Let's begin with prayer as we turn to the study of God's Word. O Lord, our God, we give thanks to you for your kindness in teaching us and showing us the way to go, that we who have been redeemed by the blood of your Son might serve you as our God and Savior. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. All right, today we come to the part of the shorter catechism that looks at the Eighth Commandment. It might be a little shorter today with the delay in getting in, but we can at least get through the first question or two. Maybe not all three, though. The first question is rather straightforward and simple. Which is the Eighth Commandment? Without looking, can anyone tell me which is the Eighth Commandment? Yes. That's right. The Eighth Commandment is, let's say it all together, the Eighth Commandment is, thou shalt not steal. That's right. So, simply stated, what is the positive duty implied by the Eighth Commandment? Before we get to the next catechism question, just in your own words, if you should not steal, what should you do? What is the positive duty? Giving things to others? Yep, that's going to be part of it. Working hard and being generous? Is that what you're going to say? Yes, yeah. Productive work. The furthering of our own and our neighbor's wealth and outward estate. So this really comes out in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 28 where Paul says, let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. So instead of doing dishonest work, the work of stealing, he should do honest work, a lawful calling that he might not only have something for himself, but also to share with anyone in need. Instead of unlawfully taking stuff simply for himself at the expense of his neighbor, he works honestly and productively for himself and his neighbor. So that leads us to the next question, question 74. What is required in the Eighth Commandment? Yes, yes. Close, close, you just missed a few words, but yes. Anyone want to improve on that? Yes. Right, the wealth and outward are the only words you missed there. But yes, it's required, like we said, the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others. Now we've already seen how there are several creation ordinances that are reflected in the Ten Commandments. There's the Sabbath day. Which commandment is the Sabbath reflected in? It's talked about. Just shout it out. Fourth, that's right. Also in creation we find be fruitful and multiply, that of parenthood. Which commandment do we find relation of parents and children in the Ten Commandments? The fifth, that's right, the fifth commandment. We also find marriage described in God's work of creation, the marriage ordinance. And which commandment do we find that focuses on marriage? Not the sixth. Seventh, seventh, yes. Of course, God gave man life, so you can maybe even work that into the sixth commandment. But today, with the Eighth Commandment, we come to the creation ordinance of labor, of productive work, and it's also related to the idea of property. There, in creation, we find these things instituted. Now, before we even get, though, to man's creation, how did God himself set an example for the work of mankind? Yes, not only did he rest on the seventh day like we've looked at, but he also worked on those six days. What kind of work did he do? What was his work like? Anyone? Anyone who hasn't answered yet? How would you describe God's work in his work of... Yes, in the work of creation. What was that work like? How should we imitate what God did? besides the two who have answered so far. Anyone else? Yes, Adam. Well, it was good. It was good. We should make good things, right? Both in a sense of lawful things and also things that are good, good for ourselves and others. It was orderly. Right. I mean the point of hard work is to make productive things, good things, skillfully done things, which for God is not hard work, but for us usually does take hard work. So we have six days to do that work and not the seventh, right? Yeah, and to be diligent in our labors throughout the week. So he worked six days, like we said, with wisdom. Think of all the ways that he connected different things to work together intricately, designed with purpose. We, in human terms, talk about being inventive and having craft and skill. He worked with power. For him, he spoke and it was done, but we find ways of working with power and with goodness. He produced things that were both beneficial and things that were beautiful. things that are a delight in many ways. He clothes the grass of the field, adorns them more than Solomon and all his glory, right? But also good things for us, for all his creatures. We should also make things beneficial and beautiful. And did he give up on his stuff once he made it? No, he continues to preserve it, and we also have a stewardship and a care for what we have made, right? There's both the, put it in money terms, you know, we make money and we also then manage the money. You know, other forms of possessions and wealth as well. Even the earth itself, to be good stewards of it. All right, so then how did God set mankind to work? Not just his own example, but how did he set mankind to work? And then what do you say after that? Be fruitful, multiply, and? Subdue it. Yes, yes. And have dominion. So especially thinking of that, you know, subdue the earth, have dominion, making the earth fruitful as well. And so we call that the creation mandate or the dominion mandate, different terms for it, the cultural mandate. Yeah, he set mankind to work. In chapter two, we find man, Adam, made and set to work and keep the garden. And he gave the woman as a helper fit for him. And even after the fall, That ordinance was continued, that through work, now through toilsome work, he would yet eat bread. You know, that God could have just taken bread away from us, you know, all food from us. But no, we still get bread, and it's through work, as before, but now it's toilsome work. Thorns and thistles and pain, they accompany it. Now, in this context, we talk about a calling, that God gave, for example, Adam a calling as a gardener, as one to tend the orchard, and he had a regular place of work. We also should have callings. What is a calling, though? We speak of fulfilling your calling. What is a calling? Another more Latin-based term for this would be vocation, but it comes from the same word. What is a calling? Thomas, Thomas, what's a calling? Where you find your responsibility? Yeah, yeah. It's a regular place of responsibility, regular duties that you have, work that you do. What I have here, you could describe it as your abiding occupation with regular responsibilities. The Puritan William Perkins describes it as a certain kind of life ordained and imposed on man by God for the common good. Now, we have a general calling and ought to have particular callings as well. What would be the difference between your general calling as a Christian and your particular calling where you might differ from other Christians? I mean, I kind of just explained it there. But if you want to expand on that, what's the difference between your general calling and your particular calling? Yes. Yeah, yeah, that's a good good way to describe it So, general calling, especially in the Bible, refers to us being saved, for us being called out of darkness into light. Of course, we were designed originally to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, but now as those who have sinned, we are called by God. So, as Perkins says, the general calling is that whereby a man is called out of the world to be a child of God, a member of Christ, and an heir of the kingdom of heaven. So it's general to all Christians, it's binding all of us to trust, to serve, to obey God as his redeemed people. So you ought to walk in a manner worthy of your calling. But a personal calling, a personal calling is what Perkins says, a personal calling is the execution of some particular office arising from that distinction which God makes between man and man in every society. So it's distinguished, like you said, by expertise, by various gifts, and also by the outward stations then that We're also given, so these things distinguish us and give us a regular place of work, or place not always in a literal sense, but a regular office. Our particular responsibilities in society. 1 Corinthians 7.17 says, only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. And in each calling you want to serve God. And what most matters is how you fulfill your calling, whether it's diligently to the obedience of God, more than whether you are working as a carpenter or as a king. Both of those you could disobey God in or you could obey God in. But let each person serve God in their calling. And this includes responsibilities in home, church, and state, where you have responsibilities in each of those. And also then additional responsibilities you might have, like farmer, merchant, physician, soldier, lawyer, carpenter, et cetera, for the well-being of the common good. Now, must you have a particular calling? Yes, you must lead the life that the Lord has assigned to you and to which God has called you. The alternative is idleness, of not having any particular thing to do. As God put the first man to work right away, each person should have and know their particular course of work that is fit for them. Now that might change over the course of your life. You think of the prophetess Anna in the Bible, where, what was her calling? Her calling was to pray day and night in the temple, also, I guess, as a prophetess, too, to do that work. First Timothy 5 talks about the type of widows to be supported by the church. Have they been diligent in the past? And then also in the present, are they self-indulgent or do they continue in prayer night and day? You know, there's different callings that we have in different stages of life according to our abilities, but we each ought to have a particular calling. Now what qualities or virtues should characterize your work, your management? What qualities or virtues would it be good for you to have? Honesty. Diligence. Yes? All the fruit of the spirit should characterize our work. Patience and self-control and all of those. So yes, Proverbs has a lot to say about this. Proverbs 10, 4 through 5 says, a slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame. So we see both here diligence and wisdom, and also that diligence is wise. So if you have wisdom, you're going to be diligent. Also with skillfulness, you see a man who is skillful in his work. He shall stand before kings with honesty, doing honest labor with his own hands, like Paul says, with prayerful trust in God. Now what is the ends of labor? What should be the purpose of your work? Children should rise up and bless you. Yes, ultimately the glory of God, to enjoy Him, to serve the Lord Christ, these are our ultimate aims. Even when we're serving other people, we don't do it simply as people-pleasers, but for the Lord Christ. We're serving Him. And even if mankind doesn't repay us very well, from Him we will receive the inheritance as our reward. More immediately, as the catechism says, the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others should be purposes for our work. So we could go to a lot of scripture for this. First and second Thessalonians speak of the importance of work and of tending to your affairs to be Responsible 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, 11 through 12 says, but we urge you brothers to do this more and more and to aspire to live quietly and to bind your own affairs and to work with your hands as we instructed you so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. So you should provide for yourselves, for yourself, for your household. That is one end of your work. In 2 Thessalonians 3.12 it says, Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. But then as we also saw in Ephesians, it's not just for yourself. It's also that you might have something to share with anyone in need. And also, it's not just that you might gain stuff to share with others. The very work itself should be done to benefit yourself and others, especially others, usually in the way we do it, depending if you're working for doing something for someone else. You might be making something, like growing crops, that then you use to sell and bless other people. But yes, your work, whether the work itself or the proceeds from the work, for yourself and for others. It should be useful work that does good. Work to promote the good of yourself and your household, the private good of others, and the common good of your community and nation. All right, just a few more questions and then we'll wrap it up for today. How do you exercise justice toward your neighbor with respect to wealth and outward estate? The Eighth Commandment binds us to? Not steal. Not steal, okay, right. So what would be the alternative to stealing with respect to what is just? Giving. Giving, so we'll get to generosity in a sense, but what should you give as a matter of justice? Rightful wages, yes. And what's that? Honest labor to your employer, not stealing from your employer by not giving them the work they paid for. And on the employer's part, giving the wages to the person who's working, and promptly so. Scripture talks about the injustice of withholding the wages too long, especially when people were living from day to day. So rendering to each his due. Give to each person what is due them. Do not withhold it from them. Punctually pay wages, debts, taxes, labor. This is a matter of justice, of not stealing. Return lost property that you discover, even if it belongs to your enemy, as the Old Testament law teaches us, Exodus 23. And if you have stolen something, if you have defrauded someone of something, you should give it back with restitution to make good that. Give restitution for goods unlawfully detained from their right owners. Then how do you exercise generosity toward your neighbor with respect to wealth and outward estate? Right, right. So to give and lend generously to others according to your ability and to their necessity. Right. Sure, yes, to be looking for it, if this is to be our aim, to improve the well-being of ourselves and others, not just when they ask, but to be proactive in looking out for each other's well-being, especially to the household of faith. and both corporately and personally. So we take collection, you know, and through the diaconal ministry of the church, we provide for those in the church in need as part of the communion of saints. We see that in Acts 2 and 4. But also then personally, you know, your brother needs something and you close your heart against them. That's no good, you know, to personally be helpful, and hospitality and sharing of various kinds and letting people borrow things as needed. All of that's included here with generosity. How should you use earthly goods? That's a big question, the last question here. How should you use earthly goods? Yes. Wisely, not wasting them. Right, right. Putting them to work as part of the work as well. Investing them. So gratitude to God, and that shapes our use of them too. A person who is eating with gratitude to God will hopefully be less likely to be a glutton, you know, to use those gifts properly instead of just purely selfishly. So enjoy them with a good conscience in Christ. You know, these things are made clean by the Word of God and prayer. You're not an outlaw anymore. This is your father's world. You can enjoy his good gifts with a good conscience. Also with contentment, with thanksgiving. They are to be received with thanksgiving, like 1 Timothy 4 says. With propriety, using them as intended, not abusing God's gifts. So, using wine for cheerfulness and not for drunkenness, for example. You know, using God's gifts as intended. And with generosity. Again, sharing with others. Reformer Heinrich Bollinger says, for the Lord hath in no place forbidden mirth, joy, and the sweet use of wealth so far forth that nothing be done undecently, unthankfully, or unrighteously. So 1 Timothy 6 speaks of God giving these things to us to enjoy. So there is a due use of these things, but in moderation, with contentment, and that is God's gift to us, which should encourage us to then want to share the same good things with others and to use them rightly. Next week we'll get to what is forbidden in the Eighth Commandment and continue on there. But let's go ahead and close in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for your kindness and goodness in showing your generosity towards us and granting us many good things that you have made And we ask that you would encourage us to use them with wisdom, with diligence and forethought, with generosity, that we might prove grateful and good stewards of your good gifts. We ask that you would bless the labor of our hands, that you would grant us wisdom how to use our gifts and abilities for the good of our families and for our nation and for your people, that we might do good and that we might be a blessing to others. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.