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The Last Commandment

I recently shared a message about the last of the ten commandments “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Deuteronomy 5:21 

The Hebrew word which is translated covet in the English means "to find something desirable, to take pleasure in it and to desire it." Coveting involves a process of seeing, taking pleasure in, desiring and then pursuing something or someone which is not yours. 

Interestingly, if we understand this commandment the previous nine make more sense. As Jesus said, the ten commandments are wrapped up into these two thoughts, love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself (see Matthew 22:37-40). When we covet what others have we are telling God that he has not given us what we deserve and we are thinking lowly of what we have been given to us, and who God has given to us. 

When we are consumed by what we want and do not have we develop disdain for what we already have.  When I am coveting the relationships of others, or the belongings of others my relationships and belongings do not seem like the blessings that they are. I begin to think less of God’s blessings and more about what it would be like to have other relationships or belongings.  I stop valuing the people and possessions I already have and I begin to imagine how wonderful life would be if only I had what others have. It is not long stretch to come to the place where I could deceive, destroy or desecrate what God has given me because I think that I deserve better. 

Instead of coveting what we do not have we should be thankful for what we do have.  Once we have a true appreciation for what God has given us then we will begin to understand God’s steps for our lives more clearly.  As long as we are clouded by desires we cannot clearly see the blessings in front of us and the possibilities which could unfold by faithfully investing in what we already have. 
Pastor James 
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