The eighth commandment

Exodus 22.4

“If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.”

Exodus 22.1

“If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.”

Luke 19.1-9

It’s not hard to see how these statutes would both discourage stealing and restore justice when transgression had been committed. The guidelines suggested here were doubtless applied more broadly than simply in the case of animals, as Zacchaeus’ response to Jesus suggests.

Jesus’ affirmation of Zacchaeus’ response is important for two reasons. First, He did not chide Zacchaeus for trying to keep the Law. There is no disjunction between Law and grace. Conviction under the Law opens the door for grace, which empowers unto the keeping of the Law.

Second, here again we see how these ancient statutes contain principles of “general equity,” as The Westminster Confession of Faith puts it, for discerning the practice of justice beyond the letter and into the spirit of the Law.

This series of In the Gates we present a detailed explanation of the Law of God, beginning with the Ten Commandments, and working through the statutes and rules that accompany each commandment. For a practical guide to the role of God’s Law in the practice of ethics, get The Ground for Christian Ethics by going to www.ailbe.org and click on our Book Store.