Part 1 ~ #10 “Do not covet.

”
(Part A - 2 parts)

Okay, so our journey through the 10 Commandments has begun! This study is one I‟ve been
working on many years, trying to see what all is tucked into the 10 Commandments. I would
appreciate any help on this study! So, if you see something I missed, or need more verses for
to help it make sense, PLEASE email me – I value that. Thanks! What I‟d like this study to be is
a collection of shorter studies that highlights the key issues that God is illuminating in the 10
Commandments (and explanations elsewhere in His Word), and getting a quick look at the
core of each of these 10 Commandments.

Again, thank you for joining me! Well, as with everything in God‟s Word, the words we read
here too are an understatement of how God feels and the consequences we earn for all of our
acts of rebellion, because He is so beautifully holy and we are so bent on rebelling against His
Word and Desires… As you read this, I expect that you will feel what I felt as I‟ve been
studying this – a burning, some shame and an „ouch, I‟m doing that‟. Please don‟t throw that
out (saying this to me too). That conviction we feel when we are reading His Word is THE
MOST SPIRITUALLY HEALTHY THING we can ever experience. And our response always needs
to be in 1 direction: „Dear God, wow. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was doing this, or I’ve been
trying to ignore it. Please forgive me and please teach me not to do this because it offends
You. Thank You for Your grace. Please keep teaching me not to presume on it or take it for
granted. And, please keep teaching me to obey You and grow in following and pleasing You
daily. And please give me wisdom how to correct this sinful and rebellious pattern in my
thoughts, words, actions, and lifestyle. Thank You! In Jesus’ holy name, Amen.‟ ~ Use your
own words. I do, because that‟s what Jesus said to do. It has to come from our heart, and He
knows it when it doesn‟t. When we see things we are wrong in, we need to confess it like we
are having a real conversation, because - well we are! And your well-being and my well-being
is determined by Him, and based on how much we want to please Him and actively confess
when we are wrong. Why? Because His focus in our lives is ALWAYS to get our focus back on
pleasing Him, and to show us when and how we are ignoring Him and doing it our own way
and how to stop that. But, He never wants us to stop at just confessing. He ALWAYS wants us
to get up from there and actively work on how to put this new understanding from His Word
into practice.

A tender warning: If you find yourself saying, „Well, I guess I don’t need to worry about that,
since I’m already doing well on that…‟ on things in this study – then, please slow down and
double-check yourself to make sure you are not walking in pride. Some of the verses and
points below are painful. If I got something wrong in this study, by all means, please email me
about it as you are able, because I want to get that corrected. But, if what I‟m presenting in
this study is accurate to God‟s Word and the context, then the response you and I need to
give to the conviction we feel on each of these needs to be more like „I think I’m doing okay
on this. God, please show me where I’m not putting this into practice, or show me where I’ve
hardened my heart on this one, so that I can confess it and walk in obedience in that area
too.‟

So, with that said, let‟s get a brief synopsis of the 10 commandments, and then look at the
last one. Oh, and btw (by the way), I guess I should also mention here, that I use
www.blueletterBible.org [ ~ for those who didn‟t know already, it‟s my favorite! ~ ] And
yes, that is what I use to post Scripture on Facebook and in studies, most often too~

Also in this study, I used a free Hebrew/Greek to English Interlinear tool called the
„Interlinear Scripture Analyzer‟. It‟s a small program and great to use! And you can download
it, here: www.scripture4all.org/download/download_ISA20.php (then click on the link that
says „download‟, and then follow the steps from there.) I really like this program because it
shows the literal Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament), and gives literal
translations into English. Though the structures of both the Hebrew and Greek languages are
different from English, the format the program shows of the English text makes it pretty easy
to follow. ~ So, happy studying!

And, it‟s my sincere desire that these studies prick our hearts, by clearly teaching and
applying God‟s Word so that it brings conviction, repentance and growth that then produces
blessed obedience. And I also want this study (and all the others I have worked on) to inspire
us to study God‟s Word more, not less! I don‟t want these studies to be (for you or me) a
„wow, I’ve heard God’s Word, now I can go do something else…‟ It is my earnest desire (and
prayer) that everyone who reads these studies will actively grow in cultivating a hunger and
thirst for God‟s Word – the parts we like and the parts that convict and hurt and grow us. So,
please keep this in mind as you study. Thanks! And, let‟s go!

Okay, first off, since we know that Jesus illuminated more of the depth of the 10
Commandments, in this series, throughout this study, it is my intention to also be looking at
what He explained about these 10 Commandments that accomplished the purpose He wrote
them – to show us what sin is and what is in our own hearts.

So, first I just want to note - the 10 Commandments can be found in Exodus 20 and
Deuteronomy 5. And it is my intent, in this study, to compare both passages when necessary,
though they look pretty much identical at first glance.

But, before we look at the 10th one, simplified as: “You shall not covet”, I want to first look
at another passage, where Jesus summed up a key aspect of the 10 Commandments and even
showed us how they should teach us to act, speak, and think. So, let‟s look at what Jesus
referred to as the 2 Greatest Commandments that sum up all of the commandments.

In Matthew, Jesus put it this way: "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And
the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two
commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." ~ Matthew 22:35-40

And in Mark, Jesus said this: "Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them
reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him [to test Him],
'Which is the first commandment of all?' Jesus answered him, 'The first of all the
commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love
the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all
your strength.' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: "You shall
love your neighbor as yourself." There is no other commandment greater than these.'" ~
Mark 12:28-31
>> In these 2 passages (and the one in Luke 10:25-28), Jesus defined the two categories we
find in the 10 Commandments:
 1) Commandments that highlight/teach us how we should and should not treat God,
and
 2) Commandments that highlight/teach us how we should and should not treat other
people.

Okay. Let‟s look at those 2 Greatest Commandments in just a little more detail, before we
get to the tenth of the 10 Commandments. (Below, I just summarized the 10 Commandments
for now, however I plan to look at them in subject and detail – one-by-one.)
1) The first four Commandments that highlight and teach us how we should and should
not treat God.
The more we grow in genuine love for God, the more we will grow in:
I. The Lord is our God, do not have any other gods before Him.
II. You shall not physically fashion or mentally create any image to worship or serve
instead of the true God, revealed in His Word.
III. Do not use God’s name carelessly, because He will not overlook when His name is
misused, and will respond with proper consequences.
IV. Honor God with (at least) one day per week – and keep that day holy, set apart to
Him.

Okay, so some notes on this - I think it‟s worth noticing that all four of these are
commandments talk about our relationship with God, and how we should treat and interact
with Him, and how we should not treat and interact with Him.

And I‟d like to also highlight briefly that our genuine love for God shows in each of these.
When we genuinely love God, (1) we will want to only worship and serve Him, (2) not want to
make anything in our lives more important than Him, or worship a version of Him more like
us, (3) we will not want to use His name carelessly because He is both real and precious to us,
and (4) we will want to (not begrudgingly „have to‟) seek to please and serve Him in every
detail of (at least) one day a week – desiring to give back to Him in gratitude for how much
grace He has lavished on us. I know I need this next reminder too: every time we willfully sin,
He has the right to strike us dead on the spot, though He most often chooses not to in His
grace and mercy. He is consistently and patiently compelling us and calling us to turn from
what we know is wrong, to seeking to do only what pleases Him, and we need to grow in
pleasing Him. If we refuse to listen to Him and His Word, He is a gentleman – He will not force
anyone to serve Him. But those who refuse to obey Him will suffer eternal punishment –
forever in a very real place called “The Lake of Fire” (Revelation 20:10, 14-15). In the end,
we will all go through a very thorough examination, and then reward each accordingly - the
saved and the unsaved.

2) The last six Commandments that highlight and teach us how we should and should not
treat other people, literally our neighbor (associates).
V. Honor the Dad and Mom God has given you, so that God may bless and lengthen
your life on Earth and use you more in His work.
VI. You shall not murder.
VII. You shall not commit adultery.
VIII. You shall not steal.
IX. You shall not lie or falsely accuse your neighbor.
X. You shall not selfishly want the possessions or wife of anyone around you.
As you can see, there is much to talk about in those 6 commandments, and those are just the
essence of them! This is a really cool study to me, because I‟m already seeing that it will be
valuable in quite a few areas of my life, including learning more of what is evil in my heart
and leaving it behind and calling others to do the same.

***

So, now to the 10th of the 10 Commandments – Do not covet. Why am I starting with the 10th
one? Well, my reasoning is pretty simple – we as a society have lost a grasp on God‟s Word
and move too quickly too often, past verses that should speak directly to us. So, for that
reason, I‟m going in reverse order because I really don‟t want us to miss all that is in the first
four, especially the first 2. So, I think as we get a grasp of the last 6, then we can have a
clearer perspective to see the amazing richness in the first 4, as well.

Okay, the 10th Commandment. It‟s found in Exodus 20:17 and Deuteronomy 5:21.

I think this is quite possibly the commandment I have heard the least amount of preaching
and teaching on, from anyone. And that‟s probably because it hits so closely to where we live
and how act, say, and think, what really motivates and drives our culture, and us. Those
reasons are why I think this is probably the most important of them all, because it not only
highlights a huge area of sin in our lives, but it also highlights why we do the other sins – it
goes after the root of the problem, and even several layers of the root of the problem. For
that reason, I‟m expecting this to be a 2-part section. As we look at this commandment (and
other teachings on it throughout the Scriptures), I believe we will be more able to see the sins
that lead(s) to us falling into other sins, and – in doing so – we will be more able to double-
check ourselves (in real-time) and set up mental „red-flags‟ to help us to more quickly see
when we are off-track and walking in darkness, following after our own selfish and self-
centered desires. So, let‟s begin.

My Heavenly Father, Thank You so much for Your amazing love for us. We don’t deserve any
of the millions of kind things you do for us. Help us in this whole study on Your law and its
purpose(s) to learn more of the fear of You – the beginning of wisdom, and to learn how to
hate what is evil and run from it and learn what is good and gravitate toward it, and grow in
pulling and compelling whoever we can to join us in drawing closer to You too. I know all of
our tendency in this study would be to pridefully think we are doing well because ‘at least
I’m not doing that…’ But, instead, please use Your Word (and this study) to soften our
hearts, help us to see areas of our hearts and lifestyles we need to concentrate on growing
in, and becoming more active in our daily growth closer to You. Keep teaching us to love the
things You love, despise the things you loath, and love others the way You love us! For those
who read this that don’t know You (yet), please teach them in this, that they too may see
where they are and repent of their rebellion against You and surrendering control of their all
of lives to You, becoming new creations, and then learning daily how to become free from
the hazards of this world and traps of Satan, and more consecrated, zealous, followers of
Jesus Christ. Please also use this study to remind those of us who are Your children and
whom You are actively teaching – to go back, revisit and re-kindle that first passion we had
for seeking You, pleasing You, following You that we had when You first brought us to
repentance. Thank You. In Jesus’ holy name, Amen.
"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." ~ Exodus 20:17

“You shall not covet your neighbor's wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor's house,
his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your
neighbor's.” ~ Deuteronomy 5:21
Obviously, this including guys and ladies, God‟s approach and focus with mankind really
centers on men being the leaders and held most responsible for their actions and teaching
those in their care. So the commands are focused toward the men, and the ladies can
obviously see the implied commands for them as well. As I say that, I don‟t want to
discourage any godly ladies. I have some dear sisters in Christ, that are like sisters to me
(though long-distanced). I know God is both growing them and using them and I encourage
them to keep actively growing! Hopefully this little reminder is a relief, to an extent, for
godly ladies, because the men carry the brunt of the responsibility and accountability. It is
how our loving Creator set it up, and God has arranged many ways that a woman can help
godly men in His work, without taking the brunt of consequences and accountability for. I
know this Biblical view is not popular in today‟s culture, but I think it is also worth noting that
the ministries where a lady is usurping God‟s role for men in a prideful way, those ministries
seem to be ripe with false teaching and twists toward more „palatable‟ definitions of God‟s
Word. However, ministries where a lady leading, while submitting to, working with and
staying accountable to her husbands, God is blessing their ministries and they seem to be
more Biblically sound. For those who are unfamiliar with this subject, I request that you think
about it and study it out. Ask God to show you this from His Word, this world and how it
affects and plays out in today‟s culture. And, look for when the world follows Satan‟s lies and
sets up something contradictory to God‟s Word, see how they are not Biblically accurate and
how they follow the many winds of false teachings and whims of a pagan and lukewarm
culture. And compare that to the when a ministry is established on Biblical principles and how
they more often preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and have clear and poignant insights and
teachings that motivate people to walk in the fear of the Lord and depart from evil. ~ In
conclusion, this commandment (as with all of God‟s commands) applies to both men and
women.

Back to the 10 Commandment study ~ the Greek text is very interesting.

Exodus 20:17 reads:
„not you shall (to delight in, lust for) covet house of an associate of you, not you shall
(delight in, lust for) covet the woman of associate of you, and servant of him, and
maidservant of him, the (ox) bull of him, the donkey of him, and anything that belongs to
associate of you.‟

And Deuteronomy 5:21 reads:

„and not you shall (delight in, lust for) covet the woman of an associate of you, and you shall
not (wish for, covet, greatly desire) lust for house of associate of you, field of him, servant
of him, and maidservant of him, the (ox) bull of him, the donkey of him, and anything that
belongs to your associate.‟

Now, that doesn‟t read smoothly in our English, but in it, as you can see, but I thinks it‟s
fairly easy for us to analyze and get the point. One thing I noted while reading it is that God
is very clearly equating coveting and lust, and tells us that desiring anything that doesn‟t
belong to us is wrong and violates His command. Strong words, huh? And, I think what makes
this harder is the rampant, unbridled, uncontrolled lusts and selfishness in the culture. For
when we see it so prevalent, we also very easily copy and apply it in our lifestyles – like
sheep.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the
LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” ~ Isaiah 53:6 (Not very flattering, but it‟s true!)

A similar passage that God really wanted us to catch this, so He repeated it:
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
~ Proverbs 14:12
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
~ Proverbs 16:25

Also we need to learn from this example:

“Thus King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem and reigned… And he did evil,
because he did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD.” ~ 2nd Chronicles 12:13-14

So, to prepare our hearts to seek the Lord more, let‟s look at the root words on coveting.

What else does God say about coveting or strong selfish desires? From my research I found
that the word covet is used 8 times in the Bible, the word covetous is used 9 times, and the
word covetousness is used 19 times in the Bible. Just with that little bit of information, we
could get the point that God really doesn‟t like this selfish attitude. And, because I believe it
is helpful, I want to look closer at those Hebrew and Greek words briefly to see a little more
detail.

In the Old Testament, there are several words used with a little variation on the same root
words. These words are from the ancient Hebrew (Aramaic).
 „chamad‟ ~ it literally means: „to delight in, desire, greatly desire, covet, lust‟
 „avah‟ ~ literally: „to wish for:--covet, (greatly) desire, be desirous, long, lust
(after).‟
 „ta'avah‟ ~ literally: „a longing for; by implication, a delight (subjectively -
satisfaction, objectively - a charm):-- desire, desire exceedingly, desire greedily,
lust, lusting‟
 „batsa‟ ~ literally: „break off, plunder, covet, covetous, be given to covetousness,
and gain (greedily)‟

In the New Testament, there are several words used, with a little variation on the same root
words. These words are from the Greek.
 „epithumia‟ ~ literally: „a longing (especially for what is forbidden): desire, lust
(after).‟
 „epithumeo‟ ~ literally: „to set the heart upon, i.e. long for (rightfully or
otherwise):--covet, desire, lust (after).‟
 „zeloo‟ ~ This word is translated for the English word „covet‟ (twice in the NKJV), but
it would be better translated as „be being godly zealous for‟
 „philarguros‟ ~ literally: „fond of silver (money), covetous.‟
 „pleonexia‟ ~ literally: „covetousness, (dishonest) gain‟
 „aphilarguros‟ ~ literally: „without covetousness, un-fond of silver‟
So, why did I give you all of those definitions? Well, first they are a good reference point to
come back to. Also, I think seeing the literal words God used to describe what He tells us not
to do is educational for us, and keeps this study on what God really said.

Conclusion on the definition

Coveting is: delighting in, wishing for, desiring, lusting for, longing for something that
doesn’t belong to us, and setting our hearts on and becoming fond of earthly treasures. If we
take God‟s Word literally (which I highly recommend) then we are all probably trying to
swallow that knot that is currently forming in our throats… There is a fine line between
lusting/coveting and just wanting what is needed to get by. We all need to grow in the
principle Jesus taught us in the „Disciples Prayer‟ ~ “Give us this day, our daily bread.”
(Matthew 6:11).

So, with those working definitions on covetousness in our minds, let‟s look at some verses
where God talks about coveting.

“Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth,
hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of
hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.”
~ Exodus 18:21

“For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire; He blesses the greedy and renounces the
LORD.” ~ Psalm 10:3

“A ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor, but he who hates covetousness will
prolong his days.”
~ Psalm 28:16

“Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness.”

~ Psalm 119:36

“Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is given to
covetousness; And from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely.”
~ Jeremiah 6:13

“Yet your eyes and your heart are for nothing but your covetousness, For shedding
innocent blood, And practicing oppression and violence.”
~ Jeremiah 22:17

“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications,
murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy,
pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
~ Mark 7:21-23

“And He said to them, „Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not
consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.‟”
~ Luke 12:15
“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have
known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the
law had said, „You shall not covet.‟”
~ Romans 7:7

“But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among
you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which
are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean
person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of
Christ and God.”
~ Ephesians 5:3-5

“Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness,
passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the
wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience.”
~ Colossians 3:5-6

“For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for
covetousness--God is witness.”
~ 1st Thessalonians 2:5

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For
He Himself has said, „I will never leave you nor forsake you.‟”
~ Hebrews 13:5

“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false
teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the
Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow
their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By
covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment
has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.”
~ 2nd Peter 2:1-3

In conclusion to part 1 on this ‘Do not Covet’

Folks as I‟m sure you can see, we are surrounded – no attacked from all sides by temptations
to give into our self-centered wants and to follow the dictates of our selfish hearts. A good
way to find out where we are actually at in this is to study where we are devoting our time,
energy, money, and resources – and why. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will
be also.” (Matthew 6:21) That verse in the Greek is interesting: „Wherever your
wealth/treasure is, there shall be your heart.‟ It‟s true. That‟s why Jesus said just a few
verses later: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the
other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and
mammon.” (Matthew 6:24) That last phrase reads in the literal Greek: “You cannot be
slaving to God and confidence in your wealth.” This is also why God says in 1st John 2: “Do
not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the
Father is not in him.” (1st John 2:15) The reason so many people try to rewrite the
definitions in these few verses (mentioned above) and the definition of what coveting is, is
that they are doing it so much, that if they were to admit it, they would have to completely
change their whole lifestyle and thinking. Their conclusion is correct, but their choice is
wrong. Those who watch TV and the world‟s garbage entertainment easily act out what they
see because it‟s what we‟re used to – it‟s natural to all of us. Selfishness is comfortable for us
and we‟d much rather what we think it actually means, than admit it, correct it, and forsake
it.

But, selfishness is our way – another way that leads to our destruction. From the time we are
born, we are naturally 100% selfish and self-centered. Over time, we either learn either to
leave it behind (to an extent), or we learn how to manipulate (or demand that) others to help
us get what we want, while downplaying what we are doing as really not that bad. Folks, we
need to stop that. We‟re not fooling anyone, not even God or ourselves. We need to look in
the mirror and be honest with ourselves and God, evaluating our lives to see how much our
selfishness really does run our lives. Sadly, even many people who say they are now genuine
followers of Christ, supposed to be new creations in Christ, don‟t change their ways much at
all – meaning they are not new creations –they are just educated in how to look like we are
acting right, rather than learning and growing in doing what is right. And instead of facing the
real problem in their hearts, many of them „church-shop‟ until they find teachers who gives
them approval to continue lusting, coveting, and manipulating to get their self-centered
wants - using every excuse inventible. Folks, covetousness is at the core of our being, and we
shouldn‟t try to just prune it or disguise it. We need to learn to daily work to uproot it from
our thoughts, words, actions, motives and lifestyles. I say all of this also, because many in
this country (saved and unsaved) have been so brainwashed by the world that they wouldn‟t
recognize their own selfishness even if 10 of their best friends tried to point it out. That
shows a hardening in the rebellion – another hazard of the perverted entertainment of this
world.

It is my prayer that after reading this, we won‟t point to someone else (pointing out their
„faults‟ or try to shift the blame), but we‟ll look at ourselves as God sees us, and grow from
what we see. So, okay - if coveting is a disease of selfishness that starts when we are young,
what is the cure? Self-control. You say: „What is that?‟ Yep – you‟re right. It‟s pretty much
non-existent in most of what is called Biblical teaching in America. That is sad, because godly
self-control in our thoughts, words, actions, motives and attitudes is essential for spiritual
growth, and is the answer to getting free from all our addictions (big and small). Learning and
growing in self-control is also necessary for us to have a right relationship with God to clearly
hear the voice of the Holy Spirit directing in the very details of our day. However, it‟s
certainly not a word you will likely be hearing from any self-help writer, psychologist, or
carnally-minded and philosophical candy-man posing as a pastor. And, with that said, we need
to also remember that self-control is one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in the
hearts and is active in the lives of every genuine believer… But then, I‟m getting ahead of
myself.

To really grasp what all is in this command not to covet, we need to see more of the heart-
attitudes that leads us to follow our selfish desires, so that we can learn to put up mental
red-flags when we see ourselves going back to the ways that Jesus died to save us from. So, in
part 2 of this study on the 10th of the 10 Commandments, I want to look even deeper at the
core of the problem, how to identify it in ourselves, and how to solve it. Thank you to all who
are praying for me as I work on this study (between work and ministry. ) ~ ttfn, your
bro/friend and a growing servant/life-slave of Jesus, SH
(Part B)

Do not Covet. – I have been really convicted as I‟ve been reading these verses and I hope they
are inspiring and changing you as well. I see some areas of my life that need some cleaning
and reworking, so that I can bring them into daily submission to Jesus Christ, as well. God‟s
Word is pretty clear – He despises our selfishness, yet thankfully He‟s gracious to teach us and
grow us!

Now, after seeing what covetousness is, I‟m convinced that we will only be able to solve the
problem, when we find the root to the problem, in addition to noticing the symptom. And as
we are studying through this command, I think we are all seeing that this command shows
how much selfish goes to the core of our being, and, how much we must learn more self-
control in this area of our lives every single day. And as I‟ve been studying more on this
command and what God revealed in it and with it, I‟m convinced that we break this command
before breaking 3 of the last 5 of the 10 Commandments. Before this rebellious heart-attitude
leads to a self-centered choice, there is an attitude that leads to this selfish attitude. The
attitude that precedes core heart-attitude that is a part of our carnal nature that leads to all
sin and rebellion against God – is PRIDE. For some, that is very logical, because they know the
Word of God. For others I talk with, that may come as a surprise to them. So, just to help this
make sense, let‟s dig into it a little. Let‟s look at few verses on pride, so we can get a full-
glimpse of this attitude, and then we can work to put up the necessary red-flags in our hearts
and lives so that we might recognize it, reckon ourselves dead to it (regularly, daily, minute-
by-minute -sometimes) and grow in beautiful humility. (Just for clarification, I personally also
need this key reminder so I too can watch out for pride in me.) Okay, so let‟s start with a few
verses on pride.

“Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble
spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.”
~ Proverbs 16:18-19

“Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility.”
~ Proverbs 18:12

“A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of
good behavior, hospitable, able to teach… not a novice [immature believer], lest being
puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.” ~ 1st Timothy 3:2, 6

And there we see the heart-attitude that led to the original fall in the Garden of Eden – pride.
A brief review here may be needed. Adam and Eve had it perfect in the most beautiful
Garden of Eden, and they even had face-to-Face talks with God, without any shame or
barriers! That had to be most amazing! So, what changed? How did we, as a human race, lose
everything? Satan (having tried his rebellion in Heaven and lost), had a new plan – to see if he
could stir a collected rebellion against God, among men. And his plan partially worked, and
sadly we currently reap the tough times and consequences of their actions. How did Satan get
Adam and Eve to fall? He started with Adam‟s wife, and deceived her – helping her to
question God‟s own words with lying and deceptively presented facts, and his plan worked
(partially) well because Eve was deceived and Adam willingly chose to follow in the rebellion.
And from then on – with Adam‟s willful choice, we all inherited a rebellious will and make our
own rebellious choices, until Christ redeems us and gives us His Holy Spirit, to teach correct,
and guide us. Why do I say Satan‟s plan only worked partially? Because every man, woman,
and child who choose to rebel don‟t all join Satan in his rebellion, but become ego-maniacs
(self-centered) rather than just all lining up and following Satan.

So, backing up more - how did Lucifer (now called Satan) fall? Same thing - Pride. And, as 1st
Timothy 3 notes, this is the same heart-attitude that led Lucifer to try to de-Throne God and
led to Satan‟s fall and being cast out of Heaven as his permanent eternal home. Let‟s look at
a passage briefly where God addresses Lucifer directly in Isaiah 14, and Ezekiel 28 concerning
his pride and rebellious spirit.

“How you are fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down
to the ground, You who weakened the nations!... For you have said in your heart: 'I will
ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars [angels] of God; I will also sit
on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above
the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' Yet you shall be brought down to
Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit. „Those who see you will gaze at you, and consider
you, saying: “Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who
made the world as a wilderness And destroyed its cities, who did not open the house of
his prisoners?'”‟” ~ Isaiah 15:12-18

Folks, doubting God‟s promises is not the most grievous sin in God‟s eyes, as this lukewarm
culture deceptively repeats to us in various ways. Doubt most often is a result of unresolved
guilt and fear – all of those are usually just consequences of our walking in rebellion against
God. The most major sin and core-rebellion against God in today‟s culture is pride. But, what
is it? It is the attitude of rebellion. And though most of us operate in pride daily, we wouldn‟t
recognize it because the world and the church have both diluted the definition down to
something different from Scripture, helping us convince ourselves that we „rarely do that‟.
But, we need to look more closely at this, lest we deceive ourselves and be surprised to find
out just how much trouble we are in with God. So, let‟s look at the definition a little more.

So, what is pride? It is the attitude of showing off. It is the attitude of wanting recognition
and praise for ourselves. It is the attitude of showing how tough we are. It is the attitude of
wanting to prove that we are right, instead of just wanting to make sure that we are doing
what is right. It is the attitude of wanting to do it „my way‟. It‟s the attitude of wanting to do
something by myself to prove how well I‟m doing. It‟s the attitude of not „needing‟ God in
EVERY detail. It is the attitude of justifying our rebellion against God and diminishing it as
though it were unimportant and not really that bad – as something trivial, different from what
God calls it – sin, rebellion. That is pride. It is a strong heart-attitude in all of us, and even
when we are trying to watch out for it, it is the easiest thing to fall into, and find God
opposing us – literally warring against us.

“Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble.” ~ Proverbs 3:34

“Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns
jealously"? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: „God resists the proud, But gives
grace to the humble.‟ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from
you.” ~ James 4:5-7

“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be
submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for „God resists the proud, But
gives grace to the humble.‟” ~ 1st Peter 5:5
Pride is rooted at the core of our rebellious being, and it is an evil heart-attitude we must
fight daily, even minute-by-minute some days. I know this teaching flies square in the face of
today‟s humanism when men and women are „good people‟, but this world is constantly
making light of sin and mocking God and His system of consequences – and we need to
remember that! God hates pride – it‟s an abomination to Him, and we need to learn to hate
our pride too. We MUST daily (and I speak to myself too) – We MUST DAILY learn to become
dead to our selfish and self-centered pride, and alive to godly and God-pleasing humility –
serving God first, above all else. Sadly, in many churches today, though they use the word
pride, they have redefined it. I know this topic often leads us to point out those around us
who (to us) are SO prideful, that we actually „look okay‟. But, again, that is us falling into
pride again – not grieving over our own heart‟s wayward rebellious ways, but wanting to shift
the focus and blame to someone else who is „worse than us‟. This will not work when we
stand by ourselves before God‟s Throne, so we would be wise to learn not to do it here,
either. We need to learn from God‟s rebuke to Satan concerning his pride and learn not to
repeat Satan‟s eternally-fatal choice. Notice the „I will‟ statements. That is pride. I know, I
know – I hear it too, and our culture works hard to redefine that, but God‟s Word shows it and
we need to learn from it. We would be wise to let God‟s Word and truth humble our
rebellious hearts and learn to submit to Him, rather than to follow in the world‟s foolish and
hard-hearted ways.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of
sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and
in His law he meditates day and night.” ~ Psalm 1:1-2

Verses on how God hates pride and commands to be humble:

“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the
perverse mouth I hate.” ~ Proverbs 8:13

“These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a
lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that
are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord
[against the truth] among brethren.” ~ Proverbs 6:16-19

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” ~ James 4:10

***

Coveting – the root behind it is pride

Proverbs 16:18-19, Proverbs 18:12, 1st Timothy 3:2,6 ~
(as well as many others, and examples of what not to follow)

Another example: “Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Though they
join forces, none will go unpunished.” ~ Proverbs 16:5

***
>> As with any sin, we would do well to work first to identify it, and then to always be
watching out for things we say that show our motivation is pride, at that time, so that we can
humble ourselves and not find ourselves wandering in darkness for a while. It‟s a process, but
it‟s one worth working on, because it too – leads to the peaceable fruit of righteousness,
when we are walking in obedience in this area.

***

Catch-phrase, that can become red-flags for us:

„I deserve it.‟
Correction to this wrong heart-attitude:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
~ Romans 6:23

>> Honestly, what we all deserve for our rebellion is death and separation between us and
God.

“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised
for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are
healed. all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” ~ Isaiah 53:4-6
>> Please note the use of the word „our‟. He took what we deserve (how amazing is that!),
and becomes the sacrifice for all who receive and submit to Him as their only Lord and
Master.

>>

„I‟ve been good all day, I can now do something naughty - I‟ve earned it.‟
Correction to this wrong heart-attitude:
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the
Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good,
for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” ~ Galatians 6:7-9

“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.
Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who
sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.”
~ 1st Thessalonians 5:5-7

“And this is the condemnation, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved
darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil
hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he
who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have
been done in God.” ~ John 3:19-21

>>

„It‟s my birthday, I can do what I want.‟

Correction to this wrong heart-attitude:
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of
light… And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose
them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret…
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time,
because the days are evil.” ~ Ephesians 5:8, 11-12, 15-16
>> There is never a „right time‟ to do what is evil. There is never a „holiday‟ for doing what is
wrong. And there is never a „special day‟ when God will „overlook‟ our rebellious actions,
words, thoughts or motivations, and not punish them. God‟s principles of „spiritual gravity‟
work around the close, as do the laws of physical gravity.

>>

„It‟s only fair.‟ (when we‟re excusing why we are fighting to get something we want)
Correction to this wrong heart-attitude:
“Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not fair.' Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My
way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair?” ~ Ezekiel 18:25
>> The context of this verse is those who were rebellious were furious that God would deal
with their rebellious deeds.

“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false
teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the
Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow
their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By
covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment
has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.” ~ 2nd Peter 2:3

>>

„I‟ve worked so hard, I deserve a little time to be selfish.‟

Correction to this wrong heart-attitude:
“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men knowing that from
the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” ~
Colossians 3:23-24

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe
that He is, and that He is the Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” ~ Hebrews 11:6

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive
the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” ~ 2nd
Corinthians 5:10

“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay,
straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be
revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work
which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he
will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” ~ 1st Corinthians 3:11-
15
“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue
knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance
godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these
things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the [obedience
and] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted,
even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore,
brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these
things you will never stumble...” ~ 2nd Peter 1:5-10

>>

„I‟m a nice guy/girl. I get good grades and work hard – deserve her/him.‟
Correction to this wrong heart-attitude:
“So He said to him, „Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if
you want to enter into life, keep the commandments…” ~ Matthew 19:17
>> Jesus‟ conversation with a prideful, rich young ruler – we too can learn lessons from his
example and how he hardened his heart in his pride and turned and left Christ for the world‟s
treasures, lusts and pleasures.

“He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the LORD.” ~ Proverbs
18:22
>> If we find a God-honoring mate, it isn‟t because we deserve him/her. Finding the spouse
God wants for us only comes as we seek HIM first, and a godly spouse is a reward from Him.

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from
above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or
shadow of turning.” ~ James 1:16-17

>>

„I had such a hard day today, I just need to spend time with her/him to help me relax, and
get away from it all…‟
Correction to this wrong heart-attitude: all of us have to fight this sinful desire – all of us.
When things are going tough, who‟s allowing them? That should have said Who is allowing
them, shouldn‟t it? God is, right. That is right. So, if God is the one who carefully arranges
every hard situation and pressure that He allows into our life, who should we go to first when
things are going rough? Who created us? Who genuinely loves us and died to save us from our
rebellion and the eternal crushing consequences? Jesus. This is why in many parts of God‟s
Word, He calls to our deceitful, rebellious, and wandering hearts to seek Him first – and keep
Him first, above all other things and people. But, since we are so selfishly driven – at our core
– we have to keep cultivating and correcting our thinking on a regular basis, double-checking
that we are putting seeking and pleasing Him first as our top priority, in every area of our
lives. And when we notice areas of our lives that we are excluding Him from – something we
selfishly call „our time‟ – then that we ought to be honest that this is an area of our lives that
we refuse to surrender to His control and making sure that we are obeying Him in that time as
well. Before any of us run to quickly past this last point, please, I need to remind us (me
included) that we have more times of „my time‟ when we exclude Him than we admit, and we
need to get that corrected.
“Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” ~
Psalm 37:4

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be
added to you.” ~ Matthew 6:33

***

Ways our culture works to influence and manipulate our thinking to fight for our selfish wants
shows up in how they advertise.

Some are obviously appealing to (even commanding) us to do what we want:

„Do what tastes right‟ (Wendy‟s, fast food)
„You deserve a break today – at McDonald’s‟ (McDonald‟s, fast food)
„Have it your way‟ and „Your way, Right away‟ (Burger King, fast food)
„Obey your thirst‟ (Sprite, carbonated soda)
„Do the Dew‟ (Mountain Dew, carbonated and caffeine-loaded soda)

Some just appeal to our wants in ways that appeal to our pride and selfish want for prestige
and to get noticed (pride):

„Mazda Fighter. Men only.‟ (Mazda)

„You're due. Definitely due.‟ (Buick) [note: due to buy one… trying to inspire selfishness]
„Following your own rules. Audi A6.‟ (Audi)
„BMW. Sheer Driving Pleasure.‟ (BMW)
„Unlike any other‟ (Mercedes)

„Seiko. It's your watch that tells most about who you are‟ (Seiko watches)

„Yours is Here‟ (Dell)

„The best a man can get‟ (Gillette)

„Official Sponsor Of The American Dream‟ (Bofl – internet bank)

„Our business is the American dream‟ (Fannie Mae)
„The daily diary of the American dream‟ (Wall Street Journal)
„Making the American Dream Come True.‟ (American Federal Mortgage)

„Huskey. The Toughest Name in Tools.‟ (Huskey tools)

„Klein Tools. For professionals… Since 1857.‟ (Klein tools)
„Makita. It's All The Power You Need.‟ (Makita tools)
„Milwaukee. Nothing But Heavy Duty‟ (Milwaukee tools)
„Powerful. Durable. Professional‟ (Ridgid tools)
„Stanley. Make something great‟ (Stanley tools)

While others appeal to save money on what we want:

„Kmart. Right Here. Right Now‟ (Kmart stores)
„The Good Life at a Great Price. Guaranteed.‟ (Sears)
„Target. Expect More. Pay Less‟ (Target Stores)
„Wal-Mart. Always low price. Always.‟ (Walmart Stores)
Am I suggesting that we should stop buying somewhere just because of how they advertise?
No, not necessarily. However, I can tell you that over the years, as I‟ve seen companies start
advertising in perverted ways or being caught in illegal or criminal activities, we have tried to
work hard to find more God-honoring alternative stores to shop at. With that said, all of us
need to determine where we buy from based on the company‟s approach toward God and His
Word. If they oppose God‟s Word, Christian activities, or are engaged in illegal activities,
then we should think, at least, twice about shopping there. But, that really wasn‟t my point
in showing some common advertising slogans…

My point in showing these slogans is to, hopefully, remind all of us how much our culture
pumps up our pride and selfishness, and in so doing, they continually ignite our coveting
selfish-core and prideful heart-attitude. So, what‟s the right perspective? It‟s just stuff. All of
it. In fact, it‟s all burnable stuff – too! That‟s it. God is watching all of us to see if we will
selfishly use stuff to manipulate people to get what we want, or to see if we will be faithful
to remember that we (who are genuine followers of Christ) will use our stuff to open doors to
share the gospel of Jesus and His message with them, and disciple them. Both of those
options are earning us rewards and showing where our heart truly is. Using stuff to
manipulate people is earning us rewards that will burn up, get us in trouble with God, and
could possibly show that we don‟t really care about following Christ. While, using stuff to
open doors to challenge people to follow Christ, seeking to please Him first – above all, is
earning us rewards that will last forever, and most often shows that we are genuinely new
creations in Christ, growing to be more set-apart (holy) followers of Christ.

Well, I look forward to working on the 9th Commandment soon, but to wrap this up, I want to
conclude with this reminder from God‟s Word. ~ till next time, take care and let‟s keep
growing in passionate obedience to Him (alone), in seeking Him first (in all things, and areas
of our lives), and in hunger and thirst and quality time and quietness in His Word and
presence. ~ your bro/friend and a growing servant/life-slave of Jesus, SH

“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity
for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word,
even in this: „You shall love your neighbor as yourself.‟ But if you bite and devour one
another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and
you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the
Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the
things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
~ Galatians 5:16-18