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)]
While the Hebrew word translated as covet, chamad, can mean “take pleasure in,” it also means “ungoverned selfish desire.” Chamad ranges from wholesome delight to illicit craving. It’s not a stretch to see how taking pleasure in something that isn’t yours can lead to desiring it and wanting to acquire it. When David saw Bathsheba on the rooftop, he delighted in her beauty but that delight grew into such desire that he took what belonged to his neighbor. When Achan saw the riches that were to be set aside for God, he coveted the wealth for himself and stole it. When Elisha’s servant Gehazi saw the wealth Namaan brought to his master, he was filled with desire for what wasn’t his to take. Coveting the wealth that Elisha refused to accept, Gehazi chased after Namaan, concocted a lie, and took some of that wealth for himself.
Those stories show us how coveting what rightfully belongs to another can lead to more sin and dire consequences. Coveting his neighbor’s wife led David to commit rape, adultery, and murder. It resulted in the death of his infant son, violence and discord within his household, and the loss of stability in the kingdom. Achan’s theft of those riches caused the defeat of Israel’s army and the slaughter of 3,000 innocent Israelite soldiers along with his death and the deaths of his entire family. Because of Gehazi’s greed and deceit, he contracted leprosy.
Coveting and envy, while closely connected and equally wrong, are not quite the same. Rather than desire for something that belongs to another, envy involves anger and resentment at another person’s good fortune or possessions. It’s a combination of coveting what another person has and hatred for the person because he has it. For example, because Isaac was blessed by the Lord with large flocks and a huge grain harvest, his envious Philistine neighbors sabotaged his wells by filling them with dirt. Envious of his brother because God accepted Abel’s offering but not his, Cain killed Abel. Envious of their father’s affection toward Joseph, his brothers sold him into slavery and deceived their father. Because Saul was envious of David’s popularity and success, he hated the young man and, for the rest of Saul’s life, he was obsessed with plotting David’s death. Although Saul’s envy didn’t destroy David, it did destroy him!
As I read these stories of coveting and envy, I wondered how they apply to our everyday lives. Just because we’re not likely to covet our neighbor’s ox or donkey, doesn’t mean we’re free from wishing we had other’s people’s exotic vacations, washboard abs, designer wardrobes, seemingly unlimited bank balances, artistic talents, or well-behaved children. Just because we’re not likely to sell a sibling to slavers, commit fratricide, or poison someone’s well doesn’t mean we’re free from resenting someone because they’re more successful, have a beautiful house, drive a pricy sports car, look younger, or are better liked. When we think our happiness lies in what we don’t have or resent others because of their good fortune in possessing what we want, we’re like David, Achan, Gehazi, the Philistines, Joseph’s brothers, and Saul. The only difference is that we covet different things and envy different people!
Unlike action sins like theft, murder, taking God’s name in vain, and bearing false witness, coveting and envy are sins of the heart. As such, it’s easy to overlook the subtle seeds of discontent that can grow in our hearts. These stories, however, serve as warnings that our sins of the heart easily blossom into sins of action. May we never value what our neighbor has more than we value our neighbor!
The antidote for covetousness is contentment. The two are in opposition. Whereas the covetous, greedy person worships himself, the contented person worships God. Contentment comes from trusting God. [John MacArthur]
Tithe means ten percent and the concept of the making a tithe is first found in Genesis. After being blessed by Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a “priest of God Most High,” Abram/Abraham gave him a tenth of all the goods he recovered from Kedorlaomer’s army after rescuing Lot. [14:20] After Jacob asked for God’s protection and provision, he pledged a tenth of his future blessings to Him. [28:22]
In 1 Kings 21, we learn of Naboth, the owner of a vineyard adjacent to King Ahab’s palace in Jezreel. A choice piece of real estate, Ahab wanted it for himself and offered to purchase or exchange it for other land. Property, however, wasn’t to be treated as a real estate investment—it was to remain in the family to which it had been allotted. Because Jewish law prohibited Naboth from selling his ancestral land, he rejected the king’s offer. Angry at his neighbor’s refusal’s, Ahab acted like a spoiled child, took to his bed, and refused to eat. Upon learning the reason for her husband’s sulking, Jezebel hatched a devious plan. She arranged for false accusations to be made against Naboth that would result in his immediate death. Jezebel’s evil plot went as planned and, upon news of their neighbor’s death, she told Ahab the land was his and he took it for himself!
Do these verses mean I can’t wear my pearl earrings, diamond wedding ring, or gold cross to church? Do I have to say “farewell” to Nordstrom’s and start shopping solely at outlets and discount stores? Although my hair is short, it’s hard to believe my grand’s lovely French braids are inappropriate at church or anywhere else. What did Paul and Peter mean with their admonitions about women’s attire and modesty?
In the category of “Newer Words,” the night’s Final Jeopardy clue was, “Philosopher’s use it for language that accompanies an action, like ‘I dub thee knight’; it also means done for show or signal.” The correct response was “performative.” A new word to me, I encountered it again the following day in an article by Rich Villodas about “performative spirituality.” After asking, ”If a good deed is not posted on social media, did it really happen?” Villodas continued with another rhetorical question, “If an act of generosity is not caught on camera and never goes viral, was it a worthwhile gesture?”
When a rich man asked Jesus what he needed to do to have eternal life, the Lord told him to sell everything and give it to the poor. More willing to part with eternal life than his riches, the disappointed man departed. When Jesus explained, ”It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God,” the disciples were astonished. Jewish tradition held that riches were a sign of God’s blessings and favor while poverty and sickness were God’s curse. If a rich man couldn’t get into the kingdom, they wondered who could.
