No Coveting Series

Ten Words to Live By: Do not Covet

Exodus 20: 17

Patter Jefferson M. Williams

Chenoa Baptist Church

10-12–2025

Intro

Thursday night, I joined several thousand amateur storm chasers in Peoria to hear from the O.G. himself, the man, the myth, the legend, Dr. Reed Timmer. (If you have seen the new Twisters movie, the main character was based on him and he was the technical advisor).

Reed has been chasing tornadoes for over 30 years and has intercepted over 1,000 of them in his vehicle called, “The Dominator.” This is basically a tank designed to withstand a direct hit from a tornado.

Reed does love the thrill but he is also a scientist on the cutting edge of tornado science. He chases full-time and he showed video after video of tornado intercepts.

I would love to win the lottery and trick my Toyota Corolla out with the latest radar and instruments and travel the country chasing tornadoes.

Is that desire “coveting?” Do I covet Reed’s life, Reed’s experiences, Reed’s dominator? Is that what coveting is?

Review

This morning we come to the end of our series called, “Ten Words to Live By.” We know them as the “The Ten Commandments” although that name is never used in the Bible.

In Hebrew, this top ten list is known as the “Ten Words,” or Decalogue, and we find them in Exodus 20.

Pastor John Miller reminds us of three reasons the ten words were given:

* God is holy

* Man is sinful and we need a Savior

* Shows us how to live

They are less rules about what to do and tell us more about who God is to us:

1. One God - God is God.

2. No idols - God is Creator.

3. Revere His Name - God is holy

4. Remember to Rest - God is Rest

5. Honor Parents - God is Father

6. No murder - God is Life

7. No adultery - God is Faithful

8. No stealing - God is a Provider

9. No lying - God is Truth

10. No coveting - God is Sufficient

The ten words are divided into two groups. The first four cover our relationship with God. The last six detail our relationship with others.

Jesus was asked by a teacher of the Law what the greatest commandment was and He responded:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

The four commandments are how we love God with all that we are.

The second six commandments are how we love our neighbor.

There is another pattern to the Ten Words. They move from “don’t do it” to “don’t say it” to “don’t think about it.”

J.I. Packer writes that they move from “actions to attitudes, from motion to motives, from forbidden deeds to forbidden desires.”

Coveting hides in the heart.

This morning, we will look at the last of the ten words. Turn with me to Exodus 20:17. ?

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Prayer.

Why give this Word to Israel?

Remember, that God brought the Israelites out of Egypt and is given them rules to live by, to make a just and holy society.

This group of former slaves had nothing so isn’t strange that God would give this commandment? He is anticipating that, eventually, they would have wealth like servants and animals. He was proactively establishing boundaries for them before they even knew they needed it.

There would come a time when they wouldn’t be content with what they had and look across the fence and spy out that amazing donkey that their neighbor had and want it for themselves.

What is Coveting?

Out of all the ten commandments, this one may be the most confusing. Coveting is a vague concept.

I’ve never actually had someone admit to me that they have a problem with coveting.

For the past two weeks, I’ve been asking people, “what do you covet?” Many of them said things like

being able to give your children things that others do

Being able to travel

Wishing they had a talent or skill like someone else does.

Here’s mine. (Picture of a guy with abs). It isn’t the abs that I necessarily covet, but the self-discipline that that guy had to achieve that goal.

But is this coveting?

The word literally means “to desire, to crave, to yearn for.”

Not all desire is bad. We all have desires that are good and healthy. How does desire turn to coveting?