Sermon Tone Analysis

Perhaps no other commandment illustrates the inter-connectivity of the Law than the Tenth Commandment.

When we are breaking one commandment, we are breaking other commandments.

We begin with the commandment itself as found in the book of Deuteronomy.

The interesting thing about this version of the Tenth Commandment, is that God inspired Moses to pull out the coveting of our neighbor’s wife and place in a prominent position.

This is to highlight two things: First, the value of women and second, the link between breaking the Seventh Commandment and coveting.

Our second reading comes from Colossians 3:5:

Here Paul lists five sins and links them to the breaking of the first four commandments.

Ultimately all sin is idolatry, however, covetousness is placed in a predominate place in this sentence.

There is an unmistakable link between covetousness and idolatry.

When we sin, we are coveting God’s power and authority, just as Adam and Eve did in the Garden.

The third, and final, passage I would like to read from is James 4:1-4:

Once again there is a link between the sin of covetousness and other sins, in this case, namely murder.

It is this passage which will serve as my sermon text today.

There are three things that can be identified about the sin of covetousness:

It’s Origins

It’s Consequences

It’s Cure

The Origins of Covetousness

The first thing James mentions is our “passions” or “desires”.

We all have desires.

Desires in and of themselves are not evil.

When they are rightly ordered and directed by God and His Word, they are good.

Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

However, when our first desire in not directed towards God and His Word, our desires quickly turn towards evil.

This brings us to the second thing James mentions as the cause of covetousness—prayerlessness— “you do not have because you do not ask”.

In this we are seeing what Paul was speaking of in his letter to the Colossians, covetousness is another form of idolatry.

The God of the Bible is unlike any other God—He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things.

It is impossible to have your needs meet without God.

If you attempt to meet your needs without God, you will always go away hungry:

Is the tyrant ever satisfied with his power?

Are the rich ever satisfied by their wealth?

The answer is “no”!

Sinful passions are never satisfied, they always have to go on to the next level!

What are the consequences of this never-ending cycle of covetousness?

This brings us to the second main point:

The Consequences of Covetousness

The first thing James mentions is “quarrels and fights”.

Living without God being the center of your life, places you in a situation of scarcity, famine and hunger.

Have you ever seen the news clips of aid workers throwing bread into a crowd of starving people?

If you ever have, I don’t think you will ever forget it.

The image is too horrifying.

This is what it is like when we attempt to satisfy our desires without God.

Life becomes a dog-eat-dog world, and eventually our quarreling and fighting will end in murder.

Perhaps not an actual physical murder, but murder in other ways.

Do not forget what Jesus taught us in His Sermon on the Mount:

The verbal attacks which Jesus is speaking of are motivated by a desire to destroy other’s character and identity.

We live in a time of “Cancel Culture”.

If we as a society continue to attempt to meet our needs without God and prayer, we will devour each other!

This brings us to the second consequence James mentions:

Covetousness is a form of idolatry.

It is to make ones’ self an enemy of God and join the ranks of evil!

Thankfully there is a cure:

The Cure for Covetousness

I have been speaking of the cure throughout this sermon—faith and trust in God; but I want to highlight it with one verse from the book of Hebrews and another from Paul’s first letter to Timothy:

Now, for the verse from 1 Timothy:

Both of these verses emphasis contentment, contentment is being satisfied with what God has provided you with.

Contentment is an act of faith, it is believing that God knows best and is providing you with exactly what you need, no more or no less.

This is supported by his citation of Joshua 1:5.

To see why this citation is so important, let us look at it.

Before I read it, let me give you the context.

Moses has just died and now Joshua has the tremendous task of leading Israel in the conquest of the Holy Land.

Imagine being in his shoes.

He looks around him and all he sees is a ragtag army.

He then looks at his opponents.

Cities defended by high walls.

Well trained and equipped armies, led by giants!

I can well imagine Joshua coveting what his opponents had.

Now listen to what God says to Joshua:

Now, I want to share with you something very important about this verse.

Put your listening ears on you do not want to miss this: According to the author of Hebrews, God says these words not only to Joshua, but to all who believe!

The Apostle Peter puts it like this:

Why can we be content?

We can be content because “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness”.

Notice that Peter says “life and godliness”.

That is both our spiritual and physical needs.

Moreover, Peter says “all things pertaining to”.

Most people are willing to accept “some things”, few believe “all things”; but this is what our text says—ALL THINGS!

So why does it feel as though God is sometimes not giving us all that we need?

The answer is found in that phrase “life and godliness”.

We cannot see that big picture, only God can.

Sometimes the thing we think will bless us, is the very thing that would curse us.

A classic example of this is King Hezekiah’s prayer that his life would be extended, as H. B. Charles reminds us, “sometimes it is better to die than to have God give us what we ask for in prayer”!

In those extra fifteen years, his heart became proud, as a result, the wrath of God fell upon Judah and Jerusalem.

Part of the working out of that wrath was the birth of his son Manasseh, the most wicked of all of Judah’s kings.

All the good and godly reforms of Hezekiah were undone by Manasseh, and Judah fell into a downward spiral that would not end unto both Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed!

In contrast, faith and trust in God’s wisdom and love is content with what God’s providence has given us.

In the words of the Heidelberg Catechism, we can be “patient in adversity, thankful in prosperity; and in all things which may befall us, we place our firm trust in our faithful God and Father, that nothing shall separate us from His love”.

This, brothers and sisters, is the cure for covetousness.

Let us apply the healing balm of faith and trust to our hearts today.