King of kings and Lord of lords: TheTen Commandments (Part 5)

                              Do Not Covet!

“You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17).

Greed has taken the world by storm. So many people want what does not belong to them and what they have not rightfully earned. From greedy bankers to the lust of someone else’s spouse, to the jealous kid who beats up another kid to steal his tennis shoes – coveting is a sin that has caused many to fall into the devil’s trap. The Bible says, “What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet’” (Romans 7:7).  The Apostle Paul let us know that because God placed in His laws what our moral responsibilities were, we are without excuse as to what He expects of us and how we are to treat one another.

Many crimes started out with coveting what someone else had and then the plot to take what did not belong to them became a reality. Our prisons and jails are full of people who coveted something that was not theirs to have, but the need to take it outweighed their moral compass. Therefore, it landed them in an orange jumpsuit, behind bars, and having to speak to friends and loved ones between a slab of glass. The tradeoff was not worth what started out as mere coveting. The Bible says, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death” (James 1:14-15). Now, just because a person was not locked up for their covetous acts does not mean that there are not others who do not commit the same immoral act in their hearts.

Some people have coveted a position on a job and did underhanded things to eliminate their competition. Others have coveted someone else’s belongings and ended up in debt to compete. Another person has destroyed a friendship by coveting their friend’s success. Then there are pastors who have coveted other pastors’ large following and secretly hoped for their downfall. Unfortunately, people who covet do not realize that the same God who blessed another to have things, is the same God who can bless them as well. The Lord has no respect of person, but even if he does not bless two people exactly the same, we are to always appreciate what He has done for us individually. The Bible says, “For there is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11).

When King David lusted and coveted Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, he took extreme measures to hide his sin in taking what did not belong to him. He had Uriah put on the front battlefield and had him killed to hide the fact that he had impregnated Uriah’s wife after an affair. God did not take it lightly what David had done. When God had the Prophet Nathan to issue a rebuke to David, the Lord had this to say: “…‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more” (2 Samuel 12:7b-8). David showed no regard for the Lord when he committed such a horrendous act. The Lord had richly blessed him and would have blessed him to have even more but coveting something that did not belong to him made David sin against God. Therefore, the Lord punished David by taking his firstborn son with Bathsheba and allowing peace to cease in his household.

            God is willing to give us whatever we ask for if we are asking with the right motives and if He sees that it is in our best interest. The Bible says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (James 4:3). We must not permit our fleshly desires to cause us to sin. On the contrary, we should allow the moral compass, outlined through the Word, to be the guide for us to follow.

Conclusion

 “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:8-10). 

            Are we able to obey the law in and within ourselves? No! This is why we have the grace of God to save us. The law could not save us. We could not save ourselves, but it is only through the saving power of Jesus that men are saved. The Bible says, “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (1 John 2:3-6).  When we are walking in the ways of God, we will naturally produce good fruit. Producing good fruit means that being obedient to God will be a product of our life in Him. We will want to be obedient to Him and honor Him in every way. Does this mean that we will never sin? No! But even when we fall, we will get back up, ask God for forgiveness, and turn from our wicked ways.

            God did not give His laws to harm us, but He gave them so that we can live the best life that He would have for us. When we honor Him then we learn to honor each other. Therefore, you will not do anything that will cause harm to your brother/sister and in return, you are showing the love of God by being obedient to His will. The Bible says, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-20).