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Coveting and Other Sin--Coveting will issue in other sins.
The tenth commandment
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 is your neighbor’s.”
Deuteronomy 5.21
“‘And you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’”
Luke 12.13-21; Ephesians 5.5; Colossians 3.5; 1 Timothy 6.6-8
Coveting will issue in other sins. It’s just a matter of time. James explains how coveting leads to strife, quarreling, and worse (Jms. 4.2, 3). In Scripture we see many examples of this. Cain coveted Abel’s blessing, leading to murder. Abraham coveted safety above trust in the Lord, and nearly compromised his wife’s purity. Achan coveted the spoil of Jericho, and stole from the Lord, to the harm of his neighbors. David coveted Bathsheba, leading to conspiracy and murder. Judas coveted silver, and he betrayed the Lord.
Thus it is crucial to a growing walk with the Lord that believers learn to recognize covetousness and to take it before the Lord in prayer, seeking grace to help in our time of need.
This series of In the Gates we present a detailed explanation of the Law of God, beginning with the Ten Commandments, and working through the statutes and rules that accompany each commandment. For a practical guide to the role of God’s Law in the practice of ethics, get The Ground for Christian Ethics by going to www.ailbe.org and click on our Book Store.