of desiring to fight socialism by the use of brute force. He ought to be exonerated from this accusation where he's plainly said the war that we fight. Must be fought against socialism and it must be in harmony with law, honor, and justice. Now listen to this. But why does Mr. De Montalambere see that he has placed himself in a vicious cycle? In other words, why does he not see this? You would use the law to oppose socialism, but it is upon the law that socialism itself relies. Socialists desire to practice legal plunder, not illegal plunder. Socialists, like all other monopolists, desire to make the law their own weapon. And when once the law is on the side of socialism, how can it then be used against socialism? For when plunder is abetted by the law, it does not fear your courts, your police, or your prisons.

[John Weaver] Rather, it may call upon them for help. To prevent this, you would exclude socialism from entering into the making of laws. You would prevent socialists from entering into the legislative palace. You shall not succeed, I predict, so long as legal plunder continues to be the main business of the legislature. It is illogical, in fact, absurd to assume otherwise." Let me go back, let me just change one word here. He says, you shall not succeed, I predict, so long as legal plunder continues to be the main business of Congress. Same thing. Then he says there is a choice before us. The question of legal plunder must be settled once and for all and there are only three ways to settle it Number one the few plunder the many Number two everybody plunders everybody Number three nobody plunders anybody We must make our choice among limited plunder, universal plunder, or no plunder. The law can follow only one of these three. Limited legal plunder, this system prevailed when the right to vote was restricted. One would turn back to this system to prevent the invasion of socialism.

[John Weaver] Universal legal plunder, We have been threatened with this system since the franchise was made universal. The newly enfranchised majorities decided to formulate the law on the same principle of legal plunder that was used by their predecessors when the vote was limited. No legal plunder. This is the principle of justice, peace, order, stability, harmony, and logic. Until the day of my death, I shall proclaim this principle with all the force of my lungs, which alas, is all too inadequate. So when you stop and think about legal plunder, you only have the three choices, the few plunder the many, everybody plunders everybody, or nobody plunders anybody.

[John Weaver] Now, if you understand that which Mr. Bastia wrote, you will also understand that we are already deeply entrenched in socialism in our country. And when President Trump made the statement that this nation will never become a socialist nation, he did not know whereof he spoke. We are already a socialist nation. Most folks just simply do not realize it yet.

[John Weaver] Now, most people have no idea how government is supposed to work, nor do they have any idea how government actually works as well. And there is a big difference then between what you and I would call a constitutional republic, which is supposed to be a republic that is ruled by law, and by a Congress that just simply makes up rules as they go. May I remind you it was representative Alcee Hastings of Florida who said concerning the house, quote, there are no rules here.

[John Weaver] We make them up as we go. Now, if that is absolutely true, and of course it is the reality in this day and time, it means then that our country, our Constitution, our liberty, and our freedoms have all been stolen from us. There is no law. Congress is not bound by anything, and therefore it would be a simple, tyrannical, despotic, totalitarian body doing as it pleases with no restraints of any kind Whatsoever now what I want to do today is I want to take the time to Demonstrate to you the various kinds of theft that we commit all the time and do not think of it as theft now I'm not even going to be able to get to the positive aspect or the promise of this commandment until next week and because I'm going to show you today what theft is based upon the Word of God.

[John Weaver] When you talk about the Ten Commandments you have to understand something about case law in the Bible. When you talk about case law first of all there is a broad principle. The Ten Commandments are basically broad principles now there are other principles in the Bible, but these Ten Commandments basically summarize all of the other principles so you have this very broad principle and then secondly, there's always a case law that will illustrate that very broad principle and then once you have the case law and You see the broad principle. You see the case law.

[John Weaver] And now the third thing is there must be an application. So if if I were to strike Gary with my fist and you were all witnesses, I just came up and knocked him upside the head. And Gary decided he's going to sue me because he had to go to the doctor. He had to go to the hospital. So he goes to an attorney and the attorney says, now, wait a minute. It's not right that he just walked up and hit you Why? There's the case Just like this.

[John Weaver] It was settled last week. I mean it was uh It was Sharpless versus price where price just walked up and hit Sharpless and Listen, everything's basically the same and I'm gonna tell you what since everything's basically the same and the court ruled for price Wow or the court rule for sharpness, whichever one, you know, was the defendant. It's probably going to work this way in your case. We'll take this case and we'll win this case.

[John Weaver] So what they did, they took a broad principle. You shall not act unjustly or do any unjust violence. Then they took a specific case and then the attorney made an application. So that is exactly the way it is in the Bible. So you have this broad principle, thou shalt not steal. Now what is the case law for thou shalt not steal? Look in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 25 and verse 4. I'm going to show you one of the case laws for thou shalt not steal. Look if you would, Deuteronomy 25 and verse 4. It is a very simple verse, God says, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

[John Weaver] Now, when we read a verse like that, we kind of smile because we think oxen have nothing to do with our society. And obviously we do not grind out our corn by use of an ox. Well, let me put it like this. Circumstances may change, but principles do not change. The principle is still with us today. It is true. We no longer use oxen and we never no longer grind our corn out with them. But the principle is still here. So in Bible times what happened you had these two huge stones that turn to grind out the corn well there was a pole that extended from them and The oxen then was harnessed that pole and the oxen walked round and round and as he walked round and round He then moved those stones and the owners would pour their corn on the stones and the stones and would grind the corn and meal would come out well occasionally Some of that corn would fall to the floor and the ox then would stop and get a mouthful of corn and keep going and so that would happen maybe

[John Weaver] a couple times an hour and the owners would get to thinking ah We can make more money if we muzzle that ox He won't eat that corn and therefore we'll sweep it up and we'll put it back in the wheels and we'll have more meal and therefore we can make more money and God says no, thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. The principle that God is saying is this.

[John Weaver] If that ox is doing the work, then that ox needs to be able to have the reward of his work. Let him eat the corn that falls on the floor. That brings us to this principle. The laborer is worthy of his hire.

[John Weaver] Now, I don't know if you understand this or not, but this passage, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn in the Old Testament, is quoted twice in the New Testament. So if you look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 9, we'll begin there with verse 7. You'll see how this principle is used, first of all, by Paul to the Corinthians. Notice 1 Corinthians chapter 9, beginning there with verse 7. 1st Corinthians 9 and verse 7. He asked these questions.

[John Weaver] Who go to warfare anytime at his own charges? Well, no one. I mean, if you're in the army, you get paid and they buy your equipment. They do everything. You don't go at your own charges. Who planted the vineyard and he did not the fruit thereof? Well, if you plant a grapevine, you get to eat the grapes. Is that simple? Then he says or who feeded the flock and he did not the milk of the flock So if I've got cows if I want to milk them if I've got goats, I want to milk them fine Then he asked in verse 8 say I these things as a man or saith not the

[John Weaver] law the same also For it is written in the law of Moses Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. I Now watch doth God take care for oxen? Well, of course he does but he did not write that for the oxen's sake verse 10 or saith he it altogether for our sakes for our sakes no doubt this is written that he that plows should plow in hope and and he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of the hope."

[John Weaver] And in other words, the laborer is worthy of his reward and he gets to reap that which he has sown and he gets the benefits of his work. Now, God does take care for oxen, that is for sure, but He did not say, thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn for the oxen's sake. He said, for our sake. So, if you will turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy chapter 5, 1st Timothy chapter 5. You'll see it again 1st Timothy chapter 5 and notice if you would please verses 17 and 18 1st Timothy chapter 5 verse 17 Look what he says Let the elders or the pastors that rule well be counted worthy of double honor now.

[John Weaver] Wait a minute What does he mean when he talks about ruling? Well, here's what he means that the elders that rule will be counted worthy of double honor especially they who labor in the word and in doctrine in the words there are men who actually study and And they not only study, they teach. So he says, let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine for the scripture said, thou shalt not muzzle the ox and tread it out the corn and the laborer is worthy of his reward. Now, when he says in verse 17, let the elders or the pastors that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, that doesn't mean that you say to them, yes sir, yes sir, or pastor, pastor. The double honor there refers to the double pay is what it means. In other words, the man who actually works, the man who actually does something, the man who actually provides is the man who is worthy of the double honor.

[John Weaver] Now, I'm not as old as some of you in here and older than a lot of you, but here's something I discovered a long, long time ago. It's easier to pay a higher price to a man who knows what he is doing than to hire four men at a cheaper price who have no idea what they're doing. You understand that? You know, I know men who run bulldozers and backhoes and things like that. And oh, yeah. How much?

[John Weaver] A hundred bucks an hour. Oh, man, I can get this guy over here for 20 bucks an hour. Yeah, you can, you know, take him three days to do what the one man could do in six or seven hours. So I'm just simply saying, here's a principle. The labor is worthy of its hire. It's just that simple.

[John Weaver] Now, turn in your Bibles to the book of Luke chapter 10. Luke chapter 10. And notice, if you would please, verses five through seven. Luke 10, beginning there with verse five. Luke 10, verse five. Look what our Lord tells his disciples. He's sending them out on missions. And he says this and into whatsoever house you enter first say peace be to this house And if the son of peace be there your peace shall rest upon it. If not, it shall turn to you again and in the same house remain Eating and drinking such things as they give For the laborer is worthy of his hire go not from house to house Now, what does that mean?

[John Weaver] Let me explain it like this when I'm away preaching I And I stay in a home and I have done that many, many times. And when I stay in a home, it's the host and the hostess then that usually provides most of my meals, not always all of the time, but most of the time. So that means whatever they said in front of me, I'm free to eat and as much as I want. because that would be part of the reward of my labor for teaching and preaching. Now, I'm not free to ask them for something that they don't have or for something that they do not provide, but if they put a big bowl of butter beans in front of me or peas or okra, I can take all of it I want.

[John Weaver] So that's exactly what he told his disciples. And the reason he said that is the laborer is worthy of his reward. Now. So here's the principle then behind thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treaded out the corn. In other words, it is theft to to deprive a man of the reward of his labor. Let me go a little bit further. Look in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 24, Deuteronomy 24. Deuteronomy 24 and look if you would please it verses 14 and 15 Deuteronomy 24 verses 14 and 15 And before I give you the principle here, I'm going to ask you to turn to another passage but look in Deuteronomy 24 verse 14 He says thou shalt not oppress a hired servant That is poor needy a hired servant. So you've you've hired someone to help you Whether he be of thy brethren or thy strangers are in thy land within thy gates now watch at his day Thou shalt give him his hire Neither shall the sun go down upon it For he is poor and sinneth as heart upon it, lest he

[John Weaver] cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee." Now, look what God says. You're not to oppress him. You're to give him his hire when it is due. And if you don't, he's going to cry to the Lord, and it's going to be sin unto you.

[John Weaver] Now, look in your Bibles to the book of James chapter 5 and verse 4. James 5 and verse 4. In fact, when you look at James chapter 5, He is talking about these rich men who have defrauded the people that they hired. I'm not going to read the first three verses, you can read them. But verse 1 just says, Go to now you rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

[John Weaver] And it's because of their corruption. But skip down to verse 4, look what he says, Behold the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back. By fraud. In other words, you didn't you didn't pay them It crieth and the cries of them have entered that have reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of the Sabbath so here's a principle and The principle is if you defraud a man of his hire It is theft So let me just

[John Weaver] put it to you very plainly Let's suppose I say, David, I need help. Would you come up and help me for two days? And he said, Yes, I'll be glad to do that. And I said, Well, I can only afford to give you 100 bucks a day, plus your room and board. He said, Well, I'll do that. That's fine. I said, Well, if you'll do this, then I'll pay you on Friday. He says, Wonderful. So he comes up and he helps me for a couple of days. Friday comes and he comes up to me and he asks for his money and I say David I'm sorry.

[John Weaver] I was just so busy. It slipped my mind. I didn't have time to go to the bank I didn't have time to do this or or some excuse etc. I tell you what I'll do. I'll pay you next Friday What have I just done I've stolen his money for a week I've stolen the use of his money for a week. This is exactly what God is talking about. Have you ever noticed?

[John Weaver] Usually when banks and insurance companies and large corporations, when you have paid an overage, that is, you've paid more than you should have, or when they owe you money, it takes two to three months to get your money. Have you ever wondered about that? Why should it take 60 or 90 days for somebody to sit down and write a check? The answer is they're stealing the use of your money for that period of time. They're collecting interest on it. They're making money on it. It is theft.

[John Weaver] If they owe you they should pay you now there are different ways to steal You can steal by defrauding someone you can steal by not paying someone but look in your Bibles to the book of Leviticus chapter 19 Leviticus chapter 19 And let's begin reading there with verse 35 we'll read several passages Just to show you this principle Leviticus chapter 19 And let's begin reading there were verse 35 we'll read through verse 37 Look what God says You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment and meat yard. That would be like measuring cloth So if somebody buys 10 yards of material from you You don't cheat them by giving them nine and a half you give them ten yards So you shall do no unrighteousness in meat you're in weight Or in measure that is if you sell a bushel of wheat supposed to be 56 pounds to the bushel You should not have 54 or 53 or 52 should be 56 God says in verse 36 just balances just weights a just ephah, which was a measurement of just hen, which was a measure of liquid, shall you have, I am the Lord your God which

[John Weaver] brought you out of the land of Egypt. Therefore shall you observe all my statutes and all my judgments to do them, I am the Lord."

[John Weaver] Now, turn in your Bibles if you would please to Deuteronomy chapter 25. Deuteronomy 25 and look if you would at verses 13-16 we are still on this same topic. Showing you a different way to be a thief Deuteronomy chapter 25 beginning there verse 13 God says thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights that is different weights are great and small Thou shalt not have in thine house divers or different measures are great and small but thou shalt have a perfect and just weight of Perfect and just measure shalt thou have that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord by God to give it thee For all that do such things that is have these different weights and measures those who cheat and defraud all that do unrighteously or an abomination to the Lord thy God So what are you saying? Is this if we? defraud someone of something We owe them Then it is theft.

[John Weaver] Let me put it together for you. I want you to turn to Romans chapter 13 Romans 13 And look if you would be getting there with verse 7 Romans 13 verse 7 Watch carefully Romans 13 verse 7 God says this Render therefore to all their dues Tribute to whom tribute is due custom custom Fear to whom fear what's this? honor to whom honor Now wait a minute verse 8.

[John Weaver] Oh No, man anything that is you pay what you owe. I You may owe honor you may owe love you may owe money But he says oh no man anything but to love one another For he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law now wait watch verse nine for this He's explaining it thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt not kill thou shalt not steal thou shalt not bear false witness thou shalt not covet and if there be any other commandment it is briefly comprehended in this saying that Namely thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself love work is no ill to his neighbor therefore love is the fulfilling of the law now Here's the principle whatever is withheld from you that you worked for Or that you deserve is a form of theft God says we're to give honor to whom honor is due So when a child Whether he's a little kid or a teenager or a grown man, when he dishonors his parents, it is not only a violation of the Fifth Commandment, it's a violation of the Eighth Commandment because he's stealing the honor that they deserve and merit because they are his parents.

[John Weaver] In other words, how about this? If I fail to love my wife, which God has commanded me, it's theft. Isn't that amazing? It's theft. If I owe money and refuse to pay it, it is theft. Whatever I owe, if I refuse to give it, it is theft. If I defraud you of that which is rightfully yours, it is theft. It is theft husbands and wives are very usually guilty of fraud.

[John Weaver] I'm going to show you that in just a moment There are so many ways to steal. There's so many ways to defraud. So it's for instance Suppose you want to buy my automobile and I present this automobile to you as an excellent vehicle in running condition and it'll take you across this country and I know that That the transmission is about to go. And I still sell it to you for a premium price. I've just stolen from you. I've just defrauded you. By the same token, if Gary came along and said, look at this shiny lump that I just found in my yard.

[John Weaver] And I say, oh, that's fool's gold. But yet I know it's real gold. And I said, tell you what I'll do. I'll give you 10 bucks for it. Well, he says, OK, when I know it's worth a thousand bucks, what have I just done? I've stolen from him. I've committed theft. I've defrauded him. Now, listen very carefully. I made the statement that husbands and wives are great thieves. also many times Without intending to be and without knowing it, but let me show you what I'm talking about Look in your Bibles to first Corinthians chapter 7 and let's begin reading there with verse 1 1st Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1 Now watch carefully God says Now concerning the things where if you

[John Weaver] wrote unto me it is good for a man not to touch a woman Now that doesn't mean I couldn't shake hands with Effie or hug Lorraine What it does mean though is I cannot touch them lustfully or covetously Because he goes on to explain that he said in verse 2 nevertheless to avoid fornication Let every man have his own wife Let every woman have her own husband Now watch verse three. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence. That is, he's to take care of her needs and likewise also the wife unto the husband. She's to take care of his needs. Watch verse four. The wife hath not power over her own body, but the husband. And likewise, also the husband hath not power over his own body, but the wife.

[John Weaver] Skip down to verse 5 Defraud you not one the other there's theft Defraud you not one the other except it be with consent for a time That you may give yourselves a fasting and a prayer and come together again that Satan tempt you not for your income on in Continuancy, all right. So notice if you would go back to verse 3 the husband is to render to the wife due benevolence and likewise the wife to the husband and then he says in verse 4 the wife hath not power over her own body but the husband in other words if the husband needs the wife The husband has the power over the wife's body Well, I have a headache. I'm sorry, honey. I have power over your body Well, the wife also has power over the husband. Well, I need you but I had a hard day at work. I'm tired I'm sorry You understand something marriage is more than a covenant. It is a ministry. I You minister to the needs of your spouse. That is exactly what he's saying and when people then therefore try to Manipulate and when they try to withhold themselves when they try to leverage and when they try to use anger and resentment God says it is theft and when you look at verse 5 when he says defraud you not one the

[John Weaver] other and In the greek it is a present active imperative, which means it is a command It is not a suggestion And so god is saying look this is not based merely upon feelings. It's not based upon emotions. This is based upon a command plain and simple and if husbands and wives understood this It would save an awful lot of heartaches, headaches, fusses, fightings, and possibly some marriages as well.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to point one other thing out. The word defraud. The Greek word actually means to defraud, to keep back, to rob, to despoil, and to keep back by fraud. That's why I said Earlier that husbands and wives are guilty of violating the 8th commandment without even blinking an eye Neither they comprehend or understand that their actions and their attitudes constitute theft under the 8th commandment now Let me go ahead. I'm still talking about violating the 8th commandment thou shalt not steal There are numerous ways to steal so Steve and I need to take care of some business and so I tell Steve I will meet you tomorrow in Main Street in front of such-and-such store at 10 a.m. and we'll take care of this fine he agrees and I'm there at 10 a.m.

[John Weaver] and he doesn't show up until 1030 he is just stolen 30 minutes of my time now I understand If the providence of God hinders him, I understand that there was a flat tire. I understand that the motor blows up. I understand if he falls down and breaks a leg or breaks an arm. That's no big deal. But you know, most of the time when we are late, it's because of poor planning or just a lack of consideration. Alice can tell you and I basically live by this principle all my life I guess I was taught it as a boy because my dad was very punctual But I've always said if you're not 15 minutes early, you're late That's just all there is to it. And at front sight they have a saying if you can't be on time be early You know be early and that's true, but this is a way that we begin to To steal from each other.

[John Weaver] We don't even think about it. We just well, he'll just have to wait for me Really? Why don't you call him and say I'm gonna be running late. Is there something else you can do? You know, whatever So don't steal the time Here's another way the misuse and abuse of private property is also theft And it doesn't just have to be rental property you know Every time I ever tried to rent a house to help someone I always lost And unhappily on one occasion it was a preacher The only way people can rent property today is they have to almost be there and stay on top of it every week If not, people are going to destroy your property And they're going to beat you out of the rent and this theft I've seen pictures of places where renters left.

[John Weaver] They'd rip the commode out. They'd rip the sink out. They'd tear the kitchen up just to get back at the owner. That's theft. That is theft. Vandalism as well, but it's theft. I knew a preacher, he's now dead, but I want you to think about this. This preacher trained his preacher boys and they were They were considered fundamentalist and Bible believers. But he trained his preacher boys to go into, for instance, a Roman Catholic church or a liberal church, to go into those churches and literally take over the pulpit or push someone aside or stand up and speak loudly and preach the gospel.

[John Weaver] Now you had to be bold and brazen to do that. But it was also theft. That was their property. That was their meeting. That was their time. That was their people.

[John Weaver] Now, I'm sorry if someone believes a false gospel. I'm sorry if somebody does not believe the Bible, but I'm not going to go in and steal their property and steal their time just simply to proclaim the gospel. You can never do wrong in order to get a chance to do what's right. So anytime you abuse or misuse private property, it is theft. Imminent domain is governmental theft. Imminent domain means the government can come along and take your property for what they are deeming the public good and Government has stolen property and sold it to private enterprises. There's not any public good and Usually when they come along within an imminent domain, they either steal it or offer you a ridiculously low price And you say I'm not going to take this. I'm gonna fight it in court. Yes, you can and And it costs you 10 times as much to fight it, and then you usually end up losing. But it's theft, pure and simple.

[John Weaver] Now, when you talk about theft, you have to ask yourself this question. Does it just apply to individuals? Does it not apply to families, churches, societies, governments? And the answer is yes. When God says, thou shalt not steal, He does not exempt the government. He does not exempt political leaders. He does not exempt churches or societies. And governments and rulers can steal in many, many ways. Occasionally they will use force.

[John Weaver] for eminent domain or confiscation of goods or literally They will do so under the threat of imprisonment or death and most of the time All of this is covered under the guise of legality Now let me give you an illustration this is the one that just tears me apart every time I think about it Property tax Property tax is just as unbiblical and ungodly as it can be and it is a form of theft When you stop and think if you pay 2,500 bucks in property tax Probably 1,500 or 1,800 goes to support the public school Government school I had four children. None of my children ever went to a day of public school in their entire lives. It is not my responsibility to support somebody else's children. If they want them to go to a public school, that's their choice. If they want them to go to a private school or a Christian school, that's their choice, but it's not my responsibility to support somebody else's children. Now, let me just point something out when we talk about property tax.

[John Weaver] Do you understand the ramifications? Suppose I said to Francis, I really like your car. You have a nice car. And so what I want you to do this coming week, I want you to pay me 500 bucks tax because you have such a nice car. Now, wait a minute. How can I tax something that I don't even own? You follow me? Do you know what the Bible says in Psalm 24 and verse 1?

[John Weaver] The earth is the Lord's and the fullest thereof, the world and they that dwell therein. And when you get to Psalm 15 verse 12, God said, If I were hungry, I would not tell thee, for the world is mine and the fullest thereof. In Psalm 89 verse 11 the heavens are thine the earth also is thine as the world and the fullness thereof because thou hast founded them and when you get to first Corinthians 10 verse 26 for the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof and When you get to first Corinthians 10 verse 28 He says it again for the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.

[John Weaver] So for a state of to come along and say, we're going to tax your property. What they're doing is saying this, we're God, we own the world, we own the land, we own the property, we've stolen it from the sovereign God of heaven and earth, you pay us the tax. You know what God said in Leviticus 25 verse 23? He said, the land shall not be sold forever, for the land is mine. So the ramifications of the property tax Theologically are horrendous because they are stealing that which belongs to God now Let me give a final thought in closing.

[John Weaver] There are so many ways to steal Have you ever stopped to think that inflation is theft? Inflation is the hidden or the unseen tax and If you want to really be surprised, go to your computer and type in the words inflation calculator. And then you can calculate from any year that you want to. The inflation rate up until at least last year. And I did it for 1963. Alice and I were married in 1963. And when we were married, I tell people, man, I was in the money.

[John Weaver] I started out a job at 65 bucks a week. You say, that's not much money. Oh, you don't know. Jack Roper, who was a motorcycle cop for the city of Thomasville, had worked for them for 10 years, and he was only making 60 bucks a week at the time. As an 18 year old, I started out at 65 bucks a week. Then I got a $5 a week raise every quarter So, yeah, that was a lot of money I'll show you how much money it was Because I would give Alice ten bucks a week to buy our groceries for a week and I would kind of Mmm say something if she didn't bring two

[John Weaver] or three of it back Do you realize? She would buy milk and bread and eggs and meat and vegetables and the two of us could eat all week long on six or seven bucks. I bet you remember something like that. And today you can't even walk out of a grocery store with three or four bags of groceries in your hands without spending 200 bucks. Do you know why?

[John Weaver] You say, well, it's inflation prices go up. Why do prices go up? Because the value of your money continues to go down and it requires more and more money to buy the same product. The rise in prices just is indicative of the worthlessness of the money. Listen to this. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, consumer price index prices in 2018 are 721 times higher than the average prices throughout 1963. In other words, $1,000 in 1963 is equivalent in purchasing power to $8,206.11 in 2018, a difference of $7,206.11 over 55 years. So it takes over $8,000 to buy what $1,000 did in 1963.

[John Weaver] The truth is this, the Federal Reserve and the Federal Reserve Banks are thieves. You see, the more money they print, the more worthless is that which you have. It continues to go down in value. And did you know that money, their money, is created out of thin air? Did you know if you went to the bank and you said I? Need $10,000. I need to borrow $10,000 and the banker said well, I know you and yeah You've been in here before you're our customer. You've got plenty of collateral. Yeah, I'll lend you $10,000 I'll put that in your account Sign right here There's no money put in your account Electronic digits are added to your account Money is created out of thin air When the Federal Reserve prints it, it's created out of thin air. There's nothing backing it.

[John Weaver] If you and I held to a strictly biblical money system or a constitutional money system, it'd be silver and gold. Every time you give a $100 bill to some of these little cashiers, they'll hold it up to the light. They want to make sure that little strip is in there. And every time they hold it up to the light, I say, it's fake. The government prints it. If it was real it'd be silver gold Let me just show you something Some of us remember a $20 gold piece a $20 gold piece from 1932 would purchase 482 gallons of gas 427 gallons of milk 675 dozen eggs and 2700 first-class stamps a 20 Buck Federal Reserve note today, and this is pushing it would buy seven gallons of gas 6.3 gallons of milk 10 dozen eggs and 40 first-class stamps But here's the kicker In 1932, you could take a $20 Federal Reserve note that says this is redeemable in gold or silver. You could take it to the bank and get a $20 gold piece.

[John Weaver] Or you could take a $20 gold piece and get a paper 20 Federal Reserve notes. Today, of course, you can't do that. There's no gold backing anything. There's no silver backing anything. So if you had a $20 gold piece, instead of a 20 Federal Reserve note, look what you could buy. So here's the question. Who stole your wealth? Who stole your gas? Who stole your milk? Who stole your eggs? Who stole your postage stamps? You follow me?

[John Weaver] In other words, all of that purchasing power is gone. Because we do not have money And we have rampant inflation because the paper is absolutely worthless. And the only thing that is keeping the paper in circulation today is some people think that it is still money. And it's worthless. It's worthless. There are multitudes of ways to steal and we are stolen from every day without even thinking about it. And oftentimes we steal from others without even thinking about it. And God says thou shalt not steal.

[John Weaver] You say, well, what is the positive of the second commandment? And what is the of the eighth commandment? And what is the promise in the eighth commandment? Well, you'll just have to be here next Sunday to find out. But until then, thou shalt not steal. Father, thank you for your love. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your mercy. Thank you for your word and truth.

[John Weaver] Teach us thy law and teach us, Lord, to be holy and righteous and godly. In thy name we pray. Amen.

[John Weaver] ♪ ♪

Promises Of The Law - Part 17

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	6b_5rquH268
Subject	Biblical Law
Course	The Ten Commandments
Genre	Sermon
Date	2019-05-26
Dictation Name
Book	Book 005: Promises Of The Law — Chapter 17
Source Timed Segments	71

Formatted Transcript

Introduction to the Eighth Commandment

The commandment 'Neither shalt thou steal' covers a multitude of sins beyond obvious theft, including implications toward God, man, banks, and government.

Deuteronomy 5, verse 19. We are on number 17 of the promises of the law. Today we're dealing with the eighth commandment. So if you look in Deuteronomy 5 and verse 19, it simply says,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 5:19

"Neither shalt thou steal."

So if you were to look in Exodus chapter 20, you would find it saying, "Thou shalt not steal." So whenever you think of stealing, you think of theft. And everyone knows what theft is, or at least they think they do. "Thou shalt not steal" covers a multitude of sins, some of which are not thought of very readily. Theft has implications toward God, man, banks, and government.

Legal Plunder as Theft

Socialism, communism, and confiscation are forms of theft, and legal plunder is still theft. The state can become an agency of theft through law.

Simply because someone has never robbed a bank or stuck a gun in someone's face and demanded money does not mean that that individual is not a thief. Because obviously there are a multitude of ways to steal. May I point out the fact that there may be a difference between illegal plunder and legal plunder, but plunder is still theft. Socialism is theft. Communism is theft. Confiscation of private property is theft. And any and every individual and institution and government that violates the Eighth Commandment is a thief, no matter what they say or how they do it. If we try to limit our understanding of "thou shalt not steal" to a forceful taking of that which doesn't belong to us, then our understanding of this Eighth Commandment is no better than the Pharisees. Because the Pharisees limited everything to the physical. And just simply because they did not stick a sword in someone's face and demand money, therefore they thought that they were not thieves. But you are going to see that "thou shalt not steal" covers a multitude of things.

Now Rushdoony in his book on the Institutes of Biblical Law makes this statement on page 452, and let me just read it, one short paragraph. He says, "Theft can be accomplished in a number of ways. First, simple theft: the thief robs the victim directly." So that's me sticking a gun in your face and saying, "Give me your money." Second, he says, "In complex but still direct theft, the thief robs the victim as part of a group of thieves. In such a case a man may not be directly involved in the act of theft, but he is a party to it all the same, a knowing party in the corporate group of thieves." So if I had all of you acting as my thieves and I gave you orders to go rob somebody or steal from someone, although I'm not doing it, I'm still a thief. Because I'm cooperating with you, and I'm giving orders. This is what he's talking about here. Then he says, "Third, theft can be accomplished by indirect and legal means"—hmm—"that is, by the passing of law which steals from the rich and the poor or the middle classes for the benefit of a peculiar or particular group."

The state then becomes the agency whereby theft is accomplished and a pseudo-moral cover is given by a legal enactment. Now, I mentioned the fact that there is a difference between legal plunder and illegal plunder. There is a book, it is a very small book, but I would encourage you to get it and read it. The title of the book is "The Law." It was written by Frédéric Bastiat, who is a French economist, a statesman, and author.

Bastiat's Analysis of Legal Plunder

Frédéric Bastiat's book 'The Law' identifies legal plunder as taking from some to give to others, and outlines its many forms such as tariffs, subsidies, and progressive taxation, which constitute socialism.

He lived in 1801 and died in 1850. Most of his writing was before the French Revolution, a little during and afterwards as well, until he died, because he was fighting socialism. And he explained in this book how socialism inevitably is going to degenerate into communism. So I want to take the time just to read you a couple of passages. And as I read these passages, I want you to think of country—not France—I want you to think of our Congress and not the French government. So he asks, or he states in this book, how to identify legal plunder. He asks, "But how is this legal plunder to be identified?"

Quite simply: See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them and it gives to other persons to whom it does not belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime. Then abolish this law without delay, for it is not only an evil in itself, but it is also a fertile source for further evils, because it invites reprisals. If such a law, which may be an isolated case, is not abolished immediately, it will spread, multiply, and develop into a system. The person who profits from this law will complain bitterly, defending his acquired rights. He will claim that the state is obligated to protect and encourage his particular industry, that this procedure enriches the state because the protected industry is thus able to spend more and pay higher wages to poor working men. Do not listen to this sophistry by vested interest. The acceptance of these arguments will build legal plunder into a whole system. In fact, this has already occurred. The present day delusion is an attempt to enrich everyone at the expense of everyone else, to make plunder universal under the pretense of organizing it.

Hang on for this one. Legal plunder has many names. He continues, "Now legal plunder can be committed in an infinite number of ways. Thus we have an infinite number of plans for organizing it—this legal plunder: tariffs, protection, benefits, subsidies, encouragements, progressive taxation, public schools, guaranteed jobs, guaranteed profits, minimum wages, a right to relief"—or welfare as we would say—"a right to the tools of labor, free credit, and so on and so on. All these plans as a whole, with their common aim of legal plunder, constitute socialism."

Now since under this definition socialism is a body of doctrine, what attack can be made against it other than a war of doctrine? If you find this socialistic doctrine to be false, absurd, and evil, then refute it. And the more false, the more absurd, and the more evil it is, the easier it is to refute. Above all, if you wish to be strong, begin by rooting out every particle of socialism that may have crept into your legislation. This will be no light task." He continues, "'Socialism' is legal plunder. Here's another Frenchman. Mr. de Montalembert has been accused of desiring to fight socialism by the use of brute force. He ought to be exonerated from this accusation where he's plainly said the war that we fight must be fought against socialism and it must be in harmony with law, honor, and justice. Now listen to this. But why does Mr. de Montalembert see that he has placed himself in a vicious cycle? In other words, why does he not see this? You would use the law to oppose socialism, but it is upon the law that socialism itself relies. Socialists desire to practice legal plunder, not illegal plunder. Socialists, like all other monopolists, desire to make the law their own weapon. And when once the law is on the side of socialism, how can it then be used against socialism? For when plunder is abetted by the law, it does not fear your courts, your police, or your prisons.

The Three Choices Regarding Plunder

Bastiat presents three options: the few plunder the many, everybody plunders everybody, or nobody plunders anybody. The last is the principle of justice.

Rather, it may call upon them for help. To prevent this, you would exclude socialism from entering into the making of laws. You would prevent socialists from entering into the legislative palace. You shall not succeed, I predict, so long as legal plunder continues to be the main business of the legislature. It is illogical, in fact, absurd to assume otherwise." Let me go back, let me just change one word here. He says, "You shall not succeed, I predict, so long as legal plunder continues to be the main business of Congress." Same thing. Then he says there is a choice before us. The question of legal plunder must be settled once and for all and there are only three ways to settle it. Number one, the few plunder the many. Number two, everybody plunders everybody. Number three, nobody plunders anybody. We must make our choice among limited plunder, universal plunder, or no plunder. The law can follow only one of these three. Limited legal plunder: this system prevailed when the right to vote was restricted. One would turn back to this system to prevent the invasion of socialism.

Universal legal plunder: We have been threatened with this system since the franchise was made universal. The newly enfranchised majorities decided to formulate the law on the same principle of legal plunder that was used by their predecessors when the vote was limited. No legal plunder: This is the principle of justice, peace, order, stability, harmony, and logic. Until the day of my death, I shall proclaim this principle with all the force of my lungs, which alas, is all too inadequate. So when you stop and think about legal plunder, you only have the three choices: the few plunder the many, everybody plunders everybody, or nobody plunders anybody.

America's Entrenchment in Socialism

The U.S. is already a socialist nation, and Congress operates without rules, leading to the theft of liberty and constitutional governance.

Now, if you understand that which Mr. Bastiat wrote, you will also understand that we are already deeply entrenched in socialism in our country. And when President Trump made the statement that this nation will never become a socialist nation, he did not know whereof he spoke. We are already a socialist nation. Most folks just simply do not realize it yet.

Now, most people have no idea how government is supposed to work, nor do they have any idea how government actually works as well. And there is a big difference then between what you and I would call a constitutional republic, which is supposed to be a republic that is ruled by law, and by a Congress that just simply makes up rules as they go. May I remind you it was Representative Alcee Hastings of Florida who said concerning the House, quote, "There are no rules here." We make them up as we go. Now, if that is absolutely true, and of course it is the reality in this day and time, it means then that our country, our Constitution, our liberty, and our freedoms have all been stolen from us. There is no law. Congress is not bound by anything, and therefore it would be a simple, tyrannical, despotic, totalitarian body doing as it pleases with no restraints of any kind whatsoever. Now what I want to do today is I want to take the time to demonstrate to you the various kinds of theft that we commit all the time and do not think of it as theft. Now I'm not even going to be able to get to the positive aspect or the promise of this commandment until next week, because I'm going to show you today what theft is based upon the Word of God.

Biblical Case Law: The Muzzled Ox

Deuteronomy 25:4, 'Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn,' establishes the principle that the laborer is worthy of his hire, and depriving a worker of reward is theft.

When you talk about the Ten Commandments you have to understand something about case law in the Bible. When you talk about case law, first of all there is a broad principle. The Ten Commandments are basically broad principles. Now there are other principles in the Bible, but these Ten Commandments basically summarize all of the other principles. So you have this very broad principle, and then secondly, there's always a case law that will illustrate that very broad principle. And then once you have the case law and you see the broad principle, you see the case law. And now the third thing is there must be an application. So if I were to strike Gary with my fist and you were all witnesses, I just came up and knocked him upside the head. And Gary decided he's going to sue me because he had to go to the doctor. He had to go to the hospital. So he goes to an attorney and the attorney says, "Now, wait a minute. It's not right that he just walked up and hit you." Why? There's the case just like this.

It was settled last week. I mean it was—it was Sharpless versus Price where Price just walked up and hit Sharpless and—listen, everything's basically the same and I'm gonna tell you what, since everything's basically the same and the court ruled for Price—wow—or the court ruled for Sharpless, whichever one, you know, was the defendant. It's probably going to work this way in your case. We'll take this case and we'll win this case.

So what they did, they took a broad principle: you shall not act unjustly or do any unjust violence. Then they took a specific case and then the attorney made an application. So that is exactly the way it is in the Bible. So you have this broad principle, "thou shalt not steal." Now what is the case law for "thou shalt not steal"? Look in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 25 and verse 4. I'm going to show you one of the case laws for "thou shalt not steal." Look if you would, Deuteronomy 25 and verse 4. It is a very simple verse, God says, "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn."

Now, when we read a verse like that, we kind of smile because we think oxen have nothing to do with our society. And obviously we do not grind out our corn by use of an ox. Well, let me put it like this. Circumstances may change, but principles do not change. The principle is still with us today. It is true. We no longer use oxen and we no longer grind our corn out with them. But the principle is still here. So in Bible times what happened: you had these two huge stones that turn to grind out the corn. Well there was a pole that extended from them and the oxen then was harnessed to that pole and the oxen walked round and round and as he walked round and round, he then moved those stones and the owners would pour their corn on the stones and the stones would grind the corn and meal would come out. Well occasionally, some of that corn would fall to the floor and the ox then would stop and get a mouthful of corn and keep going. And so that would happen maybe

a couple times an hour and the owners would get to thinking, "Ah, we can make more money if we muzzle that ox. He won't eat that corn and therefore we'll sweep it up and we'll put it back in the wheels and we'll have more meal and therefore we can make more money." And God says, "No, thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn." The principle that God is saying is this. If that ox is doing the work, then that ox needs to be able to have the reward of his work. Let him eat the corn that falls on the floor. That brings us to this principle: the laborer is worthy of his hire.

New Testament Application of the Ox Principle

Paul quotes the ox law in 1 Corinthians 9 and 1 Timothy 5 to argue that ministers of the gospel deserve material support, and withholding wages is theft.

Now, I don't know if you understand this or not, but this passage,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 9:7-10

"Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn"

in the Old Testament, is quoted twice in the New Testament. So if you look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 9, we'll begin there with verse 7. You'll see how this principle is used, first of all, by Paul to the Corinthians. Notice 1 Corinthians chapter 9, beginning there with verse 7. 1 Corinthians 9 and verse 7. He asks these questions.

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 9:7-10

"Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges?"

Well, no one. I mean, if you're in the army, you get paid and they buy your equipment. They do everything. You don't go at your own charges.

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 9:7-10

"Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof?"

Well, if you plant a grapevine, you get to eat the grapes. Is that simple? Then he says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 9:7-10

"Or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?"

So if I've got cows, if I want to milk them, if I've got goats, I want to milk them. Fine. Then he asks in verse 8,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 9:7-10

"Say I these things as a man? or saith not the

law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn." Now watch: "Doth God take care for oxen?" Well, of course he does, but he did not write that for the oxen's sake. Verse 10, "Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope." And in other words, the laborer is worthy of his reward and he gets to reap that which he has sown and he gets the benefits of his work. Now, God does take care for oxen, that is for sure, but He did not say, "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn" for the oxen's sake. He said, "For our sake." So, if you will turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy chapter 5, 1 Timothy chapter 5. You'll see it again. 1 Timothy chapter 5 and notice if you would please verses 17 and 18. 1 Timothy chapter 5 verse 17. Look what he says: "Let the elders"—or the pastors—"that rule well be counted worthy of double honor." Now,

wait a minute. What does he mean when he talks about ruling? Well, here's what he means: that the elders that rule will be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and in doctrine. In other words, there are men who actually study and they not only study, they teach. So he says, "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward." Now, when he says in verse 17, "Let the elders"—or the pastors—"that rule well be counted worthy of double honor," that doesn't mean that you say to them, "Yes sir, yes sir," or "Pastor, pastor." The double honor there refers to the double pay is what it means. In other words, the man who actually works, the man who actually does something, the man who actually provides is the man who is worthy of the double honor.

Now, I'm not as old as some of you in here and older than a lot of you, but here's something I discovered a long, long time ago. It's easier to pay a higher price to a man who knows what he is doing than to hire four men at a cheaper price who have no idea what they're doing. You understand that? You know, I know men who run bulldozers and backhoes and things like that. And "Oh, yeah. How much?" "A hundred bucks an hour." "Oh, man, I can get this guy over here for 20 bucks an hour." Yeah, you can, you know, take him three days to do what the one man could do in six or seven hours. So I'm just simply saying, here's a principle. The laborer is worthy of his hire. It's just that simple.

Now, turn in your Bibles to the book of Luke chapter 10. Luke chapter 10. And notice, if you would please, verses 5 through 7. Luke 10, beginning there with verse 5. Luke 10, verse 5. Look what our Lord tells His disciples. He's sending them out on missions. And He says this: "And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house." Now, what does that mean?

Withholding Wages and Defrauding Workers

Deuteronomy 24 and James 5 condemn delaying or defrauding a laborer's wages as theft that cries out to God.

Let me explain it like this. When I'm away preaching, I stay in a home and I have done that many, many times. And when I stay in a home, it's the host and the hostess then that usually provides most of my meals, not always all of the time, but most of the time. So that means whatever they set in front of me, I'm free to eat and as much as I want, because that would be part of the reward of my labor for teaching and preaching. Now, I'm not free to ask them for something that they don't have or for something that they do not provide, but if they put a big bowl of butter beans in front of me or peas or okra, I can take all of it I want.

So that's exactly what He told His disciples. And the reason He said that is the laborer is worthy of his reward. Now, so here's the principle then behind "thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn." In other words, it is theft to deprive a man of the reward of his labor. Let me go a little bit further. Look in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 24. Deuteronomy 24. Deuteronomy 24 and look if you would please at verses 14 and 15. Deuteronomy 24 verses 14 and 15. And before I give you the principle here, I'm going to ask you to turn to another passage, but look in Deuteronomy 24 verse 14. He says, "Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates. At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he

cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee." Now, look what God says. You're not to oppress him. You're to give him his hire when it is due. And if you don't, he's going to cry to the Lord, and it's going to be sin unto you.

Now, look in your Bibles to the book of James chapter 5 and verse 4. James 5 and verse 4. In fact, when you look at James chapter 5, He is talking about these rich men who have defrauded the people that they hired. I'm not going to read the first three verses, you can read them. But verse 1 just says, "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you." And it's because of their corruption. But skip down to verse 4, look what he says,

Scripture Reading — James 5:4

"Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud"

—in other words, you didn't pay them—

Scripture Reading — James 5:4

"crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth."

So here's a principle. The principle is if you defraud a man of his hire, it is theft. So let me just

put it to you very plainly. Let's suppose I say, "David, I need help. Would you come up and help me for two days?" And he said, "Yes, I'll be glad to do that." And I said, "Well, I can only afford to give you 100 bucks a day, plus your room and board." He said, "Well, I'll do that. That's fine." I said, "Well, if you'll do this, then I'll pay you on Friday." He says, "Wonderful." So he comes up and he helps me for a couple of days. Friday comes and he comes up to me and he asks for his money and I say, "David, I'm sorry. I was just so busy. It slipped my mind. I didn't have time to go to the bank. I didn't have time to do this or that or some excuse, etc. I tell you what I'll do. I'll pay you next Friday." What have I just done? I've stolen his money for a week. I've stolen the use of his money for a week. This is exactly what God is talking about. Have you ever noticed?

Dishonest Weights and Measures

Leviticus 19 and Deuteronomy 25 command just balances and measures; cheating in commerce is an abomination and a form of theft.

Usually when banks and insurance companies and large corporations, when you have paid an overage, that is, you've paid more than you should have, or when they owe you money, it takes two to three months to get your money. Have you ever wondered about that? Why should it take 60 or 90 days for somebody to sit down and write a check? The answer is they're stealing the use of your money for that period of time. They're collecting interest on it. They're making money on it. It is theft.

If they owe you they should pay you. Now there are different ways to steal. You can steal by defrauding someone. You can steal by not paying someone. But look in your Bibles to the book of Leviticus chapter 19. Leviticus chapter 19. And let's begin reading there with verse 35. We'll read several passages just to show you this principle. Leviticus chapter 19. And let's begin reading there with verse 35. We'll read through verse 37. Look what God says:

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 19:35-37

"Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard"

—that would be like measuring cloth. So if somebody buys 10 yards of material from you, you don't cheat them by giving them nine and a half. You give them ten yards.

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 19:35-37

"Ye shall do no unrighteousness in meteyard, in weight, or in measure."

That is, if you sell a bushel of wheat, supposed to be 56 pounds to the bushel, you should not have 54 or 53 or 52. It should be 56. God says in verse 36,

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 19:35-37

"Just balances, just weights, a just ephah"

—which was a measurement—"and a just hin"—which was a measure of liquid—"shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which

brought you out of the land of Egypt. Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD." Now, turn in your Bibles if you would please to Deuteronomy chapter 25. Deuteronomy 25 and look if you would at verses 13-16. We are still on this same topic. Showing you a different way to be a thief. Deuteronomy chapter 25 beginning there verse 13. God says,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 25:13-16

"Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights"—that is, different weights—"a great and a small. Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures"—or different measures—"a great and a small. But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. For all that do such things"—that is, have these different weights and measures, those who cheat and defraud—"all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God."

So what are you saying? Is this: if we defraud someone of something we owe them, then it is theft.

Theft in Relationships and Obligations

Romans 13:7-8 teaches that withholding honor, love, or money owed is theft. Marital defrauding (1 Corinthians 7) is specifically identified as theft.

Let me put it together for you. I want you to turn to Romans chapter 13. Romans 13. And look if you would beginning there with verse 7. Romans 13 verse 7. Watch carefully. Romans 13 verse 7. God says this: "Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear;"—what's this?—"honour to whom honour." Now wait a minute. Verse 8.

"Owe no man any thing"—that is, you pay what you owe. You may owe honor, you may owe love, you may owe money. But he says, "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." Now watch verse 9 for this. He's explaining it: "Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." Now here's the principle: whatever is withheld from you that you worked for or that you deserve is a form of theft. God says we're to give honor to whom honor is due. So when a child, whether he's a little kid or a teenager or a grown man, when he dishonors his parents, it is not only a violation of the Fifth Commandment, it's a violation of the Eighth Commandment because he's stealing the honor that they deserve and merit because they are his parents.

In other words, how about this? If I fail to love my wife, which God has commanded me, it's theft. Isn't that amazing? It's theft. If I owe money and refuse to pay it, it is theft. Whatever I owe, if I refuse to give it, it is theft. If I defraud you of that which is rightfully yours, it is theft. It is theft. Husbands and wives are very usually guilty of fraud.

I'm going to show you that in just a moment. There are so many ways to steal. There's so many ways to defraud. So it's for instance: suppose you want to buy my automobile and I present this automobile to you as an excellent vehicle in running condition and it'll take you across this country and I know that the transmission is about to go. And I still sell it to you for a premium price. I've just stolen from you. I've just defrauded you. By the same token, if Gary came along and said, "Look at this shiny lump that I just found in my yard."

And I say, "Oh, that's fool's gold." But yet I know it's real gold. And I said, "Tell you what I'll do. I'll give you 10 bucks for it." Well, he says, "OK," when I know it's worth a thousand bucks. What have I just done? I've stolen from him. I've committed theft. I've defrauded him. Now, listen very carefully. I made the statement that husbands and wives are great thieves also, many times without intending to be and without knowing it, but let me show you what I'm talking about. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 7 and let's begin reading there with verse 1. 1 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1. Now watch carefully. God says, "Now concerning the things whereof ye

wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman." Now that doesn't mean I couldn't shake hands with Effie or hug Lorraine. What it does mean though is I cannot touch them lustfully or covetously. Because He goes on to explain that. He said in verse 2, "Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband." Now watch verse 3. "Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence"—that is, he's to take care of her needs—"and likewise also the wife unto the husband." She's to take care of his needs. Watch verse 4. "The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife."

Skip down to verse 5. "Defraud ye not one the other"—there's theft. "Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency." All right. So notice if you would go back to verse 3: the husband is to render to the wife due benevolence and likewise the wife to the husband. And then he says in verse 4, "The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband." In other words, if the husband needs the wife, the husband has the power over the wife's body. "Well, I have a headache." "I'm sorry, honey. I have power over your body." Well, the wife also has power over the husband. "Well, I need you, but I had a hard day at work. I'm tired. I'm sorry." You understand something: marriage is more than a covenant. It is a ministry. You minister to the needs of your spouse. That is exactly what he's saying. And when people then therefore try to manipulate and when they try to withhold themselves, when they try to leverage and when they try to use anger and resentment, God says it is theft. And when you look at verse 5 when he says, "Defraud ye not one the

other," in the Greek it is a present active imperative, which means it is a command. It is not a suggestion. And so God is saying, "Look, this is not based merely upon feelings. It's not based upon emotions. This is based upon a command, plain and simple." And if husbands and wives understood this, it would save an awful lot of heartaches, headaches, fusses, fightings, and possibly some marriages as well.

Various Forms of Theft: Time, Property, and Government

Stealing time through lateness, misusing private property, eminent domain, and property tax are all forms of theft. Property tax is unbiblical because the earth is the Lord's.

Now, I want to point one other thing out. The word "defraud." The Greek word actually means to defraud, to keep back, to rob, to despoil, and to keep back by fraud. That's why I said earlier that husbands and wives are guilty of violating the Eighth Commandment without even blinking an eye. Neither they comprehend or understand that their actions and their attitudes constitute theft under the Eighth Commandment. Now let me go ahead. I'm still talking about violating the Eighth Commandment, "thou shalt not steal." There are numerous ways to steal. So Steve and I need to take care of some business and so I tell Steve, "I will meet you tomorrow on Main Street in front of such-and-such store at 10 a.m. and we'll take care of this." Fine, he agrees. And I'm there at 10 a.m.

and he doesn't show up until 10:30. He has just stolen 30 minutes of my time. Now I understand if the providence of God hinders him, I understand that there was a flat tire. I understand that the motor blows up. I understand if he falls down and breaks a leg or breaks an arm. That's no big deal. But you know, most of the time when we are late, it's because of poor planning or just a lack of consideration. Alice can tell you and I basically live by this principle all my life. I guess I was taught it as a boy because my dad was very punctual. But I've always said, "If you're not 15 minutes early, you're late." That's just all there is to it. And at Front Sight they have a saying, "If you can't be on time, be early." You know, be early. And that's true, but this is a way that we begin to steal from each other.

We don't even think about it. We just, "Well, he'll just have to wait for me." Really? Why don't you call him and say, "I'm gonna be running late. Is there something else you can do?" You know, whatever. So don't steal the time. Here's another way: the misuse and abuse of private property is also theft. And it doesn't just have to be rental property. You know, every time I ever tried to rent a house to help someone, I always lost. And unhappily on one occasion it was a preacher. The only way people can rent property today is they have to almost be there and stay on top of it every week. If not, people are going to destroy your property and they're going to beat you out of the rent. And this is theft. I've seen pictures of places where renters left.

They'd rip the commode out. They'd rip the sink out. They'd tear the kitchen up just to get back at the owner. That's theft. That is theft. Vandalism as well, but it's theft. I knew a preacher, he's now dead, but I want you to think about this. This preacher trained his preacher boys and they were considered fundamentalist and Bible believers. But he trained his preacher boys to go into, for instance, a Roman Catholic church or a liberal church, to go into those churches and literally take over the pulpit or push someone aside or stand up and speak loudly and preach the gospel.

Now you had to be bold and brazen to do that. But it was also theft. That was their property. That was their meeting. That was their time. That was their people.

Now, I'm sorry if someone believes a false gospel. I'm sorry if somebody does not believe the Bible, but I'm not going to go in and steal their property and steal their time just simply to proclaim the gospel. You can never do wrong in order to get a chance to do what's right. So anytime you abuse or misuse private property, it is theft. Eminent domain is governmental theft. Eminent domain means the government can come along and take your property for what they are deeming the public good. And government has stolen property and sold it to private enterprises. There's not any public good. And usually when they come along with eminent domain, they either steal it or offer you a ridiculously low price. And you say, "I'm not going to take this. I'm gonna fight it in court." Yes, you can. And it costs you 10 times as much to fight it, and then you usually end up losing. But it's theft, pure and simple.

Now, when you talk about theft, you have to ask yourself this question. Does it just apply to individuals? Does it not apply to families, churches, societies, governments? And the answer is yes. When God says, "Thou shalt not steal," He does not exempt the government. He does not exempt political leaders. He does not exempt churches or societies. And governments and rulers can steal in many, many ways. Occasionally they will use force.

for eminent domain or confiscation of goods or literally they will do so under the threat of imprisonment or death. And most of the time all of this is covered under the guise of legality. Now let me give you an illustration. This is the one that just tears me apart every time I think about it. Property tax. Property tax is just as unbiblical and ungodly as it can be and it is a form of theft. When you stop and think, if you pay $2,500 in property tax, probably $1,500 or $1,800 goes to support the public school, government school. I had four children. None of my children ever went to a day of public school in their entire lives. It is not my responsibility to support somebody else's children. If they want them to go to a public school, that's their choice. If they want them to go to a private school or a Christian school, that's their choice, but it's not my responsibility to support somebody else's children. Now, let me just point something out when we talk about property tax.

Do you understand the ramifications? Suppose I said to Francis, "I really like your car. You have a nice car. And so what I want you to do this coming week, I want you to pay me 500 bucks tax because you have such a nice car." Now, wait a minute. How can I tax something that I don't even own? You follow me? Do you know what the Bible says in Psalm 24 and verse 1?

"The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." And when you get to Psalm 50 verse 12, God said, "If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof." In Psalm 89 verse 11, "The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them." And when you get to 1 Corinthians 10 verse 26, "For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof." And when you get to 1 Corinthians 10 verse 28, He says it again, "For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof." So for a state to come along and say, "We're going to tax your property," what they're doing is saying this: "We're God, we own the world, we own the land, we own the property, we've stolen it from the sovereign God of heaven and earth, you pay us the tax." You know what God said in Leviticus 25 verse 23? He said,

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 25:23

"The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine."

So the ramifications of the property tax theologically are horrendous because they are stealing that which belongs to God. Now let me give a final thought in closing.

Inflation as Theft and Conclusion

Inflation is a hidden tax that steals purchasing power. The Federal Reserve creates money out of thin air, devaluing currency. The positive promise of the commandment is deferred to next week.

There are so many ways to steal. Have you ever stopped to think that inflation is theft? Inflation is the hidden or the unseen tax. And if you want to really be surprised, go to your computer and type in the words "inflation calculator." And then you can calculate from any year that you want to the inflation rate up until at least last year. And I did it for 1963. Alice and I were married in 1963. And when we were married, I tell people, "Man, I was in the money."

I started out a job at 65 bucks a week. You say, "That's not much money." Oh, you don't know. Jack Roper, who was a motorcycle cop for the city of Thomasville, had worked for them for 10 years, and he was only making 60 bucks a week at the time. As an 18 year old, I started out at 65 bucks a week. Then I got a $5 a week raise every quarter. So, yeah, that was a lot of money. I'll show you how much money it was. Because I would give Alice ten bucks a week to buy our groceries for a week and I would kind of—hmm—say something if she didn't bring two

or three of it back. Do you realize? She would buy milk and bread and eggs and meat and vegetables and the two of us could eat all week long on six or seven bucks. I bet you remember something like that. And today you can't even walk out of a grocery store with three or four bags of groceries in your hands without spending 200 bucks. Do you know why? You say, "Well, it's inflation. Prices go up." Why do prices go up? Because the value of your money continues to go down and it requires more and more money to buy the same product. The rise in prices just is indicative of the worthlessness of the money. Listen to this. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index, prices in 2018 are 721 times higher than the average prices throughout 1963. In other words, $1,000 in 1963 is equivalent in purchasing power to $8,206.11 in 2018, a difference of $7,206.11 over 55 years. So it takes over $8,000 to buy what $1,000 did in 1963.

The truth is this: the Federal Reserve and the Federal Reserve Banks are thieves. You see, the more money they print, the more worthless is that which you have. It continues to go down in value. And did you know that money, their money, is created out of thin air? Did you know if you went to the bank and you said, "I need $10,000. I need to borrow $10,000," and the banker said, "Well, I know you and yeah, you've been in here before, you're our customer. You've got plenty of collateral. Yeah, I'll lend you $10,000. I'll put that in your account. Sign right here." There's no money put in your account. Electronic digits are added to your account. Money is created out of thin air. When the Federal Reserve prints it, it's created out of thin air. There's nothing backing it.

If you and I held to a strictly biblical money system or a constitutional money system, it'd be silver and gold. Every time you give a $100 bill to some of these little cashiers, they'll hold it up to the light. They want to make sure that little strip is in there. And every time they hold it up to the light, I say, "It's fake. The government prints it." If it was real it'd be silver and gold. Let me just show you something. Some of us remember a $20 gold piece. A $20 gold piece from 1932 would purchase 482 gallons of gas, 427 gallons of milk, 675 dozen eggs, and 2,700 first-class stamps. A $20 Federal Reserve note today, and this is pushing it, would buy seven gallons of gas, 6.3 gallons of milk, 10 dozen eggs, and 40 first-class stamps. But here's the kicker. In 1932, you could take a $20 Federal Reserve note that says "this is redeemable in gold or silver." You could take it to the bank and get a $20 gold piece.

Or you could take a $20 gold piece and get a paper $20 Federal Reserve note. Today, of course, you can't do that. There's no gold backing anything. There's no silver backing anything. So if you had a $20 gold piece, instead of a $20 Federal Reserve note, look what you could buy. So here's the question. Who stole your wealth? Who stole your gas? Who stole your milk? Who stole your eggs? Who stole your postage stamps? You follow me?

In other words, all of that purchasing power is gone. Because we do not have money. And we have rampant inflation because the paper is absolutely worthless. And the only thing that is keeping the paper in circulation today is some people think that it is still money. And it's worthless. It's worthless. There are multitudes of ways to steal and we are stolen from every day without even thinking about it. And oftentimes we steal from others without even thinking about it. And God says, "Thou shalt not steal."

You say, "Well, what is the positive of the second commandment? And what is the positive of the eighth commandment? And what is the promise in the eighth commandment?" Well, you'll just have to be here next Sunday to find out. But until then, thou shalt not steal. Father, thank you for your love. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your mercy. Thank you for your word and truth.

Teach us thy law and teach us, Lord, to be holy and righteous and godly. In thy name we pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Expansive Definition of Theft

Summary: Theft includes not only direct robbery but also legal plunder, fraud, withholding wages, dishonest measures, marital defrauding, time theft, property abuse, and inflation.

Evidence: Pastor Weaver states, 'Thou shalt not steal covers a multitude of sins, some of which are not thought of very readily.' He then lists numerous examples throughout the sermon.

Legal Plunder and Socialism

Summary: Socialism and government redistribution are forms of legal plunder, which is still theft. Bastiat's analysis shows that many modern policies constitute legalized theft.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Bastiat: 'Legal plunder can be committed in an infinite number of ways... All these plans as a whole, with their common aim of legal plunder, constitute socialism.'

The Laborer is Worthy of His Hire

Summary: The biblical principle from Deuteronomy 25:4, applied in the New Testament, is that depriving a worker of just compensation is theft.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'If that ox is doing the work, then that ox needs to be able to have the reward of his work... the laborer is worthy of his hire.'

Theft in Personal Relationships

Summary: Withholding honor, love, or marital due benevolence is a form of theft according to Romans 13 and 1 Corinthians 7.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'If I fail to love my wife, which God has commanded me, it's theft.' And regarding marital relations, 'Defraud ye not one the other... it is a command.'

Governmental Theft

Summary: Eminent domain, property tax, and inflation are forms of governmental theft. Property tax is particularly unbiblical because the earth belongs to God.

Evidence: Weaver argues, 'Property tax is just as unbiblical and ungodly as it can be and it is a form of theft... The earth is the LORD's.'

Inflation as Hidden Theft

Summary: Inflation erodes purchasing power and is a hidden tax. The Federal Reserve's creation of money out of thin air devalues currency and steals wealth.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Inflation is theft? Inflation is the hidden or the unseen tax... the Federal Reserve and the Federal Reserve Banks are thieves.'

Key Arguments

Theft is not limited to forceful taking

Summary: The Eighth Commandment covers a wide range of actions beyond physical robbery, including legal and indirect means of taking what belongs to another.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Simply because someone has never robbed a bank... does not mean that that individual is not a thief.'

Socialism is legal plunder

Summary: Bastiat's definition shows that socialism is a system of legal plunder, and many government policies today fit this description.

Evidence: Weaver reads Bastiat: 'All these plans as a whole, with their common aim of legal plunder, constitute socialism.'

Withholding wages is theft

Summary: Biblical case law and New Testament teaching establish that failing to pay a worker promptly is theft that cries out to God.

Evidence: Weaver cites Deuteronomy 24:15 and James 5:4, concluding, 'If you defraud a man of his hire, it is theft.'

Marital defrauding is theft

Summary: 1 Corinthians 7 commands spouses not to defraud one another of due benevolence, making such withholding a violation of the Eighth Commandment.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'Defraud ye not one the other... in the Greek it is a present active imperative, which means it is a command.'

Property tax is unbiblical theft

Summary: Since the earth is the Lord's, taxing property is a claim of ownership over what belongs to God, and thus is theft.

Evidence: Weaver argues, 'For a state to come along and say, We're going to tax your property, what they're doing is saying... We've stolen it from the sovereign God.'

Inflation steals wealth

Summary: The Federal Reserve's creation of fiat money causes inflation, which erodes purchasing power and constitutes theft of people's wealth.

Evidence: Weaver demonstrates with a comparison of a $20 gold piece versus a $20 Federal Reserve note, asking, 'Who stole your wealth?'

Scripture References

Deuteronomy 5:19

Context: The Eighth Commandment: 'Neither shalt thou steal.'

Exodus 20:15

Context: The Eighth Commandment as given in Exodus: 'Thou shalt not steal.'

Deuteronomy 25:4

Context: Case law: 'Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn,' establishing the principle that the laborer is worthy of his hire.

1 Corinthians 9:7-10

Context: Paul applies the ox law to argue that ministers deserve material support; the law was written for our sakes.

1 Timothy 5:17-18

Context: Elders who rule well are worthy of double honor (double pay), quoting the ox law and 'the labourer is worthy of his reward.'

Luke 10:5-7

Context: Jesus instructs disciples to eat what is provided, for 'the labourer is worthy of his hire.'

Deuteronomy 24:14-15

Context: Command not to oppress a hired servant; wages must be paid before sunset lest the worker cry to the Lord.

James 5:4

Context: The withheld wages of laborers cry out to the Lord of Sabaoth; defrauding workers is condemned.

Leviticus 19:35-37

Context: Command to have just balances, weights, and measures; doing unrighteousness in judgment is forbidden.

Deuteronomy 25:13-16

Context: Prohibition against having diverse weights and measures; those who do unrighteously are an abomination.

Romans 13:7-10

Context: Render to all their dues; owe no man anything but love; love fulfills the law, which includes 'Thou shalt not steal.'

1 Corinthians 7:1-5

Context: Husbands and wives are not to defraud one another of due benevolence; doing so is theft.

Psalm 24:1

Context: 'The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof,' used to argue that property tax is theft from God.

Psalm 50:12

Context: God says, 'the world is mine, and the fulness thereof,' reinforcing His ownership of all things.

Psalm 89:11

Context: 'The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine,' further supporting God's ownership.

1 Corinthians 10:26

Context: 'For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof,' quoted to emphasize divine ownership.

1 Corinthians 10:28

Context: Repeats 'the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof' for emphasis.

Leviticus 25:23

Context: 'The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine,' indicating God's ultimate ownership of land.

Historical References

Rushdoony's Institutes of Biblical Law

Context: Weaver quotes Rushdoony's categorization of theft: simple theft, complex but direct theft, and indirect legal theft.

Frédéric Bastiat and his book 'The Law'

Context: Bastiat, a French economist (1801-1850), wrote against socialism and defined legal plunder; Weaver reads extended passages.

Mr. de Montalembert

Context: A Frenchman mentioned by Bastiat who desired to fight socialism by law, but Bastiat argues this is a vicious cycle.

Representative Alcee Hastings

Context: Quoted as saying about the House: 'There are no rules here. We make them up as we go.'

President Trump's statement on socialism

Context: Weaver references Trump saying the nation will never become socialist, but argues it already is.

Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index

Context: Used to show that prices in 2018 are 721 times higher than in 1963, illustrating inflation's effect.

$20 gold piece vs. Federal Reserve note (1932)

Context: Comparison of purchasing power between a $20 gold piece and a $20 Federal Reserve note to demonstrate theft through inflation.

Important Quotes

Socialism is theft. Communism is theft. Confiscation of private property is theft.

Significance: Establishes the broad principle that political and economic systems can be forms of theft, not just individual actions.

The question of legal plunder must be settled once and for all and there are only three ways to settle it. Number one, the few plunder the many. Number two, everybody plunders everybody. Number three, nobody plunders anybody.

Significance: Presents the only possible societal choices regarding plunder, with the third being the biblical ideal.

If that ox is doing the work, then that ox needs to be able to have the reward of his work. Let him eat the corn that falls on the floor. That brings us to this principle: the laborer is worthy of his hire.

Significance: Distills the biblical case law into a clear principle that undergirds much of the sermon's application.

Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

Significance: Direct biblical command showing that marital defrauding is a form of theft, with serious spiritual consequences.

The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Significance: Foundational verse for the argument that property tax is theft because it usurps God's ownership.

Inflation is theft? Inflation is the hidden or the unseen tax.

Significance: Identifies inflation as a subtle but pervasive form of theft that affects everyone.

The Federal Reserve and the Federal Reserve Banks are thieves.

Significance: Direct accusation that the central banking system engages in theft through monetary policy.

Discussion Questions

In what ways might we be guilty of theft without realizing it, according to the broad definition presented in this sermon?

Context: Weaver argues that theft includes many actions beyond physical robbery, such as withholding honor, love, or time.

How does Bastiat's concept of legal plunder challenge common views of government welfare and taxation?

Context: Bastiat lists policies like progressive taxation and public schools as forms of legal plunder, which Weaver applies to modern America.

What does the principle 'the laborer is worthy of his hire' require of employers and employees today?

Context: Weaver uses Deuteronomy 25:4 and New Testament passages to argue that prompt and fair payment is a moral obligation.

How should Christians respond to the claim that property tax is unbiblical theft?

Context: Weaver argues that since the earth is the Lord's, taxing property is a usurpation of God's ownership.

In what ways does inflation function as a hidden tax, and how should believers think about monetary policy?

Context: Weaver explains that inflation erodes purchasing power and that the Federal Reserve creates money out of thin air, stealing wealth.

How does the command not to defraud one another apply to the marriage relationship, and what practical steps can couples take to obey it?

Context: 1 Corinthians 7:5 is cited as a command against marital defrauding, with Weaver emphasizing it is not based on feelings.

What are some everyday ways we might steal time from others, and how can we cultivate greater punctuality and consideration?

Context: Weaver mentions lateness as a form of stealing time, advocating being early as a principle.

Applications

Examine personal practices for hidden theft

Summary: Believers should evaluate whether they are guilty of theft through withholding wages, dishonest measures, time theft, or defrauding others in relationships.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'There are multitudes of ways to steal and we are stolen from every day without even thinking about it. And oftentimes we steal from others without even thinking about it.'

Pay workers promptly and fairly

Summary: Employers must pay wages when due, as delaying payment is theft that cries out to God.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'If you defraud a man of his hire, it is theft... At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it.'

Honor marital obligations

Summary: Husbands and wives must not defraud one another of due benevolence, recognizing that such withholding is a violation of the Eighth Commandment.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Defraud ye not one the other... it is a command. It is not a suggestion.'

Be punctual and respect others' time

Summary: Lateness without legitimate cause is a form of stealing time; believers should strive to be early and considerate.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'If you're not 15 minutes early, you're late... this is a way that we begin to steal from each other.'

Oppose legal plunder and socialism

Summary: Christians should recognize and resist governmental policies that constitute legal plunder, such as eminent domain and property tax.

Evidence: Weaver argues, 'Eminent domain is governmental theft... Property tax is just as unbiblical and ungodly as it can be and it is a form of theft.'

Understand inflation as theft

Summary: Believers should be aware that inflation erodes wealth and that fiat currency systems are inherently thieving, prompting wise stewardship.

Evidence: Weaver demonstrates the loss of purchasing power and says, 'the Federal Reserve and the Federal Reserve Banks are thieves.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T18:17:24Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T10:39:35Z

Clean Transcript

Promises Of The Law - Part 17

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Deuteronomy 5, verse 19. We are on number 17 of the promises of the law. Today we're dealing with the eighth commandment. So if you look in Deuteronomy 5 and verse 19, it simply says, "Neither shalt thou steal." So if you were to look in Exodus chapter 20, you would find it saying, "Thou shalt not steal." So whenever you think of stealing, you think of theft. And everyone knows what theft is, or at least they think they do. "Thou shalt not steal" covers a multitude of sins, some of which are not thought of very readily. Theft has implications toward God, man, banks, and government.
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Simply because someone has never robbed a bank or stuck a gun in someone's face and demanded money does not mean that that individual is not a thief. Because obviously there are a multitude of ways to steal. May I point out the fact that there may be a difference between illegal plunder and legal plunder, but plunder is still theft. Socialism is theft. Communism is theft. Confiscation of private property is theft. And any and every individual and institution and government that violates the Eighth Commandment is a thief, no matter what they say or how they do it. If we try to limit our understanding of "thou shalt not steal" to a forceful taking of that which doesn't belong to us, then our understanding of this Eighth Commandment is no better than the Pharisees. Because the Pharisees limited everything to the physical. And just simply because they did not stick a sword in someone's face and demand money, therefore they thought that they were not thieves. But you are going to see that "thou shalt not steal" covers a multitude of things.
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Now Rushdoony in his book on the Institutes of Biblical Law makes this statement on page 452, and let me just read it, one short paragraph. He says, "Theft can be accomplished in a number of ways. First, simple theft: the thief robs the victim directly." So that's me sticking a gun in your face and saying, "Give me your money." Second, he says, "In complex but still direct theft, the thief robs the victim as part of a group of thieves. In such a case a man may not be directly involved in the act of theft, but he is a party to it all the same, a knowing party in the corporate group of thieves." So if I had all of you acting as my thieves and I gave you orders to go rob somebody or steal from someone, although I'm not doing it, I'm still a thief. Because I'm cooperating with you, and I'm giving orders. This is what he's talking about here. Then he says, "Third, theft can be accomplished by indirect and legal means"—hmm—"that is, by the passing of law which steals from the rich and the poor or the middle classes for the benefit of a peculiar or particular group."
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The state then becomes the agency whereby theft is accomplished and a pseudo-moral cover is given by a legal enactment. Now, I mentioned the fact that there is a difference between legal plunder and illegal plunder. There is a book, it is a very small book, but I would encourage you to get it and read it. The title of the book is "The Law." It was written by Frédéric Bastiat, who is a French economist, a statesman, and author.
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He lived in 1801 and died in 1850. Most of his writing was before the French Revolution, a little during and afterwards as well, until he died, because he was fighting socialism. And he explained in this book how socialism inevitably is going to degenerate into communism. So I want to take the time just to read you a couple of passages. And as I read these passages, I want you to think of country—not France—I want you to think of our Congress and not the French government. So he asks, or he states in this book, how to identify legal plunder. He asks, "But how is this legal plunder to be identified?"
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Quite simply: See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them and it gives to other persons to whom it does not belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime. Then abolish this law without delay, for it is not only an evil in itself, but it is also a fertile source for further evils, because it invites reprisals. If such a law, which may be an isolated case, is not abolished immediately, it will spread, multiply, and develop into a system. The person who profits from this law will complain bitterly, defending his acquired rights.
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He will claim that the state is obligated to protect and encourage his particular industry, that this procedure enriches the state because the protected industry is thus able to spend more and pay higher wages to poor working men. Do not listen to this sophistry by vested interest. The acceptance of these arguments will build legal plunder into a whole system. In fact, this has already occurred. The present day delusion is an attempt to enrich everyone at the expense of everyone else, to make plunder universal under the pretense of organizing it.
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Hang on for this one. Legal plunder has many names. He continues, "Now legal plunder can be committed in an infinite number of ways. Thus we have an infinite number of plans for organizing it—this legal plunder: tariffs, protection, benefits, subsidies, encouragements, progressive taxation, public schools, guaranteed jobs, guaranteed profits, minimum wages, a right to relief"—or welfare as we would say—"a right to the tools of labor, free credit, and so on and so on. All these plans as a whole, with their common aim of legal plunder, constitute socialism."
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Now since under this definition socialism is a body of doctrine, what attack can be made against it other than a war of doctrine? If you find this socialistic doctrine to be false, absurd, and evil, then refute it. And the more false, the more absurd, and the more evil it is, the easier it is to refute. Above all, if you wish to be strong, begin by rooting out every particle of socialism that may have crept into your legislation.
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This will be no light task." He continues, "'Socialism' is legal plunder. Here's another Frenchman. Mr. de Montalembert has been accused of desiring to fight socialism by the use of brute force. He ought to be exonerated from this accusation where he's plainly said the war that we fight must be fought against socialism and it must be in harmony with law, honor, and justice. Now listen to this. But why does Mr. de Montalembert see that he has placed himself in a vicious cycle? In other words, why does he not see this? You would use the law to oppose socialism, but it is upon the law that socialism itself relies. Socialists desire to practice legal plunder, not illegal plunder. Socialists, like all other monopolists, desire to make the law their own weapon. And when once the law is on the side of socialism, how can it then be used against socialism? For when plunder is abetted by the law, it does not fear your courts, your police, or your prisons.
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Rather, it may call upon them for help. To prevent this, you would exclude socialism from entering into the making of laws. You would prevent socialists from entering into the legislative palace. You shall not succeed, I predict, so long as legal plunder continues to be the main business of the legislature. It is illogical, in fact, absurd to assume otherwise." Let me go back, let me just change one word here. He says, "You shall not succeed, I predict, so long as legal plunder continues to be the main business of Congress." Same thing. Then he says there is a choice before us. The question of legal plunder must be settled once and for all and there are only three ways to settle it. Number one, the few plunder the many. Number two, everybody plunders everybody. Number three, nobody plunders anybody. We must make our choice among limited plunder, universal plunder, or no plunder. The law can follow only one of these three. Limited legal plunder: this system prevailed when the right to vote was restricted. One would turn back to this system to prevent the invasion of socialism.
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Universal legal plunder: We have been threatened with this system since the franchise was made universal. The newly enfranchised majorities decided to formulate the law on the same principle of legal plunder that was used by their predecessors when the vote was limited. No legal plunder: This is the principle of justice, peace, order, stability, harmony, and logic. Until the day of my death, I shall proclaim this principle with all the force of my lungs, which alas, is all too inadequate. So when you stop and think about legal plunder, you only have the three choices: the few plunder the many, everybody plunders everybody, or nobody plunders anybody.
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Now, if you understand that which Mr. Bastiat wrote, you will also understand that we are already deeply entrenched in socialism in our country. And when President Trump made the statement that this nation will never become a socialist nation, he did not know whereof he spoke. We are already a socialist nation. Most folks just simply do not realize it yet.
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Now, most people have no idea how government is supposed to work, nor do they have any idea how government actually works as well. And there is a big difference then between what you and I would call a constitutional republic, which is supposed to be a republic that is ruled by law, and by a Congress that just simply makes up rules as they go. May I remind you it was Representative Alcee Hastings of Florida who said concerning the House, quote, "There are no rules here."
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We make them up as we go. Now, if that is absolutely true, and of course it is the reality in this day and time, it means then that our country, our Constitution, our liberty, and our freedoms have all been stolen from us. There is no law. Congress is not bound by anything, and therefore it would be a simple, tyrannical, despotic, totalitarian body doing as it pleases with no restraints of any kind whatsoever. Now what I want to do today is I want to take the time to demonstrate to you the various kinds of theft that we commit all the time and do not think of it as theft. Now I'm not even going to be able to get to the positive aspect or the promise of this commandment until next week, because I'm going to show you today what theft is based upon the Word of God.
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When you talk about the Ten Commandments you have to understand something about case law in the Bible. When you talk about case law, first of all there is a broad principle. The Ten Commandments are basically broad principles. Now there are other principles in the Bible, but these Ten Commandments basically summarize all of the other principles. So you have this very broad principle, and then secondly, there's always a case law that will illustrate that very broad principle. And then once you have the case law and you see the broad principle, you see the case law.
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And now the third thing is there must be an application. So if I were to strike Gary with my fist and you were all witnesses, I just came up and knocked him upside the head. And Gary decided he's going to sue me because he had to go to the doctor. He had to go to the hospital. So he goes to an attorney and the attorney says, "Now, wait a minute. It's not right that he just walked up and hit you." Why? There's the case just like this.
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It was settled last week. I mean it was—it was Sharpless versus Price where Price just walked up and hit Sharpless and—listen, everything's basically the same and I'm gonna tell you what, since everything's basically the same and the court ruled for Price—wow—or the court ruled for Sharpless, whichever one, you know, was the defendant. It's probably going to work this way in your case. We'll take this case and we'll win this case.
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So what they did, they took a broad principle: you shall not act unjustly or do any unjust violence. Then they took a specific case and then the attorney made an application. So that is exactly the way it is in the Bible. So you have this broad principle, "thou shalt not steal." Now what is the case law for "thou shalt not steal"? Look in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 25 and verse 4. I'm going to show you one of the case laws for "thou shalt not steal." Look if you would, Deuteronomy 25 and verse 4. It is a very simple verse, God says, "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn."
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Now, when we read a verse like that, we kind of smile because we think oxen have nothing to do with our society. And obviously we do not grind out our corn by use of an ox. Well, let me put it like this. Circumstances may change, but principles do not change. The principle is still with us today. It is true. We no longer use oxen and we no longer grind our corn out with them. But the principle is still here. So in Bible times what happened: you had these two huge stones that turn to grind out the corn. Well there was a pole that extended from them and the oxen then was harnessed to that pole and the oxen walked round and round and as he walked round and round, he then moved those stones and the owners would pour their corn on the stones and the stones would grind the corn and meal would come out. Well occasionally, some of that corn would fall to the floor and the ox then would stop and get a mouthful of corn and keep going. And so that would happen maybe
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a couple times an hour and the owners would get to thinking, "Ah, we can make more money if we muzzle that ox. He won't eat that corn and therefore we'll sweep it up and we'll put it back in the wheels and we'll have more meal and therefore we can make more money." And God says, "No, thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn." The principle that God is saying is this.
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If that ox is doing the work, then that ox needs to be able to have the reward of his work. Let him eat the corn that falls on the floor. That brings us to this principle: the laborer is worthy of his hire.
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Now, I don't know if you understand this or not, but this passage, "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn" in the Old Testament, is quoted twice in the New Testament. So if you look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 9, we'll begin there with verse 7. You'll see how this principle is used, first of all, by Paul to the Corinthians. Notice 1 Corinthians chapter 9, beginning there with verse 7. 1 Corinthians 9 and verse 7. He asks these questions.
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"Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges?" Well, no one. I mean, if you're in the army, you get paid and they buy your equipment. They do everything. You don't go at your own charges. "Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof?" Well, if you plant a grapevine, you get to eat the grapes. Is that simple? Then he says, "Or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?" So if I've got cows, if I want to milk them, if I've got goats, I want to milk them. Fine. Then he asks in verse 8, "Say I these things as a man? or saith not the
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law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn." Now watch: "Doth God take care for oxen?" Well, of course he does, but he did not write that for the oxen's sake. Verse 10, "Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope."
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And in other words, the laborer is worthy of his reward and he gets to reap that which he has sown and he gets the benefits of his work. Now, God does take care for oxen, that is for sure, but He did not say, "Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn" for the oxen's sake. He said, "For our sake." So, if you will turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy chapter 5, 1 Timothy chapter 5. You'll see it again. 1 Timothy chapter 5 and notice if you would please verses 17 and 18. 1 Timothy chapter 5 verse 17. Look what he says: "Let the elders"—or the pastors—"that rule well be counted worthy of double honor." Now,
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wait a minute. What does he mean when he talks about ruling? Well, here's what he means: that the elders that rule will be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and in doctrine. In other words, there are men who actually study and they not only study, they teach. So he says, "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward." Now, when he says in verse 17, "Let the elders"—or the pastors—"that rule well be counted worthy of double honor," that doesn't mean that you say to them, "Yes sir, yes sir," or "Pastor, pastor." The double honor there refers to the double pay is what it means. In other words, the man who actually works, the man who actually does something, the man who actually provides is the man who is worthy of the double honor.
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Now, I'm not as old as some of you in here and older than a lot of you, but here's something I discovered a long, long time ago. It's easier to pay a higher price to a man who knows what he is doing than to hire four men at a cheaper price who have no idea what they're doing. You understand that? You know, I know men who run bulldozers and backhoes and things like that. And "Oh, yeah. How much?"
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"A hundred bucks an hour." "Oh, man, I can get this guy over here for 20 bucks an hour." Yeah, you can, you know, take him three days to do what the one man could do in six or seven hours. So I'm just simply saying, here's a principle. The laborer is worthy of his hire. It's just that simple.
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Now, turn in your Bibles to the book of Luke chapter 10. Luke chapter 10. And notice, if you would please, verses 5 through 7. Luke 10, beginning there with verse 5. Luke 10, verse 5. Look what our Lord tells His disciples. He's sending them out on missions. And He says this: "And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house." Now, what does that mean?
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Let me explain it like this. When I'm away preaching, I stay in a home and I have done that many, many times. And when I stay in a home, it's the host and the hostess then that usually provides most of my meals, not always all of the time, but most of the time. So that means whatever they set in front of me, I'm free to eat and as much as I want, because that would be part of the reward of my labor for teaching and preaching. Now, I'm not free to ask them for something that they don't have or for something that they do not provide, but if they put a big bowl of butter beans in front of me or peas or okra, I can take all of it I want.
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So that's exactly what He told His disciples. And the reason He said that is the laborer is worthy of his reward. Now, so here's the principle then behind "thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn." In other words, it is theft to deprive a man of the reward of his labor. Let me go a little bit further. Look in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 24. Deuteronomy 24. Deuteronomy 24 and look if you would please at verses 14 and 15. Deuteronomy 24 verses 14 and 15. And before I give you the principle here, I'm going to ask you to turn to another passage, but look in Deuteronomy 24 verse 14. He says, "Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates. At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he
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cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee." Now, look what God says. You're not to oppress him. You're to give him his hire when it is due. And if you don't, he's going to cry to the Lord, and it's going to be sin unto you.
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Now, look in your Bibles to the book of James chapter 5 and verse 4. James 5 and verse 4. In fact, when you look at James chapter 5, He is talking about these rich men who have defrauded the people that they hired. I'm not going to read the first three verses, you can read them. But verse 1 just says, "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you."
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And it's because of their corruption. But skip down to verse 4, look what he says, "Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud"—in other words, you didn't pay them—"crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth." So here's a principle. The principle is if you defraud a man of his hire, it is theft. So let me just
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put it to you very plainly. Let's suppose I say, "David, I need help. Would you come up and help me for two days?" And he said, "Yes, I'll be glad to do that." And I said, "Well, I can only afford to give you 100 bucks a day, plus your room and board." He said, "Well, I'll do that. That's fine." I said, "Well, if you'll do this, then I'll pay you on Friday." He says, "Wonderful." So he comes up and he helps me for a couple of days. Friday comes and he comes up to me and he asks for his money and I say, "David, I'm sorry.
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I was just so busy. It slipped my mind. I didn't have time to go to the bank. I didn't have time to do this or that or some excuse, etc. I tell you what I'll do. I'll pay you next Friday." What have I just done? I've stolen his money for a week. I've stolen the use of his money for a week. This is exactly what God is talking about. Have you ever noticed?
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Usually when banks and insurance companies and large corporations, when you have paid an overage, that is, you've paid more than you should have, or when they owe you money, it takes two to three months to get your money. Have you ever wondered about that? Why should it take 60 or 90 days for somebody to sit down and write a check? The answer is they're stealing the use of your money for that period of time. They're collecting interest on it. They're making money on it. It is theft.
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If they owe you they should pay you. Now there are different ways to steal. You can steal by defrauding someone. You can steal by not paying someone. But look in your Bibles to the book of Leviticus chapter 19. Leviticus chapter 19. And let's begin reading there with verse 35. We'll read several passages just to show you this principle. Leviticus chapter 19. And let's begin reading there with verse 35. We'll read through verse 37. Look what God says: "Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard"—that would be like measuring cloth. So if somebody buys 10 yards of material from you, you don't cheat them by giving them nine and a half. You give them ten yards. "Ye shall do no unrighteousness in meteyard, in weight, or in measure." That is, if you sell a bushel of wheat, supposed to be 56 pounds to the bushel, you should not have 54 or 53 or 52. It should be 56. God says in verse 36, "Just balances, just weights, a just ephah"—which was a measurement—"and a just hin"—which was a measure of liquid—"shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which
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brought you out of the land of Egypt. Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD."
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Now, turn in your Bibles if you would please to Deuteronomy chapter 25. Deuteronomy 25 and look if you would at verses 13-16. We are still on this same topic. Showing you a different way to be a thief. Deuteronomy chapter 25 beginning there verse 13. God says, "Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights"—that is, different weights—"a great and a small. Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures"—or different measures—"a great and a small. But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. For all that do such things"—that is, have these different weights and measures, those who cheat and defraud—"all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God." So what are you saying? Is this: if we defraud someone of something we owe them, then it is theft.
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Let me put it together for you. I want you to turn to Romans chapter 13. Romans 13. And look if you would beginning there with verse 7. Romans 13 verse 7. Watch carefully. Romans 13 verse 7. God says this: "Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear;"—what's this?—"honour to whom honour." Now wait a minute. Verse 8.
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"Owe no man any thing"—that is, you pay what you owe. You may owe honor, you may owe love, you may owe money. But he says, "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." Now watch verse 9 for this. He's explaining it: "Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." Now here's the principle: whatever is withheld from you that you worked for or that you deserve is a form of theft. God says we're to give honor to whom honor is due. So when a child, whether he's a little kid or a teenager or a grown man, when he dishonors his parents, it is not only a violation of the Fifth Commandment, it's a violation of the Eighth Commandment because he's stealing the honor that they deserve and merit because they are his parents.
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In other words, how about this? If I fail to love my wife, which God has commanded me, it's theft. Isn't that amazing? It's theft. If I owe money and refuse to pay it, it is theft. Whatever I owe, if I refuse to give it, it is theft. If I defraud you of that which is rightfully yours, it is theft. It is theft. Husbands and wives are very usually guilty of fraud.
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I'm going to show you that in just a moment. There are so many ways to steal. There's so many ways to defraud. So it's for instance: suppose you want to buy my automobile and I present this automobile to you as an excellent vehicle in running condition and it'll take you across this country and I know that the transmission is about to go. And I still sell it to you for a premium price. I've just stolen from you. I've just defrauded you. By the same token, if Gary came along and said, "Look at this shiny lump that I just found in my yard."
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And I say, "Oh, that's fool's gold." But yet I know it's real gold. And I said, "Tell you what I'll do. I'll give you 10 bucks for it." Well, he says, "OK," when I know it's worth a thousand bucks. What have I just done? I've stolen from him. I've committed theft. I've defrauded him. Now, listen very carefully. I made the statement that husbands and wives are great thieves also, many times without intending to be and without knowing it, but let me show you what I'm talking about. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 7 and let's begin reading there with verse 1. 1 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1. Now watch carefully. God says, "Now concerning the things whereof ye
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wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman." Now that doesn't mean I couldn't shake hands with Effie or hug Lorraine. What it does mean though is I cannot touch them lustfully or covetously. Because He goes on to explain that. He said in verse 2, "Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband." Now watch verse 3. "Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence"—that is, he's to take care of her needs—"and likewise also the wife unto the husband." She's to take care of his needs. Watch verse 4. "The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife."
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Skip down to verse 5. "Defraud ye not one the other"—there's theft. "Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency." All right. So notice if you would go back to verse 3: the husband is to render to the wife due benevolence and likewise the wife to the husband. And then he says in verse 4, "The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband." In other words, if the husband needs the wife, the husband has the power over the wife's body. "Well, I have a headache." "I'm sorry, honey. I have power over your body." Well, the wife also has power over the husband. "Well, I need you, but I had a hard day at work. I'm tired. I'm sorry." You understand something: marriage is more than a covenant. It is a ministry. You minister to the needs of your spouse. That is exactly what he's saying. And when people then therefore try to manipulate and when they try to withhold themselves, when they try to leverage and when they try to use anger and resentment, God says it is theft. And when you look at verse 5 when he says, "Defraud ye not one the
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other," in the Greek it is a present active imperative, which means it is a command. It is not a suggestion. And so God is saying, "Look, this is not based merely upon feelings. It's not based upon emotions. This is based upon a command, plain and simple." And if husbands and wives understood this, it would save an awful lot of heartaches, headaches, fusses, fightings, and possibly some marriages as well.
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Now, I want to point one other thing out. The word "defraud." The Greek word actually means to defraud, to keep back, to rob, to despoil, and to keep back by fraud. That's why I said earlier that husbands and wives are guilty of violating the Eighth Commandment without even blinking an eye. Neither they comprehend or understand that their actions and their attitudes constitute theft under the Eighth Commandment. Now let me go ahead. I'm still talking about violating the Eighth Commandment, "thou shalt not steal." There are numerous ways to steal. So Steve and I need to take care of some business and so I tell Steve, "I will meet you tomorrow on Main Street in front of such-and-such store at 10 a.m. and we'll take care of this." Fine, he agrees. And I'm there at 10 a.m.
#50 | 39:47 to 40:54 | cleaned
and he doesn't show up until 10:30. He has just stolen 30 minutes of my time. Now I understand if the providence of God hinders him, I understand that there was a flat tire. I understand that the motor blows up. I understand if he falls down and breaks a leg or breaks an arm. That's no big deal. But you know, most of the time when we are late, it's because of poor planning or just a lack of consideration. Alice can tell you and I basically live by this principle all my life. I guess I was taught it as a boy because my dad was very punctual. But I've always said, "If you're not 15 minutes early, you're late." That's just all there is to it. And at Front Sight they have a saying, "If you can't be on time, be early." You know, be early. And that's true, but this is a way that we begin to steal from each other.
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We don't even think about it. We just, "Well, he'll just have to wait for me." Really? Why don't you call him and say, "I'm gonna be running late. Is there something else you can do?" You know, whatever. So don't steal the time. Here's another way: the misuse and abuse of private property is also theft. And it doesn't just have to be rental property. You know, every time I ever tried to rent a house to help someone, I always lost. And unhappily on one occasion it was a preacher. The only way people can rent property today is they have to almost be there and stay on top of it every week. If not, people are going to destroy your property and they're going to beat you out of the rent. And this is theft. I've seen pictures of places where renters left.
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They'd rip the commode out. They'd rip the sink out. They'd tear the kitchen up just to get back at the owner. That's theft. That is theft. Vandalism as well, but it's theft. I knew a preacher, he's now dead, but I want you to think about this. This preacher trained his preacher boys and they were considered fundamentalist and Bible believers. But he trained his preacher boys to go into, for instance, a Roman Catholic church or a liberal church, to go into those churches and literally take over the pulpit or push someone aside or stand up and speak loudly and preach the gospel.
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Now you had to be bold and brazen to do that. But it was also theft. That was their property. That was their meeting. That was their time. That was their people.
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Now, I'm sorry if someone believes a false gospel. I'm sorry if somebody does not believe the Bible, but I'm not going to go in and steal their property and steal their time just simply to proclaim the gospel. You can never do wrong in order to get a chance to do what's right. So anytime you abuse or misuse private property, it is theft. Eminent domain is governmental theft. Eminent domain means the government can come along and take your property for what they are deeming the public good. And government has stolen property and sold it to private enterprises. There's not any public good. And usually when they come along with eminent domain, they either steal it or offer you a ridiculously low price. And you say, "I'm not going to take this. I'm gonna fight it in court." Yes, you can. And it costs you 10 times as much to fight it, and then you usually end up losing. But it's theft, pure and simple.
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Now, when you talk about theft, you have to ask yourself this question. Does it just apply to individuals? Does it not apply to families, churches, societies, governments? And the answer is yes. When God says, "Thou shalt not steal," He does not exempt the government. He does not exempt political leaders. He does not exempt churches or societies. And governments and rulers can steal in many, many ways. Occasionally they will use force.
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for eminent domain or confiscation of goods or literally they will do so under the threat of imprisonment or death. And most of the time all of this is covered under the guise of legality. Now let me give you an illustration. This is the one that just tears me apart every time I think about it. Property tax. Property tax is just as unbiblical and ungodly as it can be and it is a form of theft. When you stop and think, if you pay $2,500 in property tax, probably $1,500 or $1,800 goes to support the public school, government school. I had four children. None of my children ever went to a day of public school in their entire lives. It is not my responsibility to support somebody else's children. If they want them to go to a public school, that's their choice. If they want them to go to a private school or a Christian school, that's their choice, but it's not my responsibility to support somebody else's children. Now, let me just point something out when we talk about property tax.
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Do you understand the ramifications? Suppose I said to Francis, "I really like your car. You have a nice car. And so what I want you to do this coming week, I want you to pay me 500 bucks tax because you have such a nice car." Now, wait a minute. How can I tax something that I don't even own? You follow me? Do you know what the Bible says in Psalm 24 and verse 1?
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"The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." And when you get to Psalm 50 verse 12, God said, "If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof." In Psalm 89 verse 11, "The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them." And when you get to 1 Corinthians 10 verse 26, "For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof." And when you get to 1 Corinthians 10 verse 28, He says it again, "For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof."
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So for a state to come along and say, "We're going to tax your property," what they're doing is saying this: "We're God, we own the world, we own the land, we own the property, we've stolen it from the sovereign God of heaven and earth, you pay us the tax." You know what God said in Leviticus 25 verse 23? He said, "The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine." So the ramifications of the property tax theologically are horrendous because they are stealing that which belongs to God. Now let me give a final thought in closing.
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There are so many ways to steal. Have you ever stopped to think that inflation is theft? Inflation is the hidden or the unseen tax. And if you want to really be surprised, go to your computer and type in the words "inflation calculator." And then you can calculate from any year that you want to the inflation rate up until at least last year. And I did it for 1963. Alice and I were married in 1963. And when we were married, I tell people, "Man, I was in the money."
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I started out a job at 65 bucks a week. You say, "That's not much money." Oh, you don't know. Jack Roper, who was a motorcycle cop for the city of Thomasville, had worked for them for 10 years, and he was only making 60 bucks a week at the time. As an 18 year old, I started out at 65 bucks a week. Then I got a $5 a week raise every quarter. So, yeah, that was a lot of money. I'll show you how much money it was. Because I would give Alice ten bucks a week to buy our groceries for a week and I would kind of—hmm—say something if she didn't bring two
#62 | 50:26 to 51:10 | cleaned
or three of it back. Do you realize? She would buy milk and bread and eggs and meat and vegetables and the two of us could eat all week long on six or seven bucks. I bet you remember something like that. And today you can't even walk out of a grocery store with three or four bags of groceries in your hands without spending 200 bucks. Do you know why?
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You say, "Well, it's inflation. Prices go up." Why do prices go up? Because the value of your money continues to go down and it requires more and more money to buy the same product. The rise in prices just is indicative of the worthlessness of the money. Listen to this. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index, prices in 2018 are 721 times higher than the average prices throughout 1963. In other words, $1,000 in 1963 is equivalent in purchasing power to $8,206.11 in 2018, a difference of $7,206.11 over 55 years. So it takes over $8,000 to buy what $1,000 did in 1963.
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The truth is this: the Federal Reserve and the Federal Reserve Banks are thieves. You see, the more money they print, the more worthless is that which you have. It continues to go down in value. And did you know that money, their money, is created out of thin air? Did you know if you went to the bank and you said, "I need $10,000. I need to borrow $10,000," and the banker said, "Well, I know you and yeah, you've been in here before, you're our customer. You've got plenty of collateral. Yeah, I'll lend you $10,000. I'll put that in your account. Sign right here." There's no money put in your account. Electronic digits are added to your account. Money is created out of thin air. When the Federal Reserve prints it, it's created out of thin air. There's nothing backing it.
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If you and I held to a strictly biblical money system or a constitutional money system, it'd be silver and gold. Every time you give a $100 bill to some of these little cashiers, they'll hold it up to the light. They want to make sure that little strip is in there. And every time they hold it up to the light, I say, "It's fake. The government prints it." If it was real it'd be silver and gold. Let me just show you something. Some of us remember a $20 gold piece. A $20 gold piece from 1932 would purchase 482 gallons of gas, 427 gallons of milk, 675 dozen eggs, and 2,700 first-class stamps. A $20 Federal Reserve note today, and this is pushing it, would buy seven gallons of gas, 6.3 gallons of milk, 10 dozen eggs, and 40 first-class stamps. But here's the kicker. In 1932, you could take a $20 Federal Reserve note that says "this is redeemable in gold or silver." You could take it to the bank and get a $20 gold piece.
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Or you could take a $20 gold piece and get a paper $20 Federal Reserve note. Today, of course, you can't do that. There's no gold backing anything. There's no silver backing anything. So if you had a $20 gold piece, instead of a $20 Federal Reserve note, look what you could buy. So here's the question. Who stole your wealth? Who stole your gas? Who stole your milk? Who stole your eggs? Who stole your postage stamps? You follow me?
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In other words, all of that purchasing power is gone. Because we do not have money. And we have rampant inflation because the paper is absolutely worthless. And the only thing that is keeping the paper in circulation today is some people think that it is still money. And it's worthless. It's worthless. There are multitudes of ways to steal and we are stolen from every day without even thinking about it. And oftentimes we steal from others without even thinking about it. And God says, "Thou shalt not steal."
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You say, "Well, what is the positive of the second commandment? And what is the positive of the eighth commandment? And what is the promise in the eighth commandment?" Well, you'll just have to be here next Sunday to find out. But until then, thou shalt not steal. Father, thank you for your love. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your mercy. Thank you for your word and truth.
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Teach us thy law and teach us, Lord, to be holy and righteous and godly. In thy name we pray. Amen.
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♪ ♪
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T18:17:24Z

Promises Of The Law - Part 17

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver expounds the Eighth Commandment, 'Thou shalt not steal,' demonstrating that theft extends far beyond physical robbery to include legal plunder, fraud, withholding wages, dishonest measures, marital defrauding, time theft, property abuse, eminent domain, property tax, and inflation. He argues that socialism and government actions often constitute legalized theft, and that the principle behind the commandment is that the laborer is worthy of his hire. The positive aspect and promise of the commandment are deferred to the next sermon.

Introduction to the Eighth Commandment

The commandment 'Neither shalt thou steal' covers a multitude of sins beyond obvious theft, including implications toward God, man, banks, and government.

Deuteronomy 5, verse 19. We are on number 17 of the promises of the law. Today we're dealing with the eighth commandment. So if you look in Deuteronomy 5 and verse 19, it simply says,

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 5:19

"Neither shalt thou steal."

Legal Plunder as Theft

Socialism, communism, and confiscation are forms of theft, and legal plunder is still theft. The state can become an agency of theft through law.

Bastiat's Analysis of Legal Plunder

The Three Choices Regarding Plunder

Bastiat presents three options: the few plunder the many, everybody plunders everybody, or nobody plunders anybody. The last is the principle of justice.

America's Entrenchment in Socialism

The U.S. is already a socialist nation, and Congress operates without rules, leading to the theft of liberty and constitutional governance.

Biblical Case Law: The Muzzled Ox

Deuteronomy 25:4, 'Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn,' establishes the principle that the laborer is worthy of his hire, and depriving a worker of reward is theft.

New Testament Application of the Ox Principle

Paul quotes the ox law in 1 Corinthians 9 and 1 Timothy 5 to argue that ministers of the gospel deserve material support, and withholding wages is theft.

Now, I don't know if you understand this or not, but this passage,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 9:7-10

"Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn"

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 9:7-10

"Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges?"

Well, no one. I mean, if you're in the army, you get paid and they buy your equipment. They do everything. You don't go at your own charges.

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 9:7-10

"Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof?"

Well, if you plant a grapevine, you get to eat the grapes. Is that simple? Then he says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 9:7-10

"Or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?"

So if I've got cows, if I want to milk them, if I've got goats, I want to milk them. Fine. Then he asks in verse 8,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 9:7-10

"Say I these things as a man? or saith not the

Withholding Wages and Defrauding Workers

Deuteronomy 24 and James 5 condemn delaying or defrauding a laborer's wages as theft that cries out to God.

Scripture Reading — James 5:4

"Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud"

—in other words, you didn't pay them—

Scripture Reading — James 5:4

"crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth."

So here's a principle. The principle is if you defraud a man of his hire, it is theft. So let me just

Dishonest Weights and Measures

Leviticus 19 and Deuteronomy 25 command just balances and measures; cheating in commerce is an abomination and a form of theft.

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 19:35-37

"Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard"

—that would be like measuring cloth. So if somebody buys 10 yards of material from you, you don't cheat them by giving them nine and a half. You give them ten yards.

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 19:35-37

"Ye shall do no unrighteousness in meteyard, in weight, or in measure."

That is, if you sell a bushel of wheat, supposed to be 56 pounds to the bushel, you should not have 54 or 53 or 52. It should be 56. God says in verse 36,

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 19:35-37

"Just balances, just weights, a just ephah"

—which was a measurement—"and a just hin"—which was a measure of liquid—"shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 25:13-16

"Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights"—that is, different weights—"a great and a small. Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures"—or different measures—"a great and a small. But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. For all that do such things"—that is, have these different weights and measures, those who cheat and defraud—"all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God."

So what are you saying? Is this: if we defraud someone of something we owe them, then it is theft.

Theft in Relationships and Obligations

Romans 13:7-8 teaches that withholding honor, love, or money owed is theft. Marital defrauding (1 Corinthians 7) is specifically identified as theft.

Various Forms of Theft: Time, Property, and Government

Stealing time through lateness, misusing private property, eminent domain, and property tax are all forms of theft. Property tax is unbiblical because the earth is the Lord's.

Now you had to be bold and brazen to do that. But it was also theft. That was their property. That was their meeting. That was their time. That was their people.

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 25:23

"The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine."

So the ramifications of the property tax theologically are horrendous because they are stealing that which belongs to God. Now let me give a final thought in closing.

Inflation as Theft and Conclusion

Inflation is a hidden tax that steals purchasing power. The Federal Reserve creates money out of thin air, devaluing currency. The positive promise of the commandment is deferred to next week.

Teach us thy law and teach us, Lord, to be holy and righteous and godly. In thy name we pray. Amen.

Promises Of The Law - Part 17

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	6b_5rquH268
Subject	Biblical Law
Course	The Ten Commandments
Genre	Sermon
Date	2019-05-26
Dictation Name
Book	Book 005: Promises Of The Law — Chapter 17
Source Timed Segments	71

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction to the Eighth Commandment: The commandment 'Neither shalt thou steal' covers a multitude of sins beyond obvious theft, including implications toward God, man, banks, and government.
Legal Plunder as Theft: Socialism, communism, and confiscation are forms of theft, and legal plunder is still theft. The state can become an agency of theft through law.
Bastiat's Analysis of Legal Plunder: Frédéric Bastiat's book 'The Law' identifies legal plunder as taking from some to give to others, and outlines its many forms such as tariffs, subsidies, and progressive taxation, which constitute socialism.
The Three Choices Regarding Plunder: Bastiat presents three options: the few plunder the many, everybody plunders everybody, or nobody plunders anybody. The last is the principle of justice.
America's Entrenchment in Socialism: The U.S. is already a socialist nation, and Congress operates without rules, leading to the theft of liberty and constitutional governance.
Biblical Case Law: The Muzzled Ox: Deuteronomy 25:4, 'Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn,' establishes the principle that the laborer is worthy of his hire, and depriving a worker of reward is theft.
New Testament Application of the Ox Principle: Paul quotes the ox law in 1 Corinthians 9 and 1 Timothy 5 to argue that ministers of the gospel deserve material support, and withholding wages is theft.
Withholding Wages and Defrauding Workers: Deuteronomy 24 and James 5 condemn delaying or defrauding a laborer's wages as theft that cries out to God.
Dishonest Weights and Measures: Leviticus 19 and Deuteronomy 25 command just balances and measures; cheating in commerce is an abomination and a form of theft.
Theft in Relationships and Obligations: Romans 13:7-8 teaches that withholding honor, love, or money owed is theft. Marital defrauding (1 Corinthians 7) is specifically identified as theft.
Various Forms of Theft: Time, Property, and Government: Stealing time through lateness, misusing private property, eminent domain, and property tax are all forms of theft. Property tax is unbiblical because the earth is the Lord's.
Inflation as Theft and Conclusion: Inflation is a hidden tax that steals purchasing power. The Federal Reserve creates money out of thin air, devaluing currency. The positive promise of the commandment is deferred to next week.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Theft is not limited to forceful taking

The Eighth Commandment covers a wide range of actions beyond physical robbery, including legal and indirect means of taking what belongs to another.

Weaver states, 'Simply because someone has never robbed a bank... does not mean that that individual is not a thief.'

Socialism is legal plunder

Bastiat's definition shows that socialism is a system of legal plunder, and many government policies today fit this description.

Weaver reads Bastiat: 'All these plans as a whole, with their common aim of legal plunder, constitute socialism.'

Withholding wages is theft

Biblical case law and New Testament teaching establish that failing to pay a worker promptly is theft that cries out to God.

Weaver cites Deuteronomy 24:15 and James 5:4, concluding, 'If you defraud a man of his hire, it is theft.'

Marital defrauding is theft

1 Corinthians 7 commands spouses not to defraud one another of due benevolence, making such withholding a violation of the Eighth Commandment.

Weaver explains, 'Defraud ye not one the other... in the Greek it is a present active imperative, which means it is a command.'

Property tax is unbiblical theft

Since the earth is the Lord's, taxing property is a claim of ownership over what belongs to God, and thus is theft.

Weaver argues, 'For a state to come along and say, We're going to tax your property, what they're doing is saying... We've stolen it from the sovereign God.'

Inflation steals wealth

The Federal Reserve's creation of fiat money causes inflation, which erodes purchasing power and constitutes theft of people's wealth.

Weaver demonstrates with a comparison of a $20 gold piece versus a $20 Federal Reserve note, asking, 'Who stole your wealth?'

Scripture References

Deuteronomy 5:19: The Eighth Commandment: 'Neither shalt thou steal.'
Exodus 20:15: The Eighth Commandment as given in Exodus: 'Thou shalt not steal.'
Deuteronomy 25:4: Case law: 'Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn,' establishing the principle that the laborer is worthy of his hire.
1 Corinthians 9:7-10: Paul applies the ox law to argue that ministers deserve material support; the law was written for our sakes.
1 Timothy 5:17-18: Elders who rule well are worthy of double honor (double pay), quoting the ox law and 'the labourer is worthy of his reward.'
Luke 10:5-7: Jesus instructs disciples to eat what is provided, for 'the labourer is worthy of his hire.'
Deuteronomy 24:14-15: Command not to oppress a hired servant; wages must be paid before sunset lest the worker cry to the Lord.
James 5:4: The withheld wages of laborers cry out to the Lord of Sabaoth; defrauding workers is condemned.
Leviticus 19:35-37: Command to have just balances, weights, and measures; doing unrighteousness in judgment is forbidden.
Deuteronomy 25:13-16: Prohibition against having diverse weights and measures; those who do unrighteously are an abomination.
Romans 13:7-10: Render to all their dues; owe no man anything but love; love fulfills the law, which includes 'Thou shalt not steal.'
1 Corinthians 7:1-5: Husbands and wives are not to defraud one another of due benevolence; doing so is theft.
Psalm 24:1: 'The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof,' used to argue that property tax is theft from God.
Psalm 50:12: God says, 'the world is mine, and the fulness thereof,' reinforcing His ownership of all things.
Psalm 89:11: 'The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine,' further supporting God's ownership.
1 Corinthians 10:26: 'For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof,' quoted to emphasize divine ownership.
1 Corinthians 10:28: Repeats 'the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof' for emphasis.
Leviticus 25:23: 'The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine,' indicating God's ultimate ownership of land.

Historical References

Rushdoony's Institutes of Biblical Law: Weaver quotes Rushdoony's categorization of theft: simple theft, complex but direct theft, and indirect legal theft.
Frédéric Bastiat and his book 'The Law': Bastiat, a French economist (1801-1850), wrote against socialism and defined legal plunder; Weaver reads extended passages.
Mr. de Montalembert: A Frenchman mentioned by Bastiat who desired to fight socialism by law, but Bastiat argues this is a vicious cycle.
Representative Alcee Hastings: Quoted as saying about the House: 'There are no rules here. We make them up as we go.'
President Trump's statement on socialism: Weaver references Trump saying the nation will never become socialist, but argues it already is.
Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index: Used to show that prices in 2018 are 721 times higher than in 1963, illustrating inflation's effect.
$20 gold piece vs. Federal Reserve note (1932): Comparison of purchasing power between a $20 gold piece and a $20 Federal Reserve note to demonstrate theft through inflation.

Important Quotes

Socialism is theft. Communism is theft. Confiscation of private property is theft.

Establishes the broad principle that political and economic systems can be forms of theft, not just individual actions.

The question of legal plunder must be settled once and for all and there are only three ways to settle it. Number one, the few plunder the many. Number two, everybody plunders everybody. Number three, nobody plunders anybody.

Presents the only possible societal choices regarding plunder, with the third being the biblical ideal.

If that ox is doing the work, then that ox needs to be able to have the reward of his work. Let him eat the corn that falls on the floor. That brings us to this principle: the laborer is worthy of his hire.

Distills the biblical case law into a clear principle that undergirds much of the sermon's application.

Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

Direct biblical command showing that marital defrauding is a form of theft, with serious spiritual consequences.

The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Foundational verse for the argument that property tax is theft because it usurps God's ownership.

Inflation is theft? Inflation is the hidden or the unseen tax.

Identifies inflation as a subtle but pervasive form of theft that affects everyone.

The Federal Reserve and the Federal Reserve Banks are thieves.

Direct accusation that the central banking system engages in theft through monetary policy.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what ways might we be guilty of theft without realizing it, according to the broad definition presented in this sermon?

[Context]

Weaver argues that theft includes many actions beyond physical robbery, such as withholding honor, love, or time.

[Question]

How does Bastiat's concept of legal plunder challenge common views of government welfare and taxation?

[Context]

Bastiat lists policies like progressive taxation and public schools as forms of legal plunder, which Weaver applies to modern America.

[Question]

What does the principle 'the laborer is worthy of his hire' require of employers and employees today?

[Context]

Weaver uses Deuteronomy 25:4 and New Testament passages to argue that prompt and fair payment is a moral obligation.

[Question]

How should Christians respond to the claim that property tax is unbiblical theft?

[Context]

Weaver argues that since the earth is the Lord's, taxing property is a usurpation of God's ownership.

[Question]

In what ways does inflation function as a hidden tax, and how should believers think about monetary policy?

[Context]

Weaver explains that inflation erodes purchasing power and that the Federal Reserve creates money out of thin air, stealing wealth.

[Question]

How does the command not to defraud one another apply to the marriage relationship, and what practical steps can couples take to obey it?

[Context]

1 Corinthians 7:5 is cited as a command against marital defrauding, with Weaver emphasizing it is not based on feelings.

[Question]

What are some everyday ways we might steal time from others, and how can we cultivate greater punctuality and consideration?

[Context]

Weaver mentions lateness as a form of stealing time, advocating being early as a principle.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T10:39:35Z