The Tenth Commandment (Exodus 20:17)
Last week I said that the Ninth Commandment is the one that is most broken in our day, but that is wrong. In a sense it was not totally wrong to say, but when we look at what it means to covet, then we understand that this one is broken before we break any of the other 10 Commandments. This commandment locates the breaking of the other 9 commands at the heart.
“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 is your neighbor’s.” (Exodus 20:17 ESV)
Covetousness is the sinful desiring of something you don’t have. And, according to this passage it is almost everything. It could be desiring to have a new boat, a different car, an adulterous affair, anything. This is wrong. This is the most obvious way we break this commandment.
Coveting is a dissatisfaction with what God has provided us with. In other words, covetousness is a lack of faith.
“The root of covetousness is distrust of God’s providence. Faith believes that God will provide, that He who feeds the birds will feed His children, that He who clothes the lilies will clothe His lambs; and thus, faith overcomes the world. Faith is the cure for covetousness and discontent.”—Thomas Watson, “The Ten Commandments”
As Christians, we know that these things will not fulfill our every desire. They only promise to do so.
“The things of the world can no more ease a troubled spirit than a gold hat can cure a headache!”—Thomas Watson, “The Ten Commandments”
So, at the beginning I would like for us to see that covetousness in itself is a lack of faith or lack of trust in those things that God has provided us with. It is not the things of this world that we should covet, it is the things of God.
“Covet heaven, for it is the region of perfect happiness, the most pleasant climate. If we covet heaven more, we will covet earth less! To those who stand on the top of the Alps, the great cities of Campania seem like small villages, and if our hearts were more fixed upon the Jerusalem above, all worldly things would disappear, would diminish, and would be as nothing in our eyes.”—Thomas Watson, “The Ten Commandments”
God never calls us to desire less. He calls us to desire the right things and to find our pleasures in Him.
“You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11 ESV)
And so, the cure for covetousness is to find our contentment in the Lord and in His provision.
“If our hearts were raised up to heaven by the power of the Holy Spirit, we would not be much absorbed with earthly things.”—Thomas Watson, “The Ten Commandments”
Where Sin Begins
Sin doesn’t begin when you first carry out your plan of rebellion. It begins at the level of desire.
Jesus knew this passage of Scripture. And while everyone else was applying the commandments in a very physical way, Jesus was informing everyone that we have a heart problem. Well, that wasn’t a new thing. It was in the Tenth Commandment all along.
“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.”—Matthew 5:21-22 NASB
Notice that Jesus states that you can commit murder at heart. And this is something we discussed a few weeks ago in the commandment to not murder.
We are whole people. We don’t just sin. We have desires. We lust after things that would be evil to do and then we do them. We murder at heart, that is hate, far more often than committing actual murders. And we commit adultery at heart, far more often than we commit adultery.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”—Matthew 5:27-28 NASB
The point here is that we have a desire to sin before we sin. And our wicked desires are a sin as well.
“Let us be humbled for the sin of our nature, the stirrings of evil thoughts, and coveting that which we should not. Our nature is a seedbed of iniquity.”—Thomas Watson, “The Ten Commandments”
Conclusion
In closing, I want to end this commandment in the same way that I ended the others. I want us to look at how this applies to us today in using the 3 Uses of the Law.
As a mirror this helps us to see just how dark and ugly our hearts are. Nothing shows me the darkness of my own heart and need for a Savior quite like looking at the intentions of my heart. This drives me to Christ where I find cleansing and forgiveness.
The Civil Use of this is not very applicable. I just don’t see people being able to be punished for their wicked desires.
And as I examine this commandment I see that my thoughts please God. So, I repent when I sin, even when it is only a seed that has not become fruit.
R. Dwain Minor