Scripture Reading: Exodus 20:12-17
Text: Exodus 20:17
Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Introduction: The first four commandments gave man's duties to God. The last six commandments gave man's duties to man. Men can watch a person keep the first five of those six commandments. They are obvious, outward acts. This last commandment of the 10, and the last commandment of the six giving man's duties to man, is one that cannot be seen. It is a commandment concerning the affections, thoughts, and desires of the individual. It is another negative commandment: THOU SHALT NOT COVET.
To covet is to lust or to have a strong desire. There are a few cases in the Bible in which the word is used positively, such as coveting earnestly the best gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:31 and coveting to prophesy in 1 Corinthians 14:39. In nearly all other cases, coveting is sinful.
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Coveting is basically to desire something that God does not want you to have.
Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Ephesians 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
These idols could be
Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
He tempted:
Jeremiah 6:13 For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
Mark 7:21-23 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
How to overcome covetousness and be cleansed of it:
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