Morality of Confiscating Technology

Deuteronomy 24:6 is part of the law code of ancient Israel. It states that one cannot require a mill or upper millstone be taken in pledge for a debt. In other words, you can't take someone's technology that they require for their livelihood as collateral.

A few things I take away from this:

• God knows the centrality of technology in how we make a living
• God himself has a high view of that technology and seeks to protect it
• We must not take away someone's means/technology to make a legitimate livelihood

Remember God as the Source of Technology

You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. -Deuteronomy 8:18

This passage speaks to any means we may use to gain wealth, including creating technology. Two main points I see here:

1) God gives the power - it is He that gives us wisdom, knowledge, and skill to work with technology and to earn a living from that.

2) We are to remember this. It seems obvious, but we can all think of times when we forget this to be the case. For me, I struggle with pride and so consider my skill to be something I have personally achieved rather than having it given to me from God. If we believe in a sovereign God, we can see that He directed us to and provided the means for our education, including all the institutions and teachers that provided it.

Are there other ways we don't remember God as the one who gives us the ability to make and use technology?

The Bible's Building Code

When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring the guilt of blood upon your house, if anyone should fall from it.
Deuteronomy 22:8

This verse is one of the earliest building codes. If we understand what this verse teaches, we can apply it to many other situations where we must incorporate some safety mechanism in technology.