Israel was commanded not to take that which belonged to another person, either by stealing, deception, or false business practices. They were to have just weights and measures and to be forthright in how they treated one another. God’s law protected man’s personal property and forbid anyone from taking what another person had earned by their labor. Even if a man’s ox or mule had wandered off and was found by another person, that person was commanded to search diligently for the owner. This law promoted trust and good-will among Israel’s people, and those who broke these laws were dealt with severely.

Exo 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.

Exo 22:1 If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.
2 If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.
3 If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.
4 If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.
5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.

Lev 19:35 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure.
36 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.
37 Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD.

Deut 22:1 Thou shalt not see the brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt in any case bring them again unto thy brother.
2 And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, or if thou know him not, then thou shalt bring it unto thine own house, and it shall be with thee until thy brother seek after it, and thou shalt restore it to him again.
3 In like manner shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his raiment; and with all lost thing of thy brother's, which he hath lost, and thou hast found, shalt thou do likewise: thou mayest not hide thyself.

Now again, morally, Christians should have higher standards than that which the Old Testament laws prescribed. We are to be diligent in our business and walk honestly toward all men. In a day when evil men “wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived”; as we see corruption in business and in government; as we see unscrupulous men and women scheming to rob and defraud others out of their earnings; Christians need to shine as lights in this dark world of sin.

1 Thes 4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

2 Tim 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Phil 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

The deeper aspect of this commandment however, involves thievery on a spiritual plane; and its concerns not just the robbery of other men, but of God. Now while some may immediately think of Malachi 3:8—“will a man rob God?”—we are not going to teach on tithing. First of all, the command to tithe was only given to Israel, and the New Testament teaches grace giving. Therefore, our concern is not how much money we give to the Lord’s work but of something else. Christians steal from God when they take the glory that is God’s alone. When we begin to attribute those things in our lives which the Lord has brought about, to our own doing, we are stealing His glory. When we accept the praises of men for what only God is responsible for doing, we are stealing His praise. What we are or what we have done is only by the grace of God. The church today is caught up with self-glorying and the giving of praise and admiration to so-called charismatic men and women. As believers, we begin to fall from grace when we start to think of ourselves more than is meet, or we begin to covet the praise of men for what we do.  

Mal 3:8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

1 Cor 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.
2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

2 Cor 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Isa 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

1 Cor 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

1 Cor 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

2 Cor 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

Another way believers can steal from God is by refusing to forgive others and looking for ways to get even. Thoughts of retribution have no part in a Christian’s heart because vengeance belongs to God. Only God understands completely the motives of every person’s actions, and only God knows how to justly repay those who try to hurt others. Therefore, God has reserved to Himself any form of vengeance and we are instead to seek the good of those who wrongfully cause us suffering. We ourselves fall from grace when we try to recompense the evil done to us.

Psa 94:1 O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.

Rom 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.