Good Morning.
“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)
To “covet” is to long for possession of something that, in most cases, we cannot obtain in an honest, moral and legal manner. Therefore, this command speaks to the root of all evil actions -– the inherent evil inclination within the heart of man. The human tendency is to resist living within the boundaries that God has established. That resistance serves as the springboard for evil deeds meaning, for example, that the one who covets his neighbor’s possessions is more likely to bear false witness against him and, maybe, even rob from him.
This commandment, then, is about self-control and discipline. Men can legislate against doing things such as murder and theft but that legislation is not likely to affect the heart of mankind; it only serves to put them on notice of the consequence of such actions. God goes beyond warning us of the consequences; He appeals to us to cleanse our thoughts and attitudes because He knows that a changed heart and mind will positively affect our deeds. To maintain self control and be disciplined doesn’t banish evil thoughts, necessarily, but it does help us to bring those thoughts into subjection. As Paul said:
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Messiah.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)
There is a rabbinical adage that asks, “Who is strong? The one who controls his passions.” In other words, we have no greater adversary that our own selfish desires. Consequently, without self control under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, our lives would be chaotic and disaster would be our reward. In Messiah, we have the power to master our desires and not let our desires master us. Each and every day, we must be determined to crucify our flesh and be governed by the Will of the Almighty.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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