When you think of the Ten Commandments that God gave His people through Moses in Exodus 20, which of the commandments comes to mind first? For me, I think of the commandments not to have any idols, lie, or murder. One of the commandments that we do not often think about is the very last command given in this set of ten commands: "You must not covet…" (verse 17). This week, we will study a command from God that remains essential for us to follow today, as it offers a better way of living than succumbing to covetousness.
God gave the command to His people not to fall prey to covetousness, which can also be described as envy, in Exodus 20. In this passage of Scripture, He gave a list of ten commandments for His people to follow, which were meant to help them honor God and live peaceful, joyful lives. The final command in this list was, “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor” (verse 17). This was an interesting command to include in the short list of ten commandments that God gave His people. Coveting, or being envious of what someone else has, probably does not seem like a big deal to many compared to other sins and bad behaviors that people commit. God knows what a big deal covetousness is, however, which is why He included it in the Ten Commandments.
Indeed, being envious of what others have profoundly impacts us. It causes us to be ungrateful, bitter, jealous, and angry people. It destroys us from the inside out. It destroyed King Saul, the first king of Israel. In 1 Samuel 18, David had just defeated the giant Goliath, a leader in the Philistine army who had been taunting the Israelites with just his slingshot and a stone. In response, the people of Israel greatly admired David. Some even began to sing, “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!” (verse 7). This sent King Saul into a deep jealousy that he never recovered from, leading him to attempt to kill David multiple times unsuccessfully. Comparison and envy literally drove Saul insane.
God gave the final tenth commandment for a reason. Covetousness, or envy, deeply impacts us, and not for the better. It will destroy us if we let it. Let’s be people who choose to let go of envy, knowing that envy will only harm us and will never help us.
Take a few moments now to reflect on your own life. How have you let covetousness and envy into your own life? Where have you been wanting something your friend, family member, neighbor, acquaintance, or stranger has? Confess that to God today, asking Him to help you as you seek to let go of covetousness and envy. Recognizing covetousness in your own life is the first step in finding freedom.
1Then God gave the people all these instructions:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.
3 “You must not have any other god but me.
4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
7 “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.
8 “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
12 “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
13 “You must not murder.
14 “You must not commit adultery.
15 “You must not steal.
16 “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.
17 “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”
18 When the people heard the thunder and the loud blast of the ram’s horn, and when they saw the flashes of lightning and the smoke billowing from the mountain, they stood at a distance, trembling with fear.
19 And they said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!”
20 “Don’t be afraid,” Moses answered them, “for God has come in this way to test you, and so that your fear of him will keep you from sinning!”
21 As the people stood in the distance, Moses approached the dark cloud where God was.
