Ten Commandments (1972)_b.pdf - Herbert W. Armstrong

The Eighth Commandment 119
The Almighty has this to say: "Know ye not that the
unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not
deceived: neither fornicators ... nor thieves ... shall
inherit the kingdom of God" (I Cor. 6:9-10).
Lest any misunderstand, remember that it is God's
will that His servants prosper in material wealth - as
long as they gain it honestly, and don't set their hearts
upon it. The Apostle John wrote: "Beloved, I wish above
all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even
as thy soul prospereth" (III John 2).
Tarnished Wealth
However, we must also learn that an industrialist's
wealth which is tarnished by an unnecessarily high death
rate in his plants or factories is ill-gotten gain - and he is
branded in the light of God's Law as a THIEF, if not a
murderer!
The principle behind the eighth commandment is broken
again and again in the relations of capital and labor.
James was inspired to warn the dishonest employer:
"Behold, the hire of the labourers which is of you kept
back by fraud, crieth: and the cries are entered into the
ears of the Lord of sabaoth" (James 5:4).
It is also equally true - and especially so in this era
of corrupt unionism - that many a workingman ROBS his
employer! He does this by taking his wage and yet
withholding his full share of honest labor. And that is
STEALING!
All too often one laboring man tells his fellow: "Slow
down, buddy, you're working too hard. If you keep on
working like that, we'll all have to work hard around
here!"
British and American laborers, spending from a third
to a half of their working time on "tea breaks," "coffee
breaks" and "cigarette breaks," are causing our industries
to be badly beaten in the worldwide trade war now going
on. It is affecting the DESTINY of the American and British
people!
The eighth commandment of Almighty God has a
message for both capital and labor.