The book of Exodus describes for us that body of law that is best known as “The Ten Commandments”.
Each commandment is about relationships.
Some are about our relationship with God.
The rest are about our relationship with others.
Although I have read these commandments a number of times over the years, my thoughts lately seem to keep turning to one in particular.
Exodus 20:17 (NET) - "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet you neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor."
I think there are two reasons why my thoughts keep turning to this one in particular.
First, failure to keep this commandment can cause us to break additional commandments that damage relationships with others..
For example, a man who covets his neighbor's possession could be more easily tempted to steal that possession.
Second, a breach of this commandment can seriously damage our relationship with God.
God expects to have top priority in our lives.
In coveting something so badly, a man can displace God from His rightful place and give that which is coveted priority instead.
When that happens, a man is guilty of committing idolatry.
If you think about it, covetousness is what led to the Fall in the Garden of Eden.
Genesis 3:4-5 (NET) - The serpent said to the woman, "Surely you will not die, for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be open and you will be like divine beings who know good and evil."
Eve and consequently Adam desired to be like God.
God is the creator and man is but the created.
It was this unnatural desire of being like God that caused their expulsion from Eden.
By acting on this impulse, the relationship between mankind and God was forever changed.
Things are certainly not any easier today.
Think about how much of the world's economy is based on the act of coveting.
What would happen to the economy if people stopped desiring more extravagant possessions than their neighbor has?
Almost every television commercial and printed advertisement is aimed at this particular human weakness that has been present in every generation.
Even some of the television programs themselves now serve as case studies in greed.
It may not be easy to avoid covetousness, but there is someone we can turn to to help us overcome it.
Hebrews 2:18 (NET) - For since He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted.
That is a promise we can count on.
We cannot escape temptation completely.
Such is the nature of both man and the world we live in.
Yet with His help we can overcome it.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com
Each commandment is about relationships.
Some are about our relationship with God.
The rest are about our relationship with others.
Although I have read these commandments a number of times over the years, my thoughts lately seem to keep turning to one in particular.
Exodus 20:17 (NET) - "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet you neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor."
I think there are two reasons why my thoughts keep turning to this one in particular.
First, failure to keep this commandment can cause us to break additional commandments that damage relationships with others..
For example, a man who covets his neighbor's possession could be more easily tempted to steal that possession.
Second, a breach of this commandment can seriously damage our relationship with God.
God expects to have top priority in our lives.
In coveting something so badly, a man can displace God from His rightful place and give that which is coveted priority instead.
When that happens, a man is guilty of committing idolatry.
If you think about it, covetousness is what led to the Fall in the Garden of Eden.
Genesis 3:4-5 (NET) - The serpent said to the woman, "Surely you will not die, for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be open and you will be like divine beings who know good and evil."
Eve and consequently Adam desired to be like God.
God is the creator and man is but the created.
It was this unnatural desire of being like God that caused their expulsion from Eden.
By acting on this impulse, the relationship between mankind and God was forever changed.
Things are certainly not any easier today.
Think about how much of the world's economy is based on the act of coveting.
What would happen to the economy if people stopped desiring more extravagant possessions than their neighbor has?
Almost every television commercial and printed advertisement is aimed at this particular human weakness that has been present in every generation.
Even some of the television programs themselves now serve as case studies in greed.
It may not be easy to avoid covetousness, but there is someone we can turn to to help us overcome it.
Hebrews 2:18 (NET) - For since He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted.
That is a promise we can count on.
We cannot escape temptation completely.
Such is the nature of both man and the world we live in.
Yet with His help we can overcome it.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com
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