The Stealing of America

The Governors of Oregon, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, New Mexico, Iowa, Montana and Washington are asking for investigation into "excessive profits being made by oil companies who are taking advantage of this national crisis." They are also urging Congress to refund any excessive profits to consumers.

A 42 year-old man was arrested after being accused of scamming the Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency out of thousands of dollars in aid meant for hurricane victims.

Refugees, in many areas, are facing opportunistic merchants who reportedly are raising prices, taking advantage of increased demand for staples and building products in the wake of the storm.

While multiple thousands of Americans, businesses and service organizations rally around the survivors and storm refugees, significant reports continue to surface about human vultures circling the disaster zone and capitalizing on the horror and misery they see. Repeated warnings by government officials and law enforcement agencies at all levels have not stemmed the flow of disgraceful human scavengers who seek to profit from this profound human misery.

Under the heading that there is nothing new under the sun, the Bible reveals that this trait is deeply ingrained in the carnal nature of man. There have always been those who take advantage of others who are struggling to survive in the face of events that loom bigger than their coping abilities.

Consider the exodus of the tribes of Israel as they journeyed out of Egypt. The ancient nation of Amalek received a strong curse from God: "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven'" (Exodus 17:14).

Why did God take such a strong position against Amalek? "Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear, when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God" (Deuteronomy 25:17–18).

While the Amalek approach is not unique to the United States, it appears to be more highly concentrated and all too often protected by America's convoluted legal system, political correctness and the fact that greed really isn't all that far removed from the idea of just making a quick "legal" profit.

When God brought the Israelites to Mt. Sinai, He set into motion a series of laws and statutes that would, if followed, provide a brotherhood relationship between those who have wealth and power with those who seem struggle with everything about life (Leviticus 19:9–13; 19:33–34).

How does God view the practices of businessmen, merchants, retailers in the general marketplace who see opportunities for quick profits amid chaos? Notice His warning: "You shall do no injustice in judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume. You shall have honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them: I am the Lord" (vv.35–37).

Jesus Christ, who was the God of the Old Testament—the One who provided Israel with these laws and statutes—came in the flesh and amplified the meaning and impact of these laws on humankind: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 22:37–40).

Most Christian-professing people do not understand that Jesus Christ was not introducing two new laws, but was quoting Himself, the very laws He gave to Israel on their journey out of Egypt (Deuteronomy 10:12; 30:6; Leviticus 19:18).

Send for our free booklet The Ten Commandments, or read it here, online, by clicking on the booklets section. America, and the world, now more than ever, need Jesus' message, His law.