The Tenth Commandment

Well, good morning, brethren. You're probably surprised to see me here this early. Normally, we try to ease you on in to services before you have to look at my ugly puss. But nonetheless, welcome to Sabbath Services. It is great to have you with us today. Mr. Graham and Taya, we're not feeling well most of the week. They've been quite a bit under the weather. And Mr. Graham mentioned me last night that he wouldn't be able to make services. So knowing that it was a little short notice for anyone else to give this split today, and since BJ and I will be in Cincinnati next week, I thought I would fill in Mr. Graham's spot, and I'm happy to do so today. I would like to discuss just one, only one of the Ten Commandments today. And the commandment that I would like to discuss is the last, or the Tenth Commandment, because it is truly different and unique from the other nine commandments. It's actually a broad application of the other nine commandments. As we will see, the Tenth Commandment, when you understand the principle of cause and effect, it is coveting that leads us to break the other nine commandments. But before we look at the qualities of the Tenth Commandment, let's see the Scriptural Commandment. Let's go right to the book, Exodus chapter 20 and verse 17, and we will see a short but very powerful commandment called the Tenth Commandment, and God does not do things by coincidence. There is a reason why this is the Tenth Commandment, because it is actually a gateway to help us to understand that from the beginning, the original intent of God's law was spiritual, not simply physical applications. Exodus chapter 20 and verse 17, it says, "...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." In other words, your neighbor worked for it. Your neighbor has possession of those things, probably worked very hard to acquire those things, and you should not desire them. You should not desire to own them, to make them something that you own and possess. I'm going to read this from the translation God's word for today. "...never desire to take your neighbor's household away from him." "...never desire to take your neighbor's wife, his male or female slave, his ox, his donkey, or anything else that belongs to him." I'm reminded of a country western song, and I can't think of the name of it, but the theme of the song is a fellow working at McDonald's because he's lost everything. He's lost his wife, his home, and his truck. And a man shows up, while he's working at McDonald's, a man shows up in the fast food driving his truck, who now possesses his truck, his former home, and his former wife. And in this country song, there are a number of numerous parts, but the refrain is, and would you like fries with that? Right, in other words, you've taken everything else from me in life, would you like fries with that? The Hebrew word for covet is kamad, and it means something to delight in, a delectable thing, a great desire, or literally a lust after something. That's what the Hebrew word that's translated covet means here. I'd like to read you the definition from the Believer's Study Bible. It says, quote, the term covet is used here of a strong desire for personal benefit at the expense of others. Man is to be content with God and with what God provides. This was the only commandment whose violation was purely internal.

And that's an important point. The others are external. You either steal or you don't steal.

You either lie or you don't lie. You either use God's name in vain or you don't use God's name in vain. But this is truly a unique commandment, again getting back to the Believer's Study Bible, quote, whose violation was purely internal. This fact, together with the commentaries on the law by Jesus and Paul, shows that God's true intent was not just to limit unrighteousness nor to encourage external righteousness. His desire was for the true righteousness that is produced by a heart committed to him, end of quote. And again, that's from the Believer's Study Bible. I'd like to read you just a paragraph from the Holman's Bible dictionary about coveting, quote, it says, it's the inordinate desire to possess what belongs to another, usually tangible things. While the Hebrew word for covet can also be translated to desire, in the 10th commandment it means an ungoverned or selfish desire that threatens the basic rights of others. Coveting was sinful because it focused greedily on the property of a neighbor that was his share in the land that God promised his people.

After Israel's defeat at A.I., Aiken confessed that his selfish desire for treasure was so great that he disobeyed God's specific commandment. You may remember that story in Joshua 7. The Israelites defeated Jericho, but one Israelite did something that violated God's command. He coveted, and the word covet is in there, he coveted a beautiful Babylonian garment and gold and silver, and he hid it. And that displeased God against the whole nation. And so the Israelites went to a little city called A.I., which they should have defeated quite easily, and A.I. defeated them and sent them on a route. They ran away in terror. And eventually, through a process that God inspired Joshua to understand, it came down to A.I. as the man who had done this. I'm sorry, Aiken, as the man who had done this. And trust me, when God was done with him, he certainly was Aiken. All right, I won't quit my day job.

So before we look at other scriptures, I want to discuss two unique features of this commandment, the last or the tenth commandment. God does things for a purpose, and there are reasons that he chose this. Remember, it was written with his own finger and tablets of stone, that he chose this to be the tenth and the final commandment. Here's the first thing. This is the only commandment of the ten, which not only deals with physical actions, but with the heart and the attitude. Because if you lust after something that doesn't belong to you, if you desire something strongly, that's internal. That's what happens on the inside. The other commandments are physical applications. For example, as I said a minute ago, one either steals or they don't. One either lies or they don't lie.

You either use God's name in vain or you don't. The same with Sabbath observance and murder and adultery. In contrast, the tenth commandment deals with our human desires, our emotions, our intentions, our greed, our jealousy, our lust. Those are all internal characteristics that we have that, by the way, begin as the cause that eventually leads to us breaking the nine, the first nine of the ten commandments. This may be the most violated law of God that there is, because it affects every age group, every gender, and every social status. Even small children can covet a toy that someone else has, another small child has in their presence. It is perhaps the most violated of the commandments. Here's the second unique feature. It's this. It reflects the original intent of all the commandments that God meant from the beginning. Now, these were a carnal people. Most of the Israelites were not given God's Holy Spirit, so he presented to them the physical application of the ten commandments of the law. Jesus came and helped us to understand that there was a spiritual application, which is much harder, I might add, to observe, but these were a physical people. But God wanted them to understand that the original intent of all of his law was spiritual and internal, not simply the physical intentions of the first nine commandments.

As I said years later, Jesus came to restore the spiritual intent of the law to those who, with God's Spirit, and we're looking forward to remembering that on the day of Pentecost, with God's Spirit, could understand the spiritual application of the law and could begin to keep the spiritual application of the law because they have the Spirit of God inside of them.

Well, let's review when the first human sin occurred, and let's see what this sin was. Go to Genesis chapter 3 and verse 4. If you would go there with me, please. Genesis chapter 3 and verse 4. It says, we're very familiar with this part of Scripture, then the serpent, also known as Satan the devil, the enemy, then the serpent said to the woman, You shall not surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good, and evil. So he lies to the woman. He tells the woman things that are not true. He says, if you do this, you'll have feelings that you've never felt before. Well, sure you will. Greed, jealousy, lust, perversion. Yeah, all these carnal feelings of human nature will overwhelm you, but that wasn't a good thing. So here's what it says in verse 6. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, what is that when you see something and you want it? That, my friends, is coveting. When she saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, hmm, I'd like some of that. I'd really, this doesn't belong to me. I've been told this is the one tree in the whole garden that I shouldn't eat the fruit of, but my, oh my, this really looks good. What do we call death? That is called coveting. And to treat desirable to make one wise. I would like to be as smart as God is. I would like to understand the complexities of the universe, just like the creator who made me. Again, that was coveting. She took one of its fruits and ate. She also gave to her husband and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they knew they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together and made instruments of coverings, coverings for themselves. So here's the key. This last commandment highlights the cause of the breaking of the other nine commandments. For example, coveting another woman or a man eventually leads to adultery. A woman or man sees someone and they say, boy, I would like some of that. That's very attractive. I would like to control that. I would like to be into that.

And that thought, that coveting, eventually leads to committing adultery. Coveting another's possessions leads to stealing from someone. Coveting prestige or to maintain your status leads to being willing to lie so that people don't think less of you. Coveting material possessions or coveting your individualism or coveting your time leads to Sabbath breaking. You see, it's the principle of cause and effect. Coveting is the cause which leads to the effect of breaking the other commandments, the first nine commandments that God instituted.

Satan used the sin of coveting to lead Eve and Adam to rebel against God. So let me ask you this question. Should we be surprised of all the things he could have chosen? Should we be surprised that he used this approach and that it worked? Well, let's go to Isaiah chapter 14 and see not just the first human sin that was ever recorded, but let's see the first sin ever that we have record of that was ever recorded.

A prophecy in Isaiah chapter 14 verse 12 referring to none other than the one who would become known as Satan the devil. Isaiah chapter 14 beginning in verse 12. In context, this is a little brief synopsis of Satan and his former self before he became the destroyer. He was Lucifer, which means light bringer. He was a bringer of light. He was actually one of the archangels who was very close to God's side, who was a protector of the throne of God.

The prophet writes, how are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning? How were you cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations? And we know, of course, that his name was changed from light bringer to unfortunately destroyer Satan. And he was, after a war in heaven, he was literally thrown down to the earth, confined to the earth.

And to this day he is the god of this world. He is the prince of the power of the air. And he does weaken the nations because through his spiritual Wi-Fi, he influences all mankind. And that influence creates war. And it creates governments that are greedy and don't take care of its people. In essence, he creates starvation.

He is the one who's ultimately responsible for famine and disease and all the wars that have existed throughout human history. He was the one who literally weakened the nations. Verse 13, for you have said in your heart, what do we call that when it's an attitude?

What do we call that when it's internal? We're going to see that he is coveting. What was his sin? The very first sin ever recorded in history? We're going to see that it was nothing less than coveting. You've said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven. I'm going all the way to the top. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, which is a Hebrew euphemism for the other angels. I'm going to be above all the other angels. I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north.

And of course, north is closest to God's throne. From the Hebrew recognition, God was in the north. Verse 14, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like the most high. You see a lot of eyes here, don't we? This obviously is someone who has a tremendous amount of pride, someone who has a lot of vanity, someone who is narcissistic. He says, I'm even going to be just like God, perhaps even replace God. And this was the very first recorded sin that exists in the Bible. Verse 15, yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, that is the grave, hell, to the lowest depths of the pit.

And we know, of course, that after the thousand years when Jesus Christ returns that Satan will be loosed for a short while, but then after that final test, he is going to be permanently sealed in outer darkness so that he can no longer influence mankind. And at that time, he will be impotent, he will be helpless, hopeless, and a pathetic sight. And here's what the scriptures say. Verse 16, those who see you will gaze at you and consider you saying, is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms?

This is the being that made one kingdom rise and other kingdoms fall. This is the being that manipulated mankind for six thousand years. Look at him now!

He's useless, he's weak, he's pitiful! Verse 17, who made the world as a wilderness and destroyed its cities? How many wars, if we had throughout human history, where one army came in and made a city, a nation of wilderness, just destroyed everything in its path? Who did not open the house of his prisoners? How many people who have ever died and ended up in the grave have been resurrected? Well, we of course know Jesus Christ and a very few others, but Satan's goal has always been to make people the prisoners of eternal death. Have them go into the grave, have them die, to cease their existence, and his desire has always been that they are never resurrected again. That's been his plan.

So this is the final commandment, the tenth commandment we've been looking at, because it was the first sin. Lucifer was God's anointed carob, but he wasn't satisfied with the eternal honor that would come with being God's anointed carob. Just unbelievable. He wanted it all, and he desired to become God instead of being content and appreciative for all the things that God gave him as God's beloved archangel. And this first sin led to Satan's rebellion. And the tenth commandment, it has a broad application. It is the perfect way to complete all of the commandments that God gave mankind at this time in the book of Exodus. And even though this commandment warns against the desires of the human heart, it specifically warns against not desiring another person's physical possessions. That was the original, what we'll call the physical intent of this law. We call it this physical application. And simply put, it was don't desire to take something that doesn't belong to you, whether it's your neighbor's wife or his household or his possessions or anything that belongs to your neighbor. Don't lust after those possessions and want to take them away from your neighbor. However, we do understand that Jesus came to instruct his disciples about the spiritual application of God's law. He magnified the meaning of all of the commandments, including the tenth. So let's see what he taught us regarding the sin of coveting and what its spiritual application is for us today. Luke chapter 12 and verse 13. If you will turn there with me. Luke chapter 12 and verse 13.

It says, then one from the crowd said to him, as Jesus was teaching, teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. But he said to him, man, who made me a judge or an arbiter over you? And basically he was telling this man, it isn't my turn, it isn't my turn, my time to make these kinds of judgments. These are small, picky little things. I have not been brought to the world to spend all of this time deciding minor matters that people bring to me like this. But he uses it as a lesson for his disciples. In verse 15, and he said to them, take heed and beware of covetousness.

For once life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.

Then he spoke a parable to them, saying, the ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. To this man who was well off, he was a rich man, it yielded plentifully. So we're going to see, he had such an abundant year with his crops that he didn't even have any room to put those crops in. No place to store them. That's how good of a year it was for him as a farmer. And he thought within himself, that's internal, isn't it, saying, what shall I do since I have no room to store my crops? So he said, I. I want you to notice again the number of I's. We're going to see narcissism personified, very similar to what that archangel said, Lucifer. So he said, I will do this. I will pull down my barns and build greater. And there I will store my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

So Jesus is bringing out a spiritual application to the law. And we're going to see that that application is, don't look for a false sense of security. Don't deceive yourself into thinking that material possessions make you secure, or will make you happy, or will make you content.

Because there's something that's far more important than that. Verse 20. So after he said that he had these goods laid up for many years, and he was just going to take it easy, he was going to eat, drink, and be merry, sit in his lazy boy chair. Jesus, take your ease. Verse 20. But God said to him, fool! This night your soul will be required of you. You see, you made the mistake of thinking you have 10,000 tomorrows. And the reality is, is for each and every one of us, today's the only promise that we have. We are not even promised a tomorrow.

Very powerful lesson there. Fool! This night your soul will be required of you. Then, whose will those things be which you have provided? Your kids will probably have it spent in a week.

They'll be running around with that new jaguar. Probably divorcing the wife they have and marrying their fifth wife. You know, they'll have all that money spent in no time. Here you were clinging on to it. You thought it would give you ease and comfort. And they're going to go through it like water. Verse 21. So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. This is the spiritual application of coveting. Jesus defines coveting as more than simply desiring to acquire your neighbor's possessions. He warns against an ancient problem and one that is a fatal scourge to many of us Christians today. Especially those of us who live in the Western world. And you know what that is? It is materialism. This is the burning desire for more and bigger stuff all the time. To acquire stuff. Because it gives us a false sense of security. For example, he warns against an attitude that seeks security and prestige and pleasure by acquiring material possessions. That's what he does. Jesus says in this parable, in this example, he condemned an attitude of one that seeks material possessions but is not rich towards God. You see, they had their priorities skewed. Jesus isn't condemning the wealthy. He's not condemning those who have goals, those who work hard. He's not condemning those who are ambitious. He is condemning those who have deceived themselves into thinking that achievement or possessions is priority, is the priority in their life and it's not. Being rich towards God should be our first and foremost priority.

Material possessions provide a false and empty sense of security. I'm going to read verse 21 from the translation God's Word for today. It says this. It says, quote, that's how it is when a person treasures material possessions and his riches don't serve God. I like the way that's worded in that translation because it also brings out another biblical principle and that is that God gives us, you know, people have different spiritual gifts. Some people just have the gift of making a lot of money in their lifetimes. They are blessed. Everything they touch, it's like the Midas touch, turns into dollars. And there's a reason that God blesses us for that. It's so that we can take that and turn that into a blessing for other people. But you see, if we're like the man in this parable, if it's all about I, I, I, and acquiring for myself, me and mine, and we're not using those riches to serve others, to make life better for others, then we don't have the right kind of riches towards God. The problem with the philosophy of materialism is that it doesn't work. And in our culture today, we've all been sold snake oil. Just turn your TV on and watch the commercials for a while. We are all constantly lied to and told, if you just get the bigger home, you'll be happy. If you get that new 2013 card that you will be happy. And materialism doesn't provide lasting happiness or self-fulfillment almost every week. Just go through the newspapers. You'll see another story reported about an athlete or a celebrity who seemingly has it all. They have wealth and prestige and power, and yet we read almost every week that someone dies of a drug overdose or a suicide or they're arrested because of spousal abuse or reckless driving or assault charges. Why? Because they're not happy. You don't do those things if you're happy. You only do those things in spite of the wealth and prestige and power you have. You have a big hole in your heart and your life is empty and you're trying to fill that hole with stuff instead of having a relationship with God. Another myth permeated by our modern society is the definition of success. Success is defined as acquiring material things, being powerful, beautiful, and idolized. And again, if you want to question what I just said, open a magazine and look at the advertisements.

Watch the TV advertising that's all around us. For these reasons, people covet material possessions with the falseness of believing that they provide happiness, fulfillment, or success. And the truth is they do not. It really doesn't matter. As I've said before, at the end of the day, whenever day that is that Bill Gates, the richest man in the world dies, or one of the richest men in the world dies, or Warren Buffett, another world where the day they die and the day a hobo dies in Cleveland, they both end up in the same place. They both end up in the ground. And you know what they take with them? Zero. And you know what they both end up as? Dust. That's how important and significant. All the things are that we as human beings covet. It all goes back to dust, doesn't it? The only difference is, is Bill Gates will be in a prettier box. But aside from that, there are no advantages. It means nothing in the eyes of God, in the eyes of eternity. Only meaningful relationships with our creator, and with our family, and with each other can bring us personal fulfillment in life, and can increase our purpose in life. And these relationships, the relationship you have with God, with your family, with your church family, have nothing to do with being wealthy or having prestige and power.

A number of years ago, Dr. Laura Schlesinger wrote a book that I read that was very good. It was called, The Ten Stupid Things Men Do to Mess Up Their Lives. That was a very interesting book, and I think I was proud of myself. I'd only done nine of the ten things by the time I'd read the book. But here was chapter three. Chapter three, here's the title. Stupid Ambition. She wasn't shy about her feelings. Stupid Ambition, quote, she says, unable to comfortably and proudly accept your inherent importance to society and family as a husband and father, you bow to the false idols of money, toys, power, and status. That's what Dr. Schlesinger said. And that is so true. And again, if you question what I'm saying, just look at the advertising that is all around us in every way.

Let's now go to the book of James, James chapter four, beginning in verse one, and we'll see the apostle James discusses coveting.

So I'm sure we're also very familiar with James chapter four, verse one. Where do wars and fights come from among you? Why do you war? Why do you fight? Why do you have problems? Why do churches split? Why do families split?

Do they not come from your desires for pleasure, that war in your members? Well, I'm not happy, so I think I'm just going to leave this relationship. Well, maybe it isn't all about your happiness.

Maybe it's not all about you. Maybe there are other important considerations to factor in. Maybe happiness is something that you shouldn't desire. Maybe you should look for fulfillment, which comes from the inside and has nothing to do with the outside. He says, verse two, you lust and you do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You want these things that you shouldn't have and you still don't get them. You fight in war, yet you do not have because you do not ask. Oh, what a novel concept! If I'd like a new car, maybe I should pray about it.

Maybe I should ask my spiritual father to help me get that new car. No, people wouldn't consider that. They'll just go out and go to a dealership and put a 15th mortgage on their home and drive off with that brand new car because it just feels so good. Now, I feel like I've arrived. I have status. I'm important. I'm in... I... Oh, that new car smell. I really love it. That's the way we as human beings are. He says, yet you do not have because you don't ask. We don't pray about it. We just do it, like a knee-jerk reaction. We just get ourselves in debt and we... because we covet things and we get stuff and we seek bigger and better and more, oftentimes when it's not even necessary.

You ask and you do not receive because you ask amiss. So even when you do pray about it, usually God will not answer or honor your prayer because the prayer is, it's all about me. What were the two examples we saw, right? From Lucifer and in the parable of Jesus? I, I, I, I, I, and God will not respect or honor that kind of a request. He says, you ask and you do not receive because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures because you covet these things. Adulters and adulteresses, and I guess this is really more spiritually speaking, because if we're not rich towards God, if we're not a friend with God, we're a friend with something else. And you know what that is? That's spiritual adultery, isn't it? He says, adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. So if we want to get caught in the rat race, and we want to keep up with the Joneses, and we want to buy, buy, buy, and all these beautiful things that the world wants us to covet, and you know what the problem is with, with the rat race? Even if you win the rat race, you're still a rat!

Continuing, whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Or do you think that the scripture says in vain, the spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously? In other words, the Holy Spirit that God has given us wants us alone, wants us to serve God first and foremost, wants us to be rich towards God. Not being distracted, and not being manipulated by our modern media culture to buy bigger, better, faster, more stuff, more stuff, more stuff. And that is something that we can all struggle with in a nation that is so phenomenally wealthy like ours is, and a nation just just hands out credit like it's there's no tomorrow. Oh yeah, we'll find a way to make this work. You'll be paying interest off until you're 180, but sure, we can make this work some way or another.

So this kind, unfortunately, this kind of self-centeredness that James talks about is the reason that there are so many stresses in our world today. It's a reason that families break up. It's the reason that some businesses and churches break up because people covet. And that is the cause that leads them to break the other nine commandments. So what should be our approach? Philippians chapter 4 and verse 19. From a man who had it all, who did it all.

A man who went through periods of life in which he had great honor prestige. A man who went through life in which he was comfortable, had all the money, was made a good income making tents.

A man who was very comfortable, he knew what it was like to have a lot in life, and he also knew what it was like to have the bare minimum and barely get by. And here's the wisdom that he offers us from a man who had it all. Paul says to the congregation in Philippi, that things which you have learned and received and heard in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last your care for me has flourished again. Though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. So it'd been a while since they had helped pull out physically. And then he sensed something very powerful here in verse 11. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know how to be a based, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry. Both to abound and to suffer need. You see, he said, I learned to be content, no matter what situation life God put me in. I didn't need that bigger home to be content.

I didn't need the brand new car to be content. I didn't need the 15th suit to be content. I didn't need to have a million dollars in my 401k to give me a false sense of security and to be content.

That's what he's saying. And how could he be content? Because he knew this promise. Verse 13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. So again, no matter what situation he was in life, he was in God's hands, and God would care for him. Again, Paul isn't saying we shouldn't be ambitious. He's not saying we should jettison our goals or that we shouldn't strive to find fulfillment in what we do. What he's saying is that wealth and power and prestige and material possessions have nothing, zero, to do with your personal contentment. Contentment is a state of mind, and it is indifferent to the amount of physical possessions that you have. So in conclusion, I'd like to encourage all of us as we prepare for the day of Pentecost coming up to think about God's law. One of the reasons that Jesus Christ made his home in us, he and the Father, and gave us his Holy Spirit is so we could have the ability with his Spirit to keep his law. And not just the physical application of the law, but the spiritual application. And the tough one, the difficult law, is the one regarding coveting because that's where it all begins. It's an inside job. That's what you and I need to work on to become more like Jesus Christ. Let's prepare for the day of Pentecost and let's think about the commandments of God. Have a wonderful Sabbath!