The Ten Commandments - Lesson 12: The Tenth Commandment

The Ten Commandments

Lesson 12: The Tenth Commandment

Exodus 20:17 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.

COVET

v.t. 1. To wish for with eagerness; to desire possession of; -- used in a good sense.

2. To long for inordinately or unlawfully; to hanker after (something forbidden).

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. Ex. xx. 17.

Syn. -- To long for; desire; hanker after; crave.

v.i. To have or indulge inordinate desire.

Which [money] while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith (1 Tim. vi. 10).

“covet.” Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language 1913.

A Simple Definition of “Covet” for Chilren: To want what someone else has.

The Main Points for This Lesson:

We covet in two ways. We want or desire what belongs to our neighbor, or we want or desire more things of this world.

Coveting has everything to do with the things of this world that are temporal. Whether we are coveting in the sense of wanting what belongs to our neighbor, or coveting in the sense of simply wanting more things of this world, it is all tied up with loving the world and the things in it (1 John 2:15).

We desire many things. It is good to desire good things, such as wanting to be child that is pleasing to God and pleasing to your parents. It is bad to desire bad things (Genesis 3:6), but it is also wrong to desire what may be a good thing but is the possession of someone else. It is okay to want a wife. It is wrong to want your neighbor's wife. When we are young, we covet smaller things around us (ie. toys). As we get older, we covet bigger things. We may covet physical things, such as money and possessions. We may also covet position (Mark 10:35-37), status and influence. Be careful not to let covetousness into your heart. It will grow bigger and bigger.

Coveting leads to other sins. If we covet an ox or donkey, we may steal. If we covet another's wife, we may commit adultery. To love the things of this world (even if I am not coveting someone else's possessions) is to not love God. When we covet, we break other commandments as well, both in our heart and mind, and in our actions.

Instead of coveting, we should be content with what God has given us. We should lay up treasure in heaven instead of treasure on earth. We should also learn to give thanks to God for the blessings he has given us. Above all, we should love our neighbor. Love does not envy, it is not jealous (1 Corinthians 13:4). Love is happy when his neighbor is blessed.

Suggestions:

Open each lesson with prayer for the teacher and the students and this class time.

Read the story of Achan (Joshua 6:15-19;7:1-26), who coveted what belonged to God of the things of Jericho. Ask the children what Achan did because of his coveting. Ask them about the consequences for Achan for coveting.

If you have time, you can remind the children of the story of Gehazi, who coveted the gold and clothes of Naaman; and remind them of the story of Ahab and Jezebel who coveted Naboth's vineyard.

Read Jesus' words in Luke about covetousness (Luke 12:13-21). Did the rich man take from someone else? (It seems not.) Yet he coveted in that he loved this world and the things of this world. He had treasure on earth, but no treasure in heaven. What happened to this man's treasures? What will God say to him at the judgment?

Talk to the children about things they may covet. The younger are likely to covet toys in some form or another. This is seen in the way they play together and how one may attempt to get another's toy. The older children may covet more subtly, but likely covet nonetheless. Ask them about wanting what a friend may have. Also ask them about treasure on earth and treasure in heaven. What do they think it looks like (for them) to lay up treasure on earth, and what does it look like to lay up treasure in heaven?

Close the lesson with prayer related to the subject and the students. Pray the Lord's Prayer together.

Stories:

Joshua 6:15-19;7:1-26 – the story of Achan. “When I saw among the plunder a beautiful Babylonian robe, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, then I coveted them and took them. Behold, they are hidden in the ground in the middle of my tent, with the silver under it” (Joshua 7:21).

All that was in Jericho was devoted to God. When the children of Israel defeated Jericho, they were to keep none of the plunder for themselves, for Joshua said it all belonged to God. Achan coveted the things he saw. He wanted what belonged to God. He wanted the treasures of this earth. Achan allowed this coveting into his heart, and so he secretly took what did not belong to him. The end of this was death (Romans 6:21).

Luke 12:13-21 [13] One of the multitude said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” [14] But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” [15] He said to them, “Beware! Keep yourselves from covetousness, for a man’s life doesn’t consist of the abundance of the things which he possesses.” [16] He spoke a parable to them, saying, “The ground of a certain rich man produced abundantly. [17] He reasoned within himself, saying, ‘What will I do, because I don’t have room to store my crops?’ [18] He said, ‘This is what I will do. I will pull down my barns, and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. [19] I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.”’ [20] “But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’ [21] So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

The rich man does not appear to be coveting what belongs to someone else. How is he coveting? He is coveting in the sense of loving the treasures of earth. He laid up treasure on earth, but did not lay up treasure in heaven. We must be careful to value the eternal, heavenly things far above the things of this world. This will be shown by how we live in this world.

Genesis 3:1-8 [1] Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?’” [2] The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, [3] but not the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” [4] The serpent said to the woman, “You won’t surely die, [5] for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” [6] When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took some of its fruit, and ate; and she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate it, too. [7] Their eyes were opened, and they both knew that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together, and made coverings for themselves. [8] They heard the voice of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden.

The serpent led Eve to covet what was forbidden by God. The inward coveting led to outward disobedience. So sin entered the world, and through sin, death.

More Stories and Examples:

2 Kings 5:14-27 [14] Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. [15] He returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him; and he said, “See now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel. Now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.” [16] But he said, “As Yahweh lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none.” He urged him to take it; but he refused. [17] Naaman said, “If not, then, please let two mules’ burden of earth be given to your servant; for your servant will from now on offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice to other gods, but to Yahweh. [18] In this thing may Yahweh pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon. When I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, may Yahweh pardon your servant in this thing.” [19] He said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him a little way.

[20] But Gehazi the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, “Behold, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought. As Yahweh lives, I will run after him, and take something from him.” [21] So Gehazi followed after Naaman. When Naaman saw one running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?” [22] He said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Behold, even now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.’” [23] Naaman said, “Be pleased to take two talents.” He urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and laid them on two of his servants; and they carried them before him. [24] When he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and stored them in the house. Then he let the men go, and they departed. [25] But he went in, and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where did you come from, Gehazi?” He said, “Your servant went nowhere.” [26] He said to him, “Didn’t my heart go with you, when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and olive groves and vineyards, and sheep and cattle, and male servants and female servants? [27] Therefore the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and to your seed forever.” He went out from his presence a leper, as white as snow.

Hebrews 13:5 Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.”

Other Verses:

Psalm 119:36 Turn my heart toward your statutes, not toward selfish gain.

Psalm 119:36 [KJV] Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.

Ecclesiastes 5:10 He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.

Matthew 6:19-21 [19] “Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; [20] but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; [21] for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Mark 10:35-37 [35] James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came near to him, saying, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we will ask.” [36] He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” [37] They said to him, “Grant to us that we may sit, one at your right hand, and one at your left hand, in your glory.”

1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud,

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 [16] Therefore we don’t faint, but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. [17] For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; [18] while we don’t look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.

1 Timothy 6:6-12 [6] But godliness with contentment is great gain. [7] For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can’t carry anything out. [8] But having food and clothing, we will be content with that. [9] But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction. [10] For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows. [11] But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. [12] Fight the good fight of faith. Lay hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.

1 John 2:15-17 [15] Don’t love the world, neither the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him. [16] For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s. [17] The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever.

COVETOUSNESS AND IDOLATRY

Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.

Ephesians 5:5-10 [5] Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God. [6] Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. [7] Therefore don’t be partakers with them. [8] For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, [9] for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, [10] proving what is well pleasing to the Lord.

Colossians 3:1-6 [1] If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. [2] Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. [3] For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. [4] When Christ, our life, is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him in glory. [5] Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry; [6] for which things’ sake the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience.

1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

The apostle Paul taught that covetousness is idolatry, and a covetous man is an idolater. When we covet, we are serving another god, an idol. The serpent in the garden tempted Eve to covet, and in coveting, Eve was serving, or worshiping, another god, an idol. The rich man of Luke 12:13-21, in his covetousness, was serving the idol of mammon, or earthly possessions. The idolatry of coveting may or may not involve a physical statue, yet it will involve obedience and service to something or someone less than God and disobedience to God. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.