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The TENTH Commandment
"You shall not covet your neighbour's house. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour." Exodus 20:17
This commandment forbids covetousness in general, "You shall not covet;" and in particular, "Your neighbour's house, your neighbour's wife, etc.
I. It forbids covetousness in GENERAL. "You shall not covet." It is lawful to use the world, yes, and to desire so much of it as may keep us from the temptation of poverty: "Give me not poverty, lest I steal, and take the name of my God in vain" (Proverbs 30:8, 9); and as may enable us to honour God with works of mercy. "Honour the Lord with your substance." Proverbs 3:9. But all the danger is, when the world gets into the heart. Water is useful for the sailing of the ship: all the danger is when the water gets into the ship. So the danger is, when the world gets into the heart. "You shall not covet."
[1] What is it to covet?
There are two words in the Greek which set forth the nature of covetousness. Pleonexia, which signifies an "insatiable desire of getting the world." Covetousness is a dry dropsy. Augustine defines covetousness, "to desire more than enough;" to aim at a great estate; to be like the daughter of the horse-leech, crying, "Give, give." Proverbs 30:15. The other word is Philarguria, which signifies an "inordinate love of the world." The world is the idol. It is so loved, that a man will not part with it for any price. He may be said to be covetous not only who gets the world unrighteously—but who loves it inordinately.
For a more full answer to the question, "What is it to covet?" I shall show in six particulars, when a man may be said to be given to covetousness:
(1) A man may be said to be given to covetousness, when his thoughts are wholly taken up with the world. A godly man's thoughts are in heaven; he is thinking of Christ's love and eternal recompense. "When I awake I am still with you," that is, in divine contemplation. Psalm 139:18. A covetous man's thoughts are in the world; his mind is wholly taken up with it; he can think of nothing but his shop or farm. The imagination is a mint-house, and most of the thoughts in a covetous man's mint are worldly. He is always plotting and projecting about worldly things; like a virgin whose thoughts all centre upon her suitor. "Their mind is on earthly things." Philippians 3:19
(2) A man may be said to be given to covetousness, when he takes more pains for getting earth than for getting heaven. He will turn every stone, break his sleep, take many a weary step for the world; but will take no pains for Christ or heaven. After the Gauls, who were an ancient people of France, had tasted the sweet wine of the Italian grape, they inquired after the country, and never rested until they had arrived at it; so a covetous man, having had a relish of the world, pursues after it, and never ceases until he has got it; but he neglects the things of eternity. He would be content if salvation were to drop into his mouth, as a ripe fig into the mouth of the eater (Nahum 3:12); but he is loath to put himself to too much sweat or trouble to obtain Christ or salvation. He hunts for the world—but he only wishes for heaven.
(3) A man may be said to be given to covetousness, when all his discourse is about the world. "He who is of the earth, speaks of the earth." John 3:31. It is a sign of godliness to be speaking of heaven, to have the tongue tuned to the language of Canaan. "The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious;" he speaks as if he had been already in heaven. Eccl. 10:12. So it is a sign of a man given to covetousness to speak always of secular things, of his wares and business. A covetous man's breath, like a dying man's, smells strong of the earth. As it was said to Peter, "Your speech betrays you;" so a covetous man's speech betrays him. Matt 26:73. He is like the fish in the gospel, which had a piece of money in its mouth. Matt 17:27. "The words are the looking-glass of the heart," they show what is within. "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45
(4) A man is given to covetousness when he so sets his heart upon worldly things, that for the love of them, he will part with heaven. For the "wedge of gold," he will part with the "pearl of great price." When Christ said to the young man in the gospel, "Sell all, and come and follow me." "He went away sorrowful." Matt 19:22. He would rather part with Christ than with all his earthly possessions. Cardinal Bourbon said, he would forego his part in paradise, if he might keep his cardinalship in Paris. When it comes to the critical point that men must either relinquish their estate or Christ, and they will rather part with Christ and a good conscience than with their estate, it is a clear case that they are possessed with the demon of covetousness! "Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world." 2 Timothy 4:10
(5) A man is given to covetousness, when he overloads himself with worldly business. He has many irons in the fire; he takes so much business upon him, that he cannot find time to serve God; he has scarcely time to eat his food—but no time to pray. When a man overcharges himself with the world, and as Martha, cumbers himself about many things, that he cannot have time for his soul, he is under the power of covetousness.
(6) He is given to covetousness whose heart is so set upon the world, that, to get it, he cares not what unlawful means he uses. He will have the world by fair means or foul; he will wrong and defraud, and raise his estate upon the ruins of another. "The balances of deceit are in his hand, he loves to oppress. . . . Ephraim said, "Yet I am become rich." Hos 12:7, 8. Pope Sylvester II sold his soul to the devil for a popedom.
Use. "Take heed and beware of covetousness." Luke 12:15. It is a direct breach of the tenth commandment. It is a moral vice, it infects and pollutes the whole soul.
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Do you have a called of God ministry where your whole purpose is to "feed the sheep", and God supplies your needs, or do you have books, tapes, videos, etc. that you SELL for a "donation", or just outright SELL, and your buyers supply your needs?
There is nothing wrong with being in business and selling things. However, if you are a church or any kind of "ministry", you may want to check your motive for how you are conducting the work of the Lord.
Remember the money changers in the temple where JESUS turned over the tables and threw them out. They were selling things in the "CHURCH". (God made it quite clear to us that we were not to charge for anything, that HE was our source.)
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I think they need to be getting ready for another end-times "false alarm." Apparently, the Mayan couldn't even predict the demise of their own civilization -- much less ours. Nevertheless, thousands around the world are holding their breath, waiting for next Friday. Even some on Christian Television, such as Jack Van Impe, cannot resist the temptation of date-setting. So what is a proper Christian approach to true Bible prophecies and end-times teachings in light of all the false prophets today?
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