Lesson 11 in a series on the Ten Commandments. This lesson on the tenth command was presented October 16, 2011,at Palm Desert Church of Christ, by Dale Wells.
6. Luke 12:13-15 NIV
Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell
my brother to divide the inheritance with me."
Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge
or an arbiter between you?" Then he said to
them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all
kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in
the abundance of his possessions."
11. 1 Kings 21:17-19 NIV
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the
Tishbite: "Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who
rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard,
where he has gone to take possession of it. Say to
him, 'This is what the LORD says: Have you not
murdered a man and seized his property?' Then say
to him, 'This is what the LORD says: In the place
where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick
up your blood--yes, yours!'"
12. Saddest example is the older brother
Luke 15:25-32 NIV
"Meanwhile, the older son
was in the field. When he
came near the house, he
heard music and dancing.
So he called one of the
servants and asked him
what was going on.
13. Saddest example is the older brother
'Your brother has come,'
he replied, 'and your
father has killed the
fattened calf because he
has him back safe and
sound.' "The older brother
became angry and refused
to go in. So his father went
out and pleaded with him.
14. Saddest example is the older brother
But he answered his
father, 'Look! All these
years I've been slaving for
you and never disobeyed
your orders. Yet you never
gave me even a young
goat so I could celebrate
with my friends.
15. Saddest example is the older brother
But when this son of yours
who has squandered your
property with prostitutes
comes home, you kill the
fattened calf for him!'
16. Saddest example is the older brother
"'My son,' the father said,
'you are always with me,
and everything I have is
yours. But we had to
celebrate and be glad,
because this brother of
yours was dead and is
alive again; he was lost
and is found.'"
20. Colossians 3:1-2 NIV
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set
your hearts on things above, where Christ is
seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds
on things above, not on earthly things.
21. How to detect covetousness
What do you think about?
Do you rejoice with others’ successes?
24. Philippians 4:11-13 NIV
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I
have learned to be content whatever the
circumstances. I know what it is to be in need,
and I know what it is to have plenty. I have
learned the secret of being content in any and
every situation, whether well fed or hungry,
whether living in plenty or in want. I can do
everything through him who gives me strength.
26. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 NIV
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into the world, and we
can take nothing out of it. But if we have food
and clothing, we will be content with that.
27. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 NIV
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into the world, and we
can take nothing out of it. But if we have food
and clothing, we will be content with that.
29. 1 Timothy 6:6-8 NIV
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into the world, and we
can take nothing out of it. But if we have food
and clothing, we will be content with that.
I appreciate the encouragement through the series. Some texts required boldness & you've encouraged me to be bold. I appreciate the many kind comments from many of you.The last command is one many see as relatively unimportant.Exodus 20:17 NIV "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."Exodus 20:17 NBLH "No codiciarás la casa de tu prójimo. No codiciarás la mujer de tu prójimo, ni su siervo, ni su sierva, ni su buey, ni su asno, ni nada que sea de tu prójimo."It does not receive the same emphasis in society as the commands re: killing, stealing & perjury.The first command (“No other gods”) supplies the motivation for keeping the rest. The last command (“Do not envy/covet”) supplies the explanation of why the rest are disobeyed.
David was a great man of God. But at his weakest moment, he violated all ten commands. He broke the tenth before he broke the rest.9th (“False Testimony”) when he lied about his relationship to Bathsheba.8th (“Theft”) when he stole a woman from her husband.7th when he committed adultery.6th when he had her husband killed.5th (“Honor Parents”) when he dishonored his parents, because that was not the way he was raised.4th (“Sabbath”). The sin may not have been committed on the seventh day, but David was resting from war & God's principle of rest was intended for godliness, not ungodliness.3rd (“Respect God’s name”) because his actions constituted abuse of the name of God, in whose name he ruled as king.2nd (“No idolatry”) when he fell at the shrine of sex.1st (“No other Gods”) when he put his personal pleasure before the will of God.He did all of these because he first coveted a woman.
Any view of the tenth command as minor is inadequate because the attitude of the heart is at the heart of all the other commands.In the tenth command, God lays down internal controls for external obedience.God can’t dumb it down for us any further.
Coveting has a negative connotation in modern English.Not so in the original language. In Heb. it means "enthusiastic desire". That can be good.It is good to covet prayers.It is not wrong to admire something owned by another & to acquire something like it for yourself.The tenth command is more than four words long.It is not just desiring something like your neighbor's. Rather, it is desiring the thing that belongs to your neighbor.Sin starts in the heart, not in the hand.
We have the idea that in the OT God emphasized actions & in the NT he emphasized attitudes. That reflects an inadequate understanding of the OT.God wants to be Lord of our attitudes.We sometimes say “My way or the highway”. God wants us to travel His way, not our own way.Jesus said that he didn't come to arbitrate legal disputes. He left with the warning to watch out for covetousness.
Luke 12:13-15 NBLH Uno de la multitud Le dijo: "Maestro, dile a mi hermano que divida la herencia conmigo." (14) "¡Hombre!" le dijo Jesús, "¿Quién Me ha puesto por juez o árbitro sobre ustedes?" (15) También les dijo: "Estén atentos y cuídense de toda forma de avaricia; porque aun cuando alguien tenga abundancia, su vida no consiste en sus bienes."Covetousness causes people to value all things in terms of what they are worth to "me".
Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery because they were jealous of his relationship with their father.
Achan took a few items dedicated to God at Jericho and caused further disaster in Israel.
Saul tried to kill David because he coveted the praise of the crowd ("Saul killed thousands; David tens of thousands")
Ahab.He was the king. He owned more land than he could want, but he couldn't sleep because of the poor man's vineyard. He pouted. His wife trumped up a kangaroo court, complete with perjury. Had him convicted and executed so that the property escheated to Ahab.God had many reasons to discipline Ahab. He was wicked. He let his wife kill the prophets. He made two attempts on Elijah. He promoted idolatry and adultery.Finally, when Naboth was killed, God said: "I've had enough! When a man who has all you have resents a poor man's garden, that's the last straw!"
1 Kings 21:17-19 NBLH Entonces vino la palabra del SEÑOR a Elías el Tisbita, diciendo: (18) "Levántate, desciende al encuentro de Acab, rey de Israel, que está en Samaria; ahora él está en la viña de Nabot, adonde ha descendido a tomar posesión de ella. (19) "Le hablarás: 'Así dice el SEÑOR: "¿Has asesinado, y además has tomado posesión de la viña ?"' También le hablarás: 'Así dice el SEÑOR: "En el lugar donde los perros lamieron la sangre de Nabot, los perros lamerán tu sangre, tu misma sangre ."'"
Luke 15:25-32 NBLH "Su hijo mayor estaba en el campo, y cuando vino y se acercó a la casa, oyó música y danzas. (26) "Llamando a uno de los criados, le preguntó qué era todo aquello. (27) "Y él le dijo: 'Tu hermano ha venido, y tu padre ha matado el becerro engordado, porque lo ha recibido sano y salvo.' (28) "Entonces él se enojó y no quería entrar. Salió su padre y le rogaba que entrara. (29) "Pero él le dijo al padre: 'Mira, por tantos años te he servido y nunca he desobedecido ninguna orden tuya, y sin embargo, nunca me has dado un cabrito para regocijarme con mis amigos; (30) pero cuando vino este hijo tuyo, que ha consumido tus bienes con rameras, mataste para él el becerro engordado.' (31) "Y su padre le dijo: 'Hijo mío, tú siempre has estado conmigo, y todo lo mío es tuyo. (32) 'Pero era necesario hacer fiesta y regocijarnos, porque éste, tu hermano, estaba muerto y ha vuelto a la vida; estaba perdido y ha sido hallado.'"
What we don’t usually see in this story is that the return of the Prodigal son did not cost the older brother anything, because the younger son had already received and squandered his inheritance.Under Hebrew law of intestate succession, the eldest son got twice as much as the younger children. So, in this case, when the father gave the younger son his inheritance early, it would have been 1/3 of his estate. Everything else would go to the older brother when their father passed.When the younger brother returned, he did not acquire any interest in the older brother’s inheritance. He simply got to be supported like any family member by his father, and then by his brother.Instead of rejoicing, he pouts: "Dad never gave me a party!"He represents good religious people who resent the way God lavishes his attention on the lost.
Edwin Booth was the foremost actor of his day. His brother never measured up to his success.John Wilkes Booth bragged to his friends: "I promise you I will make the front pages of every newspaper in the country." His deed was not motivated by politics, but by publicity.
The root of covetousness is resentment that "life isn't treating me fairly". “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” Carrie FisherThe tragedy is that we all get far better than we deserve. We deserve to die as sinners.
Not "what do you desire?" There are a lot of good answers: heaven, to be like Jesus, etc.What you think about is what you really desire: houses, money, power, prestige, etc.What we should think about: spiritual things.
Colossians 3:1-2 NBLH Si ustedes, pues, han resucitado con Cristo, busquen las cosas de arriba, donde está Cristo sentado a la diestra de Dios. (2) Pongan la mira (la mente) en las cosas de arriba, no en las de la tierra.If you think about earthly things most of the time, you are on your way to becoming a coveter, because the things you think about almost always belong to someone else.
We're pretty good at mourning with those who mourn; how about rejoicing with those who rejoice?
Romans 12:15 NBLH Gócense con los que se gozan y lloren con los que lloran.It's hard to be happy with those who have what we don't have.Things we may resent:We may resent their prosperity: car, house, promotion, etc.Preachers resent one another. I used to hear tacky things about preachers with good pulpits, good salaries, good benefits, good recognition, good speaking appointments. Most of them were motivated by jealousy of another preacher who didn't think he had it so good. Rather than considering himself fortunate, he threw dirt on his brother.Churches resent one another. A congregation with a dynamic pulpit, leadership, programs that attract people. When people come, stagnant congregations criticize. Expect it as we continue to experience growth here.
Philippians 4:11-13 NBLH (11) No que hable porque tenga escasez, pues he aprendido a contentarme cualquiera que sea mi situación. (12) Sé vivir en pobreza (vivir humildemente), y sé vivir en prosperidad. En todo y por todo he aprendido el secreto tanto de estar saciado como de tener hambre, de tener abundancia como de sufrir necesidad. (13) Todo lo puedo en Cristo que me fortalece.This from a man in prison facing execution – who had been beaten several times, stoned and left for dead, shipwrecked, and the constant target of assassins.
Godliness with contentment.
1 Timothy 6:6-8 NBLH Pero la piedad, en efecto, es un medio de gran ganancia cuando va acompañada de contentamiento. (7) Porque nada hemos traído al mundo, así que nada podemos sacar de él. (8) Y si tenemos qué comer y con qué cubrirnos, con eso estaremos contentos.Godliness refers to keeping the first nine commands.Contentment refers to keeping the tenth. It has to do with the inner satisfaction I get as I walk by the first nine.Contentment is learned, not natural.
1 Timothy 6:6-8 NBLH Pero la piedad, en efecto, es un medio de gran ganancia cuando va acompañada de contentamiento. (7) Porque nada hemos traído al mundo, así que nada podemos sacar de él. (8) Y si tenemos qué comer y con qué cubrirnos, con eso estaremos contentos.Quaker to wealthy neighbor: "If thou hast need of anything, ask. I will teach thee how to live without it."We may not have everything we want, but we have more than we need, and infinitely more than we deserve.We have food, shelter, clothing & more.It must hurt God to bless us & then see us thinking about all the things we don't have.
1 Timothy 6:6-8 NBLH Pero la piedad, en efecto, es un medio de gran ganancia cuando va acompañada de contentamiento. (7) Porque nada hemos traído al mundo, así que nada podemos sacar de él. (8) Y si tenemos qué comer y con qué cubrirnos, con eso estaremos contentos.We didn't enter the world coveting, and we won't leave this world with anything we covet.Who do you envy? Actor or missionary? Banker or preacher? Athlete or the one who runs the race of faith?The irony is that we've got what they need: forgiveness, grace, love of God, blood of Christ.
Benjamin Franklin: “Contentment makes poor men rich; discontentment makes rich men poor.”Prayer: Pray for more godliness, contentment. Be Lord of our attitudes.What do you desire? Things you can't get here. Needs, you can: forgiveness & grace.
