“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s” Exodus 20:17
Scripture Reading: Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-30
Memory Verse: Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness. Psalm 119:36
Introduction:
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s” (Exodus 20:17). These are instructions from God.
The Bible does not promise that we will be healthy, wealthy, or wise because we have faith in God. Often, the ideas about the Gospel have become mixed up with the American dream, so that we expect that if we behave in a righteous manner God will protect us with good health and give us freely of His good possessions. When this is our attitude, faith is nothing but a path to materialism. Instead, we are to have contentment and peace that comes from our Heavenly Father through our relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. The tenth commandment challenges us to not put our focus on material things of the world but on our Heavenly Father.
The command, “You shall not covet” (Exodus 20:17) is unique among the commandments in that it relates to the desires in our hearts. This is interesting because Jesus taught the same messages about the heart when He said not to hate our brother, or we would commit murder and not to look at a woman with lust lest we commit adultery. It is important that we understand that we sin not only by our actions but by our desires. The heart attitude is key to understanding our faith.
As we think of coveting, we begin to realize that many disagreements and ruined relationships come from not following this commandment. It is impossible to love your neighbor if we covet what they have.
Even though we are told to not covet our neighbor’s possessions, it is not forbidden to own possessions or to possess them. Think of Abraham and Job, for example. Both were righteous men and had many possessions. The challenge with our possessions is to view them as belonging to God and coming from Him. They are to be seen as gifts that are to be freely shared with others, just as God has freely shared the gift of His Son with us. It is better to give than to receive and infinitely better to give than to covet that which is another’s.
Lesson Questions:
- What are the heart attitudes that lead to covetousness? Luke 12:15-21; Psalm 62:10; Hebrew 13:5.
Note: Covetousness can be defined as a strong desire for that which belongs to another. - Ahab coveted Naboth’s vineyard. How did his covetousness lead to other sins? 1 Kings 21:1-16
- How did covetousness lead to other sins in David’s situation? 2 Samuel 11:2-5, 15
- What does Paul declare covetousness to be? Colossians 3:5, 6; Ephesians 5:3, 5 Why?
- What warning did Jesus give about covetousness? Mark 7:20-23
- Is the “love of money” the same as covetousness? 1 Timothy 6:9-10
- What is the danger of trusting in riches and what is the solution? Mark 10:23-27
- Who gives man the ability to gain wealth? Deuteronomy 8:18. Where does wealth ultimately come from? 1 Samuel 2:7; 1 Chronicles 29:12
- Discuss what someone might covet other than material things.