True Christian Religion #318
318. In the spiritual sense stealing means depriving others of the truths they get from their faith; this is the effect of falsities and heretical beliefs. Priests, whose ministry is conducted solely for the sake of profit or to seek honours, and who teach the sort of things which they see, or could see, from the Word not to be true, are spiritual thieves, since they take away from the people their means of salvation, the truths of faith. Such people are called thieves in the following passages of the Word:
He who does not enter into the sheepfold through the gate, but climbs in somewhere else, is a thief and a robber. A thief does not come except to steal, to slaughter and destroy, John 10:1, 10.
Lay up your treasures not upon earth, but in heaven, where thieves do not come and steal, Matthew 6:19-20.
If thieves come to you, if wreckers come by night, how will you be cut off? Will they not steal enough to satisfy them? Obadiah verse 5.
They will run about the city, they will run on the wall, they will climb into houses, they will enter through windows like a thief, Joel 2:9.
They made a lie, and a thief comes, and his troop pours out of doors, Hosea 7:1.
Hosea 7
1
When I would heal Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered, also the wickedness of Samaria; for they commit falsehood, and the thief enters in, and the gang of robbers ravages outside.
2
They don't consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness. Now their own deeds have engulfed them. They are before my face.
3
They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
4
They are all adulterers. They are burning like an oven that the baker stops stirring, from the kneading of the dough, until it is leavened.
5
On the day of our king, the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine. He joined his hand with mockers.
6
For they have prepared their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait. Their baker sleeps all the night. In the morning it burns as a flaming fire.
7
They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges. All their kings have fallen. There is no one among them who calls to me.
8
Ephraim, he mixes himself among the nations. Ephraim is a pancake not turned over.
9
Strangers have devoured his strength, and he doesn't realize it. Indeed, gray hairs are here and there on him, and he doesn't realize it.
10
The pride of Israel testifies to his face; yet they haven't returned to Yahweh their God, nor sought him, for all this.
11
"Ephraim is like an easily deceived dove, without understanding. They call to Egypt. They go to Assyria.
12
When they go, I will spread my net on them. I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will chastise them, as their congregation has heard.
13
Woe to them! For they have wandered from me. Destruction to them! For they have trespassed against me. Though I would redeem them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
14
They haven't cried to me with their heart, but they howl on their beds. They assemble themselves for grain and new wine. They turn away from me.
15
Though I have taught and strengthened their arms, yet they plot evil against me.
16
They return, but not to the Most High. They are like a faulty bow. Their princes will fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt.
