I was on the AmazingFacts.org Christian website recently and watched a sermon on this very commandment. The sermon also directed viewers to a free online book on coveteousness called 'Thieves In The Church' by Joe Crews. By the completion of the book, I learned just how deep this commandment is and how little attention it gets when compared to the other commandments.
The commandment in the King James Version says,
"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". Exodus 20:17
The word 'covet' in Hebrew is ṯaḥ·mōḏ. The word itself is not a bad word. It means "beauty, greatly beloved, covet, delectable thing, great delight,desire". There are many wonderful things The LORD created for our enjoyment and/or pleasure, but mankind often takes things to their extremes, and what is suppose to be a blessing to man (marriage, sex, food, music...) is perverted and subverted to a point that they become addictions and abuses to many.
In the Bible, the word 'covet' was mostly used in the negative sense, but we do have a few positive examples (in 1 Corinthians 12:31, 'But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way' and 1 Corinthians 14:39, 'Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues'). We are encouraged to covet the best gifts, but we spend more time lusting and desiring the 'grass that seems greener on the other side' than the things we do have. This over-desire leads to many other sins, and these often start with a thought, then a plot, then maybe a scheme and then a public sin.
I will stop here, but will continue to share my thoughts and studies on this very HEAVY commandment.
I will stop here, but will continue to share my thoughts and studies on this very HEAVY commandment.
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