The Holy Bible, King James Version
Exodus 20:17
17Thou 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.
A few years ago, a man in Detroit stepped out into his back
yard, and looking up saw a speck in the sky. It grew larger and
larger. Then he discovered it was something alive, a struggling,
living mass of something slowly descending to earth. What he had
first seen as a speck, had now revealed itself to be two large
bald eagles in deadly combat. The huge birds were fighting in
the sky over a fish. The fish had already dropped to the ground,
but the birds had continued their struggle until they were bloody and
exhausted. With a last wild scream, each made a fatal plunge at the other, and
both birds came tumbling down to earth dead, falling side by side, within a
few feet of the man who had been witnessing the fierce battle of the sky.
Greed had destroyed them
We ought to take lessons from the fate of these two eagles, because our innate
desire to keep up with the Jones's is going to bring us nothing but destruction
as well. The desire to have something that is not ours is ingrained into us from
the beginning of time, remember in the Garden of Eden? Both Adam & Eve had a
desire to have something that was not theirs to have. If you and I are going to
experience revival, we must learn to be content with what we have, and forget
about trying to compete with our neighbors. We must forget the Jones's.
The problem, it seems, today is that not only are we competing with the Jones's,
we are at the same time trying to surpass them in material greed. No longer is
it enough for us to want what others have, we have refined the art of
covetousness to the point where we have to have MORE than everyone else. Indeed,
a popular saying is "He who dies with the most toys wins!"
This sort of free for all, materialistic greed causes us to forget about the
good things in our life, and ruins our relationship with God. Perhaps this was
the reason God included this commandment in His list of the "Big Ten." As we
shall see shortly, violating this commandment can easily lead us into shattering
the other nine as well. What better time to talk about the sin of coveting than
a few weeks before Christmas, a time when gaining material goods seems to be the
sole reason for celebration in our world today.
The Requirement
This is perhaps, in equal parts, the easiest command to understand, but yet the
hardest to obey. Covetousness is an uncontrollable desire to acquire "things".
Specifically things which belong to someone else. God gives us some guidelines
in this morning's text.
We are not to covet our neighbor's house. Certainly this applies to the physical
dwelling our neighbor lives in, but I think there may be more to it than that.
House here could represent the lifestyle of our neighbor. We are not to desire
to be just like our neighbor. Bear in mind that coveting is not the simple
wishing for an item, but it is a deep seated longing. Coveting is a desire
without reason. We are unique individuals, each living the wonderful life that
God has given us, we ought to be satisfied with our lot in life, and not be so
eager to emulate another.
A few years ago, a friend of ours visited with hotel
entrepreneur Conrad Hilton. As they separated, an exchange of
calling cards took place. Our friend shares Mr. Hilton's quote,
"Food for Thought," which appears on the card: "In 1923, a very
important meeting was held at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in
Chicago. Attending this meeting were nine of the world's most
successful financiers. Those present were: The president of
the largest independent steel company; the president of the
largest utility company; the president of the largest gas
company; the greatest wheat speculator; the president of the New
York Stock Exchange; a member of the president's cabinet; the
greatest "bear" in Wall Street; head of the world's greatest
monopoly; president of the Bank of International Settlements. Certainly we
must admit that here were gathered a group of the
world's most successful men. At least, men who had found the
secret of "making money." Twenty-five years later let's see
where these men are: The president of the largest independent
steel company -- Charles Schwab -- died bankrupt and lived on
borrowed money for five years before his death; the president of
the largest utility company -- Samuel Insull -- died a fugitive
from justice and penniless in a foreign land; the president of
the largest gas company -- Howard Hospson -- is now insane; the
greatest wheat speculator -- Arthur Cutten -- died abroad
-insolvent; the president of the New York Stock Exchange
-Richard Whitney -- was recently released from Sing Sing
Penitentiary; the member of the president's cabinet -- Albert
Fall -- suicide; the president of the Bank of International
Settlements -- Leon Fraser -- died a suicide." "All of these
men learned well the art of making money but not one of them
learned how to live."
--S K. Evans
The second specific prohibition is a admonishment not to covet your neighbor's
wife. This one pretty well speaks for itself, and is also covered in the 7th
Commandment concerning adultery.
The third specific prohibition is one against coveting your neighbor's
manservant or maidservant.
Finally, God specifically prohibits coveting your neighbor's ox or donkey. This
one can be expanded as well I believe. We are not to covet the things, or
material possessions, of our neighbor. More often than not, we are better off
with what we already have than we are when we actively pursue someone else's
assets.
Bob James of Paint Rock, Texas, had a problem with stinging ants in his yard.
He laid a small circle of poison around their mound. Thinking the tiny
granules of poison were food, the ants began to pick them up and carry them
throughout the colony. Bob returned later to see how well the poison was
working. Hundreds of the stinging ants were carrying the poison down into
their mound. Then he noticed a hole in the circle of poison. Some of the
poison was moving the opposite way away from the mound. Some smaller,
non-stinging ants had found this "food" and were stealing it from their ant
neighbors. Thinking they were getting the other ants’ treasure, they
unwittingly poisoned themselves. When we see someone with more than we have,
we must beware. The hunger to beg, borrow, or steal our way into what is
theirs may poison us spiritually.
It is difficult for us to obey this command. The first reason is, of course,
the very fact that by nature we are sinful. We are sinful beings, and we seem
to have a bit of greed and avarice "built in." Another reason seems
simplistic, but we are sucked in by the advertising. Do you think it is
coincidence that the hot new toys are advertised during children's programs?
Not at all! Advertising companies charge astronomical fees because they have
the ability to target advertising for the most effect. Advertising is a very
effective tool, in fact it is a tool that we as churches don't make good use
of. Good advertising (at least from the point of view of the seller) creates
in us a desire for more. The more we see on TV, or in the newspaper, or in
magazines, the more we want it. Also, in our society so much emphasis is
attached to possessions. We are branded successful or unsuccessful by the car
we drive, the clothes we wear, or the number of rooms in our house. We are
constantly bombarded with the idea that in order to feel good about ourselves,
we must purchase product X. It's hard to live a live without material desires
in our culture, but if we are going to experience revival, we must go back to
relying on God, and not material possessions.
Why is this Sin So Dangerous?
Covetousness destroys our walk with God, but why? What makes this sin so
dangerous to flirt with? Well, to begin with, the sin of covetousness
generally leads to other violations of God's law. To covet first place is to
deify self and set God aside, breaking the first commandment. To covet fame
and recognition of others can lead to us taking God's name in vain. To covet
time and possessions can lead to us violating God's command for a day of rest.
(After all, we have to find some way to pay for the new things we want, so we
may as well work a little bit more) To covet our parents freedom can cause us
to reject their authority. Coveting another man's wife can lead to adultery,
coveting property can lead to stealing, and even to lying. Covetousness is
extremely dangerous and must be avoided to protect our walk with Christ.
Coveting destroys contentment. The more we get, the more we want. It is a
vicious cycle that has no end. The more we acquire, the more we will want to
go out and get. Before long we have more than we know what to do with, and
more than we possibly need. The truth we need to realize is that things
(possessions) do not satisfy.
Coveting destroys friendships. Envy creeps in so subtly and causes us more
grief than we need. It's hard to be friends with someone who is always wanting
what is yours.
Coveting destroys our financial well being. We generally act upon our desires.
When we want something that badly, normally we go out and get it. If we don't
have the money, we put it on credit. This in itself starts a downward spiral
of self destruction.
Finally, coveting covers up the spiritual. The more emphasis we put on
'things' the less time we have to focus on God. The pursuit of material
happiness becomes more important than the pursuit of holiness.
How to Avoid Covetousness
The best way to avoid falling into this deadly sin is to open our eyes and
look around us. We need to look at all of the wondrous blessings that God has
given to us. When we are going around thanking God for what we have, we don’t
really have time to wish we had other things. If we focus on what has already
been given us we will live a more content life. Don't believe the lies the
devil told in the garden…God will not keep any good thing from us.
A way to avoid coveting another's wife is to be thankful for the wife we have
already been given. This applies to women coveting another man as well. God
placed you and your spouse together, and he intends for you to remain
together. We are to look upon our spouse as if there is no one else to compare
them to.
A couple of donkeys were in two fields separated by a barbed wire fence. The
grass was equally lush and green in both pastures. Yet each donkey could be
seen poking its head through the fence as far as possible to graze on the
grass in the adjoining field. As the old saying goes, "The grass always looks
greener on the other side of the fence."
We Christians often display that same tendency. Something that belongs to
someone else, or some talent or ability that is beyond our reach, can seem so
much more appealing than what we already possess. Yet the Lord wants us to be
satisfied with what He has given to us.
Contentment is the opposite of covetousness. Are we content today? Are we
happy with the lot that God has drawn for us? Are we looking to God today, or
are we trying to out do Mr. Jones down the road? Our spiritual maturity
depends upon your answer to these questions. Let's forget about the Jones's
and focus upon God.
