LESSON 22 CONNECTIONS

1. What does God forbid in the Seventh Commandment?

God forbids us to take our neighbor’s possessions by stealing or by dishonest dealing.

LESSON 22 CONNECTIONS

2. Mr. Jenkins sneaks tools the company doesn’t use anymore and brings them home. Is Mr. Jenkins stealing?

Yes. He could ask his boss for them, but he’s sneaking them out. He knows he’s stealing.

LESSON 22 CONNECTIONS

3. A company rep offers to pay Mr. Smith $500 a month if his business buys all his products from the rep’s company at inflated prices. Mr. Smith agrees. Evaluate this statement: Mr. Smith is guilty of stealing.He is. This is a kickback, or a bribe. The money his business is overpaying is going into Mr. Smith’s pocket.

LESSON 22 CONNECTIONS

4. For a term paper, Joshua goes to a web site that sells research papers and buys one already complete. Though Joshua pays for the paper, why would we still say he is breaking the Seventh Commandment?He is handing in something some else has done, claiming it as his own.

LESSON 23 CONNECTIONS

1. Evaluate this statement: The Seventh Commandment shows that the Karskes should get involved.

It would seem the right thing to do. It commands us to do whatever we can to help our neighbor improve and protect his property and source of income. But not so much help that it would hurt the Karskes.

LESSON 23 CONNECTIONS

2. Philippians 2:4 tells us to look not only to our own interest but also to the interests of others. How did Abram show that he was looking out for Lot’s interests as much as his own?He let Lot choose the land first. He also risked his own life to rescue his captured nephew.

LESSON 23 CONNECTIONS

3. How might we demonstrate our willingness to put the interest of others ahead of our own in the following situations?Someone throws a stone through the large front window in the home of an elderly widow who can’t afford to pay for the repair.Offer to pay for it yourself, or encourage the neighbors to help pay for it together. If you have the skill, volunteer to fix it yourself.

LESSON 23 CONNECTIONS

3. How might we demonstrate our willingness to put the interest of others ahead of our own in the following situations?A neighbor loses his job and won’t be able to make his house payments.If you know someone who needs another employee, you could suggest his name. Or you could organize a fund-raising event in order to help with his house payments.

LESSON 23 CONNECTIONS

3. How might we demonstrate our willingness to put the interest of others ahead of our own in the following situations?A group of volunteers is going to replace the parsonage windows that have been letting in cold air in the winter. But they are doing it on the Saturday you had planned your fishing trip.Even if you have to cancel the trip, you might want to put the needs of your pastor’s family ahead of your own recreational plans.

THE 8TH COMMANDMENT:FALSE TESTIMONY

AGAINST OUR NEIGHBOR

Lesson 24Faith Foundations

Course One

WHAT DOES GOD FORBID IN THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT?

RUMORS AND GOSSIP

1. Recall the account of Absalom’s treachery in 2 Samuel 15:1-12. What report did Absalom spread about King David?

That David and his advisors wouldn’t listen to the people’s concern or judge their disputes fairly.

RUMORS AND GOSSIP

2. How did these evil reports affect David’s name and reputation?

They gave David a bad reputation. Absalom turned the people’s hearts from loyalty to David to loyalty to Absalom.

Spreading evil reports about others is called slander.

RUMORS AND GOSSIP

3. If you have ever pitched a stone into a lake or pond, you know that the stone forms little circles that keep widening as the waves move away from the place where the stone hit. Look at the picture. Someone once said that words spoken about a person are like a stone thrown into the water. What do you think that means? The report about a person, whether true or false, spreads in an ever-widening circle.

RUMORS AND GOSSIP

4. Read James 3:8. Why do you think James called the tongue “a restless evil, full of deadly poison”?

With just a few words, we can hurt feelings and harm reputations for a very long time.

RUMORS AND GOSSIP

5. One coworker to another: “I noticed that Mel Fennimore applied for a job here. I’d be careful there. The Fennimores have a bad reputation. His older brother used to work for the Family Café. When the café went bankrupt, some people were suspicious that the brother had been helping himself to the money in the cash register.”Was the lady guilty of breaking the 8th Commandment?Yes. She was using rumors of the older brother to hurt this man’s reputation.

RUMORS AND GOSSIP

6. Recall what happened when Jesus stood in front of the high priest in Matthew 26:59-61. The people who testified at Jesus’ trial were false witnesses. Why does the Bible call them that?They were telling lies about Jesus.

RUMORS AND GOSSIP

7. What was the purpose of their false testimonies?

The Sanhedrin wanted to find something that would justify its desire to kill Jesus.

RUMORS AND GOSSIP

8. Read Proverbs 19:5. How does God feel about such testimony?

He hates it and punishes it.

KEY POINT #1

God forbids us…to say things that will harm our neighbor.

LIES AND BETRAYAL

9. Recall the account of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife. Why did she lie and tell her husband that Joseph had tried to go to bed with her?

She was angry with Joseph and wanted to get him into trouble.

LIES AND BETRAYAL

10.What trouble did her lies bring upon Joseph?

He ended up in prison for a long time.

LIES AND BETRAYAL

11.Another way that our words can hurt someone is by betraying him or her. Proverbs 11:3 helps us understand what it means to betray. Read the passage and fill in the missing words.To betray someone means to reveal _______ about that person that may ____ him or his reputation.

LIES AND BETRAYAL

11.Another way that our words can hurt someone is by betraying him or her. Proverbs 11:3 helps us understand what it means to betray. Read the passage and fill in the missing words.To betray someone means to reveal secrets about that person that may hurt him or his reputation.

LIES AND BETRAYAL

12.Recall the Bible story of Judas’ betrayal in Matthew 26:14-16,47-50. Hoe did Judas betray Jesus?

Judas accepted 30 pieces of silver to reveal where the chief priests could find Jesus to arrest him.

LIES AND BETRAYAL

13.After reading the situation in your workbook, evaluate this statement:Since Steven’s friend had told the truth, he wasn’t breaking the 8th Commandment.

Not true. He was hurting Steven by betraying him—telling a secret that hurt his reputation.

LIES AND BETRAYAL

14.One of your friends said he thought he saw a classmate peek at another student’s test. Explain why a desire to keep the 8th Commandment would keep you from repeating what you heard to others.Your friend only thought he might have seen the classmate cheat. You don’t know if he did or not. To tell others that he did cheat would be slander.

LIES AND BETRAYAL

15.Most of us would never kill someone. Yet we are often willing to kill a person’s reputation. We are willing to do that because our sinful nature thinks if we put others down, we will look better. That usually doesn’t happen, however. Why not?People to don’t like tattletales. Instead of making you look better, your words will cause others to lose trust in you.

KEY POINT #2

God forbids us..to tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, or give him a bad name.

WHAT DOES GOD FORBID INTHE 8TH COMMANDMENT?

1. God forbids us to say things that will harm our neighbor.

2. God forbids us to tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, or give him a bad name.

SUMMARYGod forbids us to lie about, betray, or say anything that will harm our neighbor or give him a bad name.