Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Tenth Commandment- Don't Covet



"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's." (Exo 20:17)
When was the sin of coveting first committed? You might find it interesting that the Hebrew 'chamad' (i.e., 'covet') appears in Genesis 3:6, where it is translated 'desirable' in the New King James Version.

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (Gen 3:6)
Eve coveted something that wasn't hers, and the rest is history. Coveting things that don't belong to us is not only hazardous to our own well being, but is quite hazardous to the well being of our family and our community.
The Hebrew and Greek words for 'covet' are also translated 'lust' in your Bible, which means a strong craving for something that we don't have. Unfortunately, Satan and his minions often decieve us into thinking that Christ isn't enough, and that our lack of joy or peace is due to us lacking something, whereas Christ is truly all we need. Our lack of joy or peace can only be rooted in our lack of Christ. Christ in us is our hope of glory. (Col 1:27)

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. (Col 3:1)
Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

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