A.      This lesson will complete our study of the Ten Commandments to Israel, which are considered by many to be God’s basic code for governing man’s behavior

B.      The final commandment from God’s Ten Commandments to Israel forbade the Israelites to harbor covetousness within their hearts, for God knew that such evil desire was the root of many evils.

II.      THE COMMANDMENT TO ISRAEL: YOU SHALL NOT COVET

Exodus 20:17 – "You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

A.      Covetousness was not a specific act prohibited by the Law of Moses, but rather it was a forbidden motivation that led to unlawful acts.

                                                             1.      Covetousness is an improper desire for something that belongs to another.  It is essentially the same as greed or avarice, but whereas a greedy person usually seeks money, a covetous person may seek money, possessions, or even a spouse.

                                                             2.      The tenth commandment addressed the root cause of many offenses in Israel.  It prohibited the Israelites not just from taking things that were off limits but also from desiring such things.

B.      The Law of Moses did not penalize covetousness itself, but it did penalize the resulting offenses.

                                                             1.      Coveting a neighbor’s house, servants, ox, donkey, or any other possession of a neighbor was not penalized, but theft, which arises from such covetousness, was penalized (recall our lesson on the eighth commandment).

                                                             2.      Likewise, coveting a neighbor’s wife was not penalized, but adultery, which arises from such covetousness, was punished by death (recall our lesson on the seventh commandment).

C.      Consider a few examples of covetousness from Israel.

                                                             1.      The covetousness of Achan led to Israel’s defeat at Ai (Josh. 6-7).

a.       Before Israel attacked Ai, Joshua forbade them from taking certain spoils from the city, saying, "But as for you, only keep yourselves from the things under the ban, so that you do not covet them and take some of the things under the ban, and make the camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on it” (Josh. 6:18).

b.       However, a man named Achan took certain items that were under the ban and brought defeat to Israel by God’s providence.  Achan explained, "When I saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar and two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold fifty shekels in weight, then I coveted them and took them; and behold, they are concealed in the earth inside my tent with the silver underneath it” (Josh. 7:21).

c.        For his sin, Achan, his family, and his livestock were stoned and burned together with his belongings and the banned items he had taken (Josh. 7:24-26).

                                                             2.      Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, was stricken with leprosy because of his covetousness (2Ki. 5:20-27).

a.       When the Syrian captain Naaman had been healed of leprosy through Elisha’s instructions, he offered Elisha a gift, which Elisha refused.

b.       However, Gehazi coveted Naaman’s gifts, and he went to Naaman in deceit and requested a talent of silver and two changes of clothes.

c.        As a punishment, Elisha declared to Gehazi, "Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever” (2Ki. 5:27).

                                                             3.      The corrupted leaders in Judah during Micah’s time used their power to satisfy their covetousness.

a.       The prophet Micah exposed the wickedness of such leaders and their abuses of power to rob the poor and the weak for their own selfish gain.

b.       Notice Micah 2:1-2 – "Woe to those who scheme iniquity, who work out evil on their beds!  When morning comes, they do it, for it is in the power of their hands.  They covet fields and then seize them, and houses, and take them away.  They rob a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.”

III.   THE MODERN APPLICATION

A.      Covetousness is a condition of the heart that is forbidden under the gospel of Christ.

                                                             1.      The Lord Jesus said, "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness” (Mark 7:21-22).

                                                             2.      Covetousness is completely uncharacteristic of true followers of Christ as the apostle Paul indicated in Ephesians 5:3 – "But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.”

                                                             3.      The following passages show that a covetous man will not inherit the kingdom of God.

a.       "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.  Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” (1Cor. 6:9-11)

b.       "For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” (Eph. 5:5)

                                                             4.      In the eyes of God, covetousness is equivalent to idolatry.

a.       See Ephesians 5:5 above, and notice Colossians 3:5 – "Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.”

b.       In our lesson on the second commandment to Israel, we noticed that covetousness is the same as idolatry because covetous people make the acquisition of things into their god.  Such people are called "enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things” (Phil. 3:18-19).

B.      Covetousness is a plague on our land today.

                                                             1.      Prosperity can be a great blessing for those who use prosperity in godly ways, but it can be a burden for those who are given to covetousness.

a.       The prosperity of the United States has sparked covetousness in many of our citizens.

b.       Notice what Jesus said about this in Luke 12:15 – "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”

                                                             2.      The truth of the Scriptures regarding covetousness is now evident all around us.

a.       The root of many of the evils in our nation is indeed the love of money (1Tim. 6:9-10).

b.       Covetousness and greed has led to strife and discontent between individuals and classes of people (Jas. 4:1-4).

i.         We see persons of authority and influence using their positions to profit themselves and their friends.

ii.        At the same time, there are people who demand that wealth be robbed from others and given to them through government entitlements (see 2Thess. 3:6-15).

                                                             3.      Sadly, covetousness affects Christians as well as unbelievers.

a.       Christians are not immune to covetousness.  This is the reason for the abundant warnings against covetousness in the New Testament.

i.         Any Christian who is given to covetousness should be treated as an apostate sinner.  Faithful Christians are to have no more fellowship with a covetous brother than they would have with an adulterous brother, an idolatrous brother, or a brother given to drunkenness (1Cor. 5:10-11).

ii.        A covetous brother is to be subjected to church discipline in order to save his soul and to protect the church from his corruption.

b.       For a Christian, the correct attitude regarding material possessions is contentment.  See Philippians 4:11-12; 1Timothy 6:6-10.

IV.    CONCLUSION

A.      Let us remember that our Lord was the victim of covetousness, for He was betrayed by a covetous man for thirty pieces of silver (Matt. 26:14-15).  Certainly, no imitator of Christ should ever imitate His betrayer.

B.      This completes our study of the Ten Commandments.  Take the lessons from these commandments with you and find the blessedness of keeping Christ’s commandments in the gospel.