Introduction: Let's review what we covered in the past nine studies. The keeping of the law has never saved anyone.
- "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." (Galatians 2:16)
The truth is, salvation has never been by the keeping of the law. It was not that way in the Old Testament, it is not that way now, and it will not be that way in the future or during the Millennium. This is why Hebrews tells us that salvation has always been through Jesus, "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." (Hebrews 4:2)
The purpose for the law was never to save but to show us our need of salvation. It is compared to three things in the Scriptures:
- A schoolmaster; Galatians 3:24-25, The schoolmaster was not the teacher, but brought the student to the teacher.
- A plumbline; Amos 7:7-8, The plumbline did not straighten a wall, but showed its need of straightening.
- A mirror; James 1:23-25, A mirror does not clean a man's face, but shows the need for washing the face.
The Ten Commandments can easily be divided into two groups of five:
- Commandments 1-5 have to do with our relationship to the LORD. The phrase "the LORD thy God" is found in each one. They have to do with piety.
- Commandments 6-10 have to do with our relationship to one another. The word "thou" is found in each one. They have to do with probity.
In the original language of the Old Testament, these 10 commandments were neither numbered nor divided. The Roman Catholic Church has traditionally divided them into two groups, the first of which consists of the first four commandments while the second is made up of the last six. However, the Jews have, from their earliest records, divided them into the two groups of five I mentioned above.
There is another interesting fact concerning these Ten Commandments. All of them deal with three areas; thought, word, and deed.
- Commandments 1-2 = thought; verses 2-6
- Commandment 3 = word; verses 7
- Commandments 4-5 = deed; verses 8-12
- Commandments 6-8 = deed; verses 13-15
- Commandment 9 = word; verse 16
- Commandment 10 = thought; verse 17
** The first commandment is found in Exodus 20:1-3, "And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me." We found that idolatry is a grievous sin and God puts it first on His list of ten commandments. Why first? If our foundation is wrong, our structure will be shaky.
** The second commandment is found in Exodus 20:4-6. The second commandment is not a restating of the first, but rather the stating of another commandment. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments." Not only is it forbidden to have other gods before God, it is equally forbidden to make and have other gods in your possession.
** The third commandment is found in Exodus 20:7, "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." The third commandment goes much further than the mere mispronunciation of His name. Taking His name in vain also included how we use His name and how we live as Christians.
** The fourth commandment is found in Exodus 20:8-11, "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." The Sabbath Day of the Old Testament was given as a sign for the people of Israel and was to be observed until was fulfilled in Jesus. There is no Christian Sabbath; never has been and never will be. Today but there is the principle of rest and the example set by the early New Testament believers to meet for worship on the first day of the week. We do not have a Christian Sabbath to observe but we do have a command to not forsake the assembling ourselves together as the manner of some is.
** The fifth commandment is found in Exodus 20:12, "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." This commandment completes the first grouping of five commandments. As I mentioned earlier, the first five commandments deal with our relationship to God and piety toward Him. What is piety? Piety is the state or quality of being pious, especially concerning devotion and reverence to the Lord. It also means a devotion and reverence to parents and family. (American Heritage Dictionary)
The remaining five commandments do not deal with piety but probity. Again, what is probity? It is uprightness and honesty, and, as stated earlier, these commandments deal with our relationship to one another.
** The sixth commandment is found in Exodus 20:13, "Thou shalt not kill." Is this kind of killing simply the taking of a human life? Does it include the taking of human life no matter what the reason? There are 10 words in the Old Testament used for the word kill. Exodus 20:13 uses the ninth meaning, which means, to break or dash in pieces; to kill, to slay, in a violent, unjust manner. It means to murder.
Continuing now in the last division of five commandments, we come to the seventh commandment, again dealing with another aspect of probity, that is, our honesty and uprightness with others.
** The seventh commandment is found in Exodus 20:14, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." There is probably not a clearer commandment among the ten. This verses means exactly what it says but has more than one application. "Preacher, what does this verse mean?" It means that you do not have God's permission to commit adultery, whether spiritual or physical, period, and that it is sin to do so.
- - Adultery means voluntary sexual relations between a married person and a partner other than the lawful spouse. (American Heritage Dictionary)
- - An adulterer is one who commits adultery. (American Heritage Dictionary)
- - Adulterate is another form of the word and it means to make impure by adding extraneous, improper, or inferior ingredients. (American Heritage Dictionary)
Continuing now in the last division of five commandments, we come to the eighth commandment, again dealing with another aspect of probity, that is, our honesty and uprightness with others.
** The eighth commandment is found in Exodus 20:15, "Thou shalt not steal." It is interesting to note that this does not just deal with theft but with other things as well. This is seen in the Hebrew meaning of the word steal.
** The ninth commandment is found in Exodus 20:16, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." Perhaps this commandment is not as plain as it may appear. Bearing false witness involves more than simply lying. Lying is definitely a part of it, but there is more here than simply not telling the truth. To bear false witness, means to testify against another person falsely. It means to be deceitful in your dealings with others, and God says that bearing false witness against anyone is sin.
** The tenth commandment in our series is found in 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." Our world is plagued with many curses. Among its worst is covetousness. In the Ten Commandments, God strictly forbids this inner sin. He calls it a sin to covet anything that is your neighbor's. The dictionary defines covetousness as grasping for more or being greedy of gain. It is as the sin of selfishness. Dr. Lee Roberson calls this, "An ancient sin dogging (closely tracking) the steps of modern man."
A story is told of a peasant who murmured to a giant landholder of the unfairness of it all. Knowing the nature of men, the landholder promised to give the peasant all of the land he could walk around the whole day. The peasant, greedily trying to take in all the area possible, overexerted himself and dropped with a heart attack and died. He ended up with nothing. Notice with me three questions about covetousness:
1. What is covetousness? - Romans 1:28-32
"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."
- Covetousness is sin. It is among the worst sins mentioned in the Bible.
- Achan was a man in the Old Testament who, because of a covetous heart, brought God's judgment on Joshua's army.
- The Lord told Joshua to destroy Jericho and warned him not to take any of the gold or any other precious thing for himself for they were the Lord's.
- Achan eyed a wedge of gold, 200 shekels of silver, and a Babylonian garment. He began to covet them and he took them. He stole the "accursed thing." "And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel." (Joshua 7:15)
- Achan could not help what he saw, but he could help what he coveted and what he stole!
- The outcome of this covetous act is one of the saddest in the Bible. "And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones." (Joshua 7:25) The cost of a covetous heart is more than you can imagine!
- Covetousness causes unhappiness and misery. Satisfaction never comes until this greedy sin is crushed!
- Achan is not the only one of God's people who has ever coveted. Many of God's people do it today. Every week thousands of Christians receive God's blessings and wages; then, when He asks for only 10% back, they ignore His command and turn a deaf ear.
- Covetousness also causes many of God's people to pass up opportunities to do great things for God. Those who could support missionaries, buy busses, and help build buildings for the work of the Lord, are busy just piling it up higher and higher. Soon, the opportunities will pass and be gone forever!* A Kansas peddler living in poverty insisted that he was not able to pay a $5.00 debt. A few days later, he was found dead of malnutrition. Investigators were looking through his possessions and found $61,000.00 in cash and bonds. The state got it all. This story is repeated hundreds of times each year.
2. Where does covetousness come from? - Mark 7:21-22
"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness."
- Ezekiel preached, "And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness." (Ezekiel 33:31)
- King Ahab wanted Naboth's vineyard. His covetous heart led to stealing and eventually murder.
- There are a lot of Ahabs around today who would beg, borrow, steal, and even murder to get what they want.
- This is one sin you cannot blame on the Devil. It comes from within! "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." (James 1:14)
3. Where does covetousness lead? - 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."
- Plainly put, it leads to all evil of all kinds.
- When a person becomes covetous, no one knows how far he will go to obtain that he wants. What he wants, just like it was with Achan, becomes the accursed thing.* A successful businessman and his friends were talking and laughing together and enjoying their success. The businessman told of his childhood poverty. Someone had given him a big coin. To have a big coin was rare for children back then, and his little sister begged to hold it. He laughed over the memory of all of the chores he could get her to do for him just to get to hold the coin. He told of a day when she minded the cows all day for the privilege of holding the coin, only to give it up at the end of the day. All of the men again laughed at the childishness of the sister.
Just then, one man not laughing, reminded the businessman that all he was doing now in labor and service was for the privilege of holding on to a few possessions. "The end of the day is coming and you will have to give them up just like your little sister did."
- Covetousness leads to sorrow, always has, and always will.
Conclusion: This is how it is with all of us. Jesus warned, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal." (Matthew 6:19-20)
How many there are today who are destroying their lives through covetousness. Not only are they ruining themselves, but those around them in order to have just a little more. Notice these warnings:
- "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." (Colossians 3:5)
- "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." (Hebrews 13:5)
- "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints." (Ephesians 5:3)
- "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." (Luke 12:15) Jesus promised that these things we would desire to have can be obtained by seeking the Lord first. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)
Is it ever right to covet? The only thing that is right to covet is "the best gifts." "But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way." (1 Corinthians 12:31) We are to look around us and see faithfulness, loyalty, dependability, love, and other good things in the lives of Christians and covet those things. We should grasp, desire, and seek after the fruit of the Spirit and not after those temporal things found down here. Are you a covetous Christian?