The Tenth Commandment

' You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's,' Exodus 20:17

This commandment is the nail that drives home the other nine. In it we find what Satan has aimed directly at the heart and mind of every person : greed.

So this commandment has us look deep into ourselves to see what lays on the inside. As with the other commandments this also deals with relationships. It deals specifically with the thoughts and actions that can jepordize those relationships that hurt ourselves and our neighbors.

Motives are what defines and governs the way we respond when we come in contact with other people and their possessions. Our transgressions of God's law of love begins in the heart, as Jesus taught,' For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornifications, murders, thefts, covetness, wickedness, deciet, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness,' and ,' all these evil things come from within and defile a man,' Mark 7:21-23.

It is good that these Ten Commands of God comes down to our focusing on our hearts. For temptation can come from without, but it is developed within.

Covet means to crave or desire in excess or in improper ways. This Tenth Commandment does not tell us that all our desires are immoral, but it does say that some are wrong.

Where then is the line drawn?

Coveting is the longing for something that is not rightfully our own, the object of our desire that belongs to someone else. But coveting can also mean our longing for more than we legitimately deserve, more than our rightful share.

The opposite then would be a positive desire to help other preserve what they have. We should rejoice in the good fortunes of others. We should be willing to help in the fortunes of others, by giving to others we make our presence in their lives a blessing to them.

No man who has ever lived outside of Christ has made it through thier life without the twinge of greed/covetness. And it by studying Christ as our example can we discover how we should coonduct ourselves when it comes to the treatment of others.

Christ never askede for anything other than the trust of others, for their faith, for them to rely on Him. He asks us to stop thinking only of ourselves and to concentrate on the needs of others. Coveting is the selffish approach to life...' each one is drawn away by his own desires and enticed,' James explains,' then when desire has concieved, it gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fullgrown brings forth death,' James 1:14-15. James also wrote,' where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members ( see Paul's conclusions on this war in the 7th chapter of Romans)? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask,' James 4:1-2.

James points out that by coveting, we give ground to other sins, including murder and warfare, and has human history not born this out. If this sin is not brought under Godly control it will become an obsession that will lead to an act. And all of us have ,' conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind,' Ephesians 2:3. We have at one time allowed our desires to rule the way we act, and accordingly, we have all sinned (Romans 3:10,23).

In Mark 7:21-23, Christ listed many sins, among which one is covetness. It has been taught that Satan fell because of pride, and the Bible substains this claim. But Satan desired, he coveted to have what rightfully was the Lord's. And that is the importance we should be mindful of, 'For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgement; 2 Peter 2:4 and in the same chapter we can find,' but there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord ( denying the truth's of God) that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction, and many ( he , Satan, decieveth the whole world) shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgement now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not,' 2 Peter 2:1-3

We have before us ministers today, who preach a name and claim it gospel. No names or denominatios have to be given, just turn on the television and compare what is said there to what is said in the Bible. Even our goverments are getting into the act, with legalizing gambling and lotteries,( getting what belongs to someone else without earning it), millions of people whether they can afford it or not are surrendering their paychecks each week in the hope of winning big. Gambling is a form of coventness that appeals to our baser instinctsPromoting covetousness in this way is something God judged against the kings of Israel, and their leading that nation astray,( read all the Minor Prophets).

Coveting places greed and lust ahead of God, and therefore it also becomes idolatry. Paul warns us,' Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornification, uncleaness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,' Colossians 3:5-6. Now Paul only mentions five sins here, but who can study this verse and not draw the conclusion that all Ten of the Commandments of God are covered, because these all boil down to whom you obey. God's way, the way of love, si to practice concern for others,' For the commandments," You shall not commit adultery," " You shall not murder," " You shall not steal," " You shall not bear false witness," " You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely," You shall love your neighbor as yourself," Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law,' Romans 13:9-10

Covetousness cannot be defeated without help from God. But we must ask for it, especially looking to the Holy Spirit for strength and guidance every minute of every day, for if we ,' Walk in the Spirit, you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit (See Romans chapter 7) and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish,' Galatians 5:16-17.

We need only to place God's desires above our own, and all the proper and profitable things He desires to give us will be given unto us. For seeking the wisdom and the understanding of God is a lofty goal,' Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God,' Proverbs 2:3-5

go to Concluding Remarks

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