You Shall Not Covet

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17).

Among the Ten Commandments, this last one is a bit different. While the others mainly regulated actions, the tenth commandment dealt explicitly with a condition of the heart. God has always been as interested in men’s thoughts as their actions. He “desires truth in the innermost being” (Psalm 51:6). Jesus observed that it is the heart which produces the wickedness that defiles a man (Matthew 15:19-20). He condemned those who “outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (23:28).

To covet basically means to intensely desire something, but in Biblical usage the desire is usually unhealthy and sinful. God did not forbid the Israelites to desire houses, wives, livestock or property — all rightful things to want. But God did forbid them to desire those things which belonged to their neighbors and thus could not be obtained without others suffering loss.

The coveting we are talking about is more than thinking the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Coveting is when I desire what belongs to someone else. And, in a broader sense, coveting is when my desire for a thing so controls me that I disregard God’s will in pursuit of it.

Coveting isn't just an Old Testament sin. The New Testament lists the covetous among those who will not inherit God’s kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). It is with good reason that Paul calls covetousness idolatry (Ephesians 5:5); it takes even the desire for a good thing and makes it all-consuming, so that the thing desired becomes our god.

Covetousness may seem harmless, but it produces evil fruit.

● Stealing begins with coveting. Achan coveted the spoils of Jericho which God had reserved for Himself (Joshua 7:21; 6:17-19). He took them in defiance of God’s command and paid with his life. Judas’ desire for money led him to steal even from his fellow apostles (John 12:6).

● Adultery begins with coveting. David coveted Uriah’s wife (2 Samuel 11) and committed adultery with her. Worse, their adultery led to deception, murder, and personal tragedy. Many a marriage has been destroyed because a man or woman looked with lustful eyes on one they could not rightly have (see Matthew 5:27-28).

● Murder may begin with coveting. Ahab coveted the vineyard of Naboth (1 Kings 21), so his wife Jezebel had Naboth framed and killed. People have lost their lives over a house, a car, even a jacket or a pair of shoes. And how many wars between nations have begun because one wanted what the other had?

● Personal betrayal may begin with coveting. Greedy Judas, for the paltry sum of thirty pieces of silver, delivered Jesus into the hands of His enemies (Matthew 26:14-16). Many others have broken promises and betrayed trust in order to obtain something they desired.

● Strife often begins with coveting. “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel” (James 4:1-2). When we see another who has what we do not, we may become jealous and resent him for it, or we may become envious and want make him suffer for it. In so doing we walk after the flesh, not the Spirit (Galatians 5:20-21). When Christians bite and devour one another, it can often be traced to the petty envy that comes from a covetous heart.

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the most common variety of covetousness is greed — the desire for money and the things money can buy. Greed is a symptom of a heart that has rejected God (Romans 1:28-32), and so it, like covetousness in general, is called idolatry (Colossians 3:5). In memorable words, Paul warns us that “the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many a pang” (1 Timothy 6:10).

We may not be guilty of the heinous deeds of Ahab or Judas, but we may still do some ungodly things for the love of wealth. A man who craves money and material things may gamble with the money he already has. He may be dishonest in his business dealings. He may work long hours to the neglect of his family, his brethren, and his God. He may become stingy in giving (see 2 Corinthians 9:1f). We are more susceptible to it than we may think. Do you measure happiness mainly in terms of how much you have? If so, then hear Jesus: “Take heed, and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15).

The tenth commandment reaffirms that we aren’t slaves to our natural desires. We can control our impulses. What do we need to overcome a covetous heart?

First, be learn to be content (Philippians 4:11). Covetousness is the opposite of contentment. Contentment with my blessings will keep me from having a consuming desire for wealth (1 Timothy 6:6-8). Contentment with my spouse will keep me from coveting someone else’s (Proverbs 5:15f). Cultivate an appreciation for God’s blessings on you and you’ll be less likely to turn a greedy eye toward what others have.

Second, learn to be thankful. We will worry less about what we don’t have if we’re thankful for what we do have. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).

Third, “Set your minds on things above, not on things that are one earth” (Colossians 3:2). “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).