Mar-19-0078-You shall not covet
78_You shall not covet Ex 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 is your neighbor's.” Imagine a young boy walking into a toy store. With wide-eyed wonder, his eyes dart from shelf to shelf, taking in the dazzling array of brightly colored boxes. A shiny red race car catches his eye. His mother gently reminds him, "You have so many toys at home." He insists on having it. It’s not about the car itself; it’s the longing to have more, the acquisitive instinct. As adults, our desires look different. We hanker for bigger and better houses, higher salaries, or enviable lifestyles. Yet the essence of the struggle remains the same. Covetousness, the unchecked desire for what isn’t ours, has plagued the human heart since the Garden of Eden. Therefore, God, in His infinite wisdom, commanded, "You shall not covet." This commandment goes beyond actions and addresses the desires of the heart. No human government can enforce such a law because it is impossible to monitor the hidden inclinations of the human heart. But this commandment reminds us that nothing escapes His notice. In Jeremiah 6:13, God rebukes Israel, saying, “From the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain.” Their outward religiosity could not conceal the greed lurking in their hearts. In Ezekiel 33:31, where He exposes the hypocrisy of those who came to listen to His prophet: “They come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but they will not do them, for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their covetousness.” The people’s outward devotion was a pretence; they were loyal to their selfish desires. Covetousness is incompatible with the love of God. A greedy heart has no room for God, as its affections are already pledged elsewhere. The Lord sharply rebuked the religious leaders of His day. In Matthew 23:25, He spoke, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.” Greed and self-indulgence are the twin pillars of covetousness. They promise fulfillment in things and sensations apart from God, leading us to idolatry. Paul reiterates this truth in Colossians 3:5, where he admonishes believers to “put to death... covetousness, which is idolatry.” The insidious nature of covetousness is its chief danger. It begins with desire, hidden in the heart, but quickly grows into destructive action. James 1:14-15 explains this: “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.” Covetous thoughts seem harmless at first, but if we harbour them, they shape our thoughts, words, actions, and character. Ultimately, we will prioritize our own will over God’s, moving away from Him. Scripture provides many illustrations of the consequences of