Thou shalt not covet

Exodus 20:17 – Thou shalt not covet

1)      Definitions

a)      Covet / chamad    literally, To Desire / Lust

i)        Genesis 2:9 That is pleasant

ii)       Genesis 3:6 Pleasant

iii)     Joshua 7:21 Achan – “then I coveted”

iv)     Psalm 19:10           More to be desired

v)      Proverbs 1:22         Delight

vi)     Song 3:3                 With great delight

vii)   Colossians 3:5        covetousness, which is idolatry

So, it is not the covetous longing which is intrinsically sinful, but rather the object of that covetousness which lies at the heart of the sin

(1)   Psalm 27:4                               A heart coveting the presence of God

(2)   Philippians 3:8-14                     A heart coveting the knowledge of God

(3)   Colossians 3:5                          All else is idolatry

b)      Neighbor / reya            literally, other person who is not you

2)      The groupings                                                                                 1 John 2:16

a)      Lust of the Flesh

i)        Eve – The tree was good for food

ii)       Christ – Command that these stones be made bread

(1)   Let the flesh rule

iii)     Thy neighbors house (literally household et al), bayith

(1)   More comfortable

(2)   More plentiful

(3)   More Bountiful

b)      Lust of the eyes

i)        Eve – It was pleasant to the eyes

ii)       Christ – sheweth him ALL the kingdoms of the world

(1)   Tempting him to accomplish kingdom without cross

iii)     They neighbors wife

(1)   2 Samuel 11:2

(2)   James 1:14-15

c)      Pride of life

i)        Eve – Desired to make one wise

ii)       Christ – cast thyself down

In front of all of these witnesses

iii)     Manservant / Maidservant (power and authority), Ox / Ass (Possessions and wealth)

3)      The relationships between the ten commandments

a)      Commandment 1-4 / Our relationship with a holy God

i)        The acts of our submission              Commandments 1-3

ii)       The rest (focus) of our submission   Commandment 4

iii)     We can truly worship God when we learn to rest in his finished work

b)      Commandment 5-10 / Our relationship with our “neighbor”

i)        The acts of righteous / right living     Commandment 5-9

ii)       The rest (focus) of righteous living   Commandment 10

iii)     We can truly live righteous and holy lives when our heart lifts off of the tender grass of the field (living in the flesh as a beast – Daniel 4:15-16) and turns in expectation towards God in heaven (Daniel 4:34)

4)      The Practicum

a)      James 1:14-15              Sin and Death is the child of Lust/covetousness

b)      James 4:3-4                  Lust and covetousness towards the things of this world is reflective of a heart at friendship with this world.

c)      James 4:3                     It is not the lust itself, but it is the object of the lust that draws our hearts into sin (ask amiss)

i)        Philippians 4:12-13 A monastery speaks of seclusion for the purpose of shutting down by coercion the lust of the heart.  This does not work, and at best forces the energy formally pointed to the lust of the flesh and the eyes into the pride of life.

ii)       Philippians 4:13                  A sanctuary speaks of  a hiding place where we can abide with Christ and he can abide with us.  It is not so much about where I abide, but about whom abides in/with me.    

d)      Submit – allow yourself to be placed (continually so) in Christ

i)        Romans 13:14 – Be putting on / thereby making no provision