October 1, 2000 Exodus 20:17
“Going for the gold!” (part 2)
INTRODUCTION
Last week, we began our look at the last of the 10 Commandments – “Thou shalt not covet”. We said that coveting is that overwhelming desire that we have to possess what belongs to someone else. It may be that object that we desire belongs to a store, and we covet for ourselves as we walk the aisles of that store, or it may that that object belongs to our neighbor – someone that we have a relationship with. Coveting is that attitude that says, “I must have the object of my desire, or life will just not be worth living.” It grows out of a lack of satisfaction with what God has already given you, and it prevents you from being thankful for God’s many blessings to you right now and in the past. If left unchecked, it will produce envy and even hatred in your heart toward the person that has whatever it is that you want – whether that object of your desire is a person with whom you want a relationship, or a material possession that would bring you pleasure.
We talked about 4 reasons that God forbids us to covet the possessions of another person. They’re listed on your note sheet there:
1. God forbids coveting because it sets our hearts on things of this earth instead of on things of heaven.
2. God forbids coveting because it puts a barrier between me and my neighbor.
3. God forbids coveting because it gives me motivation to break all of God’s commandments.
4. God forbids coveting because it will destroy me.
This morning, we’re going to scan through the lives of several people in the Bible and look at how instances or lifestyles of coveting affected them so that we can get a better picture of how destructive this sin can be in our own lives.
Abraham and Lot (Genesis 13:5-17)
- vs. 5-6 Abraham and Lot were traveling together. They had so many possessions and so many animals that there wasn’t enough space or resources to support them both. The problem that destroyed their happiness was NOT that Lot was poor and needed to accumulate more goods. The problem was that he had TOO MANY goods! How many of you have ever complained about not having enough closet or storage space? Could it be that the problem is not a lack of space to store your stuff but too much stuff to find a place to put it? The solution is not to get a bigger house to put all your stuff in but to get rid of some of the stuff so your house isn’t overcrowded.
- vs. 7 Everyone was fighting with everyone else for use of limited resources. Kind of like everyone in your family was fighting over the bathroom this morning.
- vs. 8-9 Abraham, in a very unselfish and uncovetous move allowed Lot the option of picking what portion of the land that he wanted for himself. Abraham, being the elder of Lot, had the right to tell Lot what to do and where to go, but he chose not to exercise that right. He was starting to understand that he didn’t need to be in control of his own life and his resources in order to have what he needed to provide for his family.
- vs. 10 Rather than just arbitrarily picking an area or doing a coin toss, Lot did a little land survey. He “looked and saw”. The area that he surveyed was the flatland around the Jordan river. It was well-watered. In his own mind, Lot considered that land to be so nice that he compared it to the two most fertile pieces of land that he could think of - the garden of Eden, and the land right around the Nile river in Egypt. Lot already knew what the rest of the land was like. Though it could support life, living on any other part of the land was going to require a lot more work and a lot more moving around so as not to eat up all the grass in any one place. Truly, if there was ever time that the grass was actually greener on the other side of the fence, this was that time.
- vs. 11 So Lot, being the wonderful nephew that he was, did the loving thing and took the land in the valley for himself. What he had was simply not enough. He wanted more, and he wanted to work as little as possible in order to achieve it.
- Vs. 12 When Lot got down into the valley, he discovered that the natural resources that were there, the land and the grass, were not the only things that were desirable about the area. There were two cities there – Sodom and Gomorrah. These two cities offered some things that Lot wanted. They offered persons to do business with so that he could increase his wealth. They offered entertainment. It gets boring being around sheep and other animals all day long. They offered prestige. After all, he was well off. The people of the city would show him respect and might even accept him as part of the movers and the shakers. And the city offered protection. Out in the field, Lot was unprotected from the raiding parties that might come through at any time. Inside the city, he would have the added protection of many persons standing together against a common foe. So for some or all of those reasons, Lot “pitched his tent” toward Sodom. He set up his tent in such a way that every morning when he woke up and walked out of his tent, the city of Sodom would be the first thing that he saw. That was his goal – to be a part of everything that city had to offer. He set his heart on Sodom – things of this earth – rather than setting his heart on God.
- vs. 13 Lot’s coveting of material goods opened him up to making spiritual compromises. He either knew when he went down into the valley or would have quickly found out what kind of people lived in the city. But he was willing to put up with the junk in order to get what he wanted. Are you willing to make or overlook compromises with your faith in order to get what you want? It may start out with very small things, and it may just be once in a while, but soon those compromises will become a way of life, and you will start allowing and participating in stuff that you thought would never be a part of your life.
A span of time passed. The Bible doesn’t record how long it was. It may have been months, or it may have been years. Lot’s dreams for material wealth, safety and prestige seem to have come true. He is now living in the city of Sodom. Just one problem – God had had enough of the sin in the city and was getting ready to destroy it. Because of Lot’s relationship with Abraham and A’s pleading for Lot, God sent His angels down into the city to get Lot and his family out of the city before it all came crashing down. Turn over a few chapters to chapter 19 beginning with verse 15.
- vs. 15-16 Lot hesitated. Why? I don’t think it was because he doubted the angels in their warning that God was going to destroy the city. Lot had seen enough in the city to know that it warranted God’s judgment against it. He probably marveled that God had not destroyed it already. What caused him to hesitate leaving the city was probably his desire to hold onto the things and relationships that he had gained as a part of that society. He literally had to be dragged away from the treasures of Sodom so that he could be taken to a place of safety. What is causing you to hesitate when God says for you to come or to go to a particular place and do a certain thing? The place where God says for you to go is the only place of safety. What are you holding onto so tightly that nothing will cause you to let go unless someone drags you away?
- vs. 17, 23-26 Once the angel had gotten them successfully out of the city, he told them not to look back but to run as fast as they could to get away from the destruction that God was sending. When the sun had risen over the land, God rained down fire on the cities and destroyed everything that was a part of that area. He destroyed the city, everything that lived in the city, and all that vegetation – that wonderful green grass – the had originally drawn Lot to that valley in the first place. The thing that he had coveted for himself cost him more than he could ever realize and was now itself destroyed. But Lot lost a lot more than grass in this destruction. Lot’s wife just couldn’t let go of all that she had in the city – the finery, the clothes, the prestige, so in her inability to let it go and her longing to hang onto it, she turned around to look at Sodom once more. She didn’t turn around out of curiosity over what was going on much like a young child would. She turned around because she wanted the pleasures of Sodom more than she wanted the rescue that God offered. In response to her rebellion, God turned her into a pillar of salt. She had her heart set on earthly things, so God literally made her a part of the earth.
- vs. 30-36 Lot lost still more. He lost the respect and love of his daughters. And then he lost his self-respect when he discovered what his daughters had done to him and when he realized where he had fallen from.
Lot illustrates at least two of our principles concerning coveting - #1 and #4. He set his heart on things of this world rather than on things of heaven. He wanted things that he thought could bring him satisfaction and pleasure, but all that they brought him was pain and suffering and loss. Lot’s coveting destroyed him. He lost all of his wealth, he lost his wife, and he lost the respect and admiration of his daughters. Except for the intervention of God’s messengers, he would have lost his life too. Coveting destroys all who give themselves over to it.
- One other thing I want to point out before we leave Lot behind. Look back at 13:14-17. After Lot had separated from Abraham, God made Abraham a promise. [read verses] Look what Lot could have been a part of if he had only stayed with Abraham and found a way for everyone to share the resources that were available. God has a lot to offer us too, but we get ahead of Him or put our desires ahead of his commands and requirements on our lives. I wonder how much we are missing out on today because of our own actions that have come out of a desire to always have more.
Ahab and Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings 21)
- vs. 1 The vineyard was close to the palace, so Ahab wanted it for himself – He saw.
- vs. 2 Ahab wanted to turn it into a vegetable garden. He offered to pay for it or give Naboth an even better vineyard. – He coveted
- vs. 3 Naboth exhibited a complete lack of covetousness. He didn’t want a better vineyard and he didn’t want the money. He was satisfied with what he had and with where he was. (1 Tim 6:6-11 NIV) But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
- vs. 4 Ahab wasn’t used to be turned down. After all, he was the king. Most people responded to him when he offered them money or possessions for the things that he wanted. But not this Naboth. Look at how king Ahab reacted – “sullen, angry, sulking and refused to eat”. Sounds more like kid Ahab than king Ahab. Can’t you see him running up the palace stairs in a huff pounding on the stairs as he goes. Then he runs into his room, kicks the dog, and plops face first onto the bed. He kicks his legs all over the place while pounding his pillow.
- vs. 7 Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, reminded him that he was king. She should’ve reminded him of all that he already had as a result of his position, but instead, she reminded him that as king, he had the power to get what he wanted. He didn’t need to pout over what he wanted. He needed to take it. Jezebel went even further and told him that she would take care of the whole matter and get the vineyard for him.
- vs. 8-15 Tell about the scheme that Jezebel cooked up to get the field by convincing false witnesses to give testimony against Naboth at a dinner held in his honor with the result that he was stoned by the people of the town.
- vs. 16 Once Naboth was dead, Ahab stopped pouting and went and took possession of the vineyard that he had coveted.
- vs. 17-19 As a result of this final act of rebellion on Ahab’s part, his death was prophesied.
Ahab saw the field, he coveted it, he took it, and he died because of it.
Saul and David (1 Samuel 18:6-11)
- Saul became jealous because David was now receiving the praise and adoration which had once belonged to Saul. He coveted that praise for himself. Saul figured that this praise was going to go to David’s head and cause him to turn against Saul.
- To make sure that didn’t happen, Saul tried repeatedly to kill David. Saul’s coveting of the praise that David now enjoyed and the attitude that it provoked in Saul illustrates for us the 2nd of the reasons that God prohibited coveting. It put a definite barrier between Saul and David, whom Saul had once treated as a son.
- The animosity that Saul felt toward David destroyed the relationship that they had once enjoyed, and it destroyed the relationship between Saul and his own son. A covetous spirit turned two people who had once enjoyed a father/son relationship into enemies.
- Coveting led Saul to attempt murder, and it caused him to lose everything that he had.
David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:1-27)
- vs. 2 David saw Bathsheba bathing on the rooftop
- vs. 3 He coveted her for himself (sent messengers to find out who she was)
- vs. 4 He took her into the palace and into his bedroom
- vs. 6-27 He attempted to hide his sin through treachery, lying, and murder.
- 12:19 The child that was born of their marriage died.
- David illustrates #3 of our reasons for not coveting. His uncontrollable desire for Bathsheba caused him to commit adultery, murder, theft – he stole Uriah’s wife, and lying. All of these sins were committed by one of the most godly men that ever lived. What happened to him? One day when Jesus was talking with the crowd, He told the story of the four types of soil. Each of the different types of soil represented a different kind of heart. One of the types of soil was the thorny soil. Listen to how that type responded to the entrance of God’s Word. (Mark 4:18-19 NIV) Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. David became unfruitful in his walk with the Lord when he allowed other things to come in and put a stranglehold on him.
- One of the greatest dangers that we face as Christians is allowing ourselves to be choked by things that we think we need from this world. There have been several families who were once a part of this church but are no longer. It’s not because they made an intentional decision to drop out of church or to leave their faith behind, but because they allowed weeds and thorns to slowly grow up around them and slowly strangle their desire for godly things. They allowed the desire for things that they did not have to prevent them from coming here where they could get the nutrients that they needed to fight off sin and produce great things for God. They needed something else to satisfy them.
- That must have been what David was feeling too. At the moment David saw Bathsheba on the rooftop, he already had 7 wives! [Michael – Saul’s daughter (1 Sam. 18:27); Abigail (1 Sam. 25:42); Ahinoam (1 Sam 25:43; Maacah, Hagith, Abital and Eglah (2 Sam. 3:3-5)] He wasn’t satisfied with what his wives already provided for him.
- Jesus spoke of the deceitfulness of riches and the desire for other things. The lie of the covetous spirit is, “Maybe just one more will finally satisfy me. Maybe this one will be the one that meets this longing in my soul.” The only one who can bring true satisfaction is Jesus Christ. The writer of this Psalm said it this way: (Psa 73:25-26 NIV) Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. When we have that kind of attitude, we can be satisfied and at peace constantly because Jesus is constantly with us.
Achan and Ai (Joshua 7:20-26)
- vs. 1-18 Joshua and the Israelites had entered the land of Canaan. They had begun their conquest of the land by taking one city at a time. The first to fall to Israel’s attack was Jericho. The second city that they came to was a little city called Ai. It should have been a much easier victory even than Jericho was. But instead of the Israelites being victorious over the people of Ai, the Israelites were forced to retreat and lost 36 of their men. When Joshua inquired of the Lord why this defeat had happened, God revealed to him that someone in the camp had taken things that did not belong to them. Someone had sinned. Through a process of elimination that is described in vs. 16-18, Joshua found out that the guilty man was a soldier by the name of Achan.
- vs. 19 Joshua confronted Achan and advised him to confess to the crime that he committed.
- vs. 20-21 Achan confessed that when Israel ransacked the city of Jericho, he had taken some of the possessions that he found among the dead people. Normally, taking these things would not have been a problem. It was the practice of all warring peoples. Soldiers were allowed to take the possessions of their dead enemy as payment for their services and as a reward for being willing to put their lives at risk for the good of their people. But in the attack on Jericho, God had given specific instructions that the soldiers were not to take any of the goods that had belonged to the people of the city. Look back at 6:17-19 [read verses]. All the people had been warned away from the treasures that they saw. God had specific plans for those treasures. They were to go into God’s treasury to be used to provide for God’s ministers and the eventual construction of God’s temple – the place that people would come to worship Him. But Achan’s covetousness prevented these resources from going to God’s house or to God’s ministers.
Folks, I feel like I need to say something here even though I run the risk of making it look like I am only looking out for my own self-interests. We are at a turning point in the life of this church. Unless there is a major change in our financial condition this month, by the end of the month, I will be working a 2nd job. I don’t have a problem with that other than the fact that it will limit the amount of time that I am able to devote to study and ministry. What I would have a problem with it if the reason that we are going through financial difficulties is because persons have taken money that was supposed to be devoted to God and His ministry and have used it to fulfill their own covetous pleasures instead. If that is the case with you, then you are bringing trouble on yourself, this church and my family. If you are giving what God has said for you to give, then you are right before God. If you have stolen from God, then you had better balance the books.
Achan described the things that he had taken. It’s interesting to me that he described the silver and gold in terms of how much they weighed. The silver weighed 200 hundred shekels or about 5 lbs. [have 5 lbs of dimes in your pockets and make sure that they jingle as you walk around the church prior to the service beginning] Probably what had happened to Achan when he was roaming though Jericho mopping up any resistance that was left was that he entered the shop of a merchant. Maybe he found the merchant there clutching onto something. He figured that anything a merchant was clutching onto must be valuable, so he pried his stiff fingers loose from it. He discovered that it was the man’s money bag and inside were 200 silver coins weighing a shekel each. At the bottom of the bag was a hunk of gold weighing just over a pound. All told, the combined weight was just a little over 6 pounds. Not very heavy really, but that little bit of weight on Achan’s shoulders became an unbearable weight on his soul. The other thing that Achan got from that merchant’s shop was a beautiful robe from Babylon. Maybe he saw a corner of it hidden under the dust and rubble. So he pulled it the rest of the way out, and decided that he had to have it when he saw how beautiful it was. After all, what were those priests going to do with a robe like that? They wore whites and browns. Something so beautiful as this couldn’t be wasting away in a storage bin somewhere. But Achan wasn’t thinking. Where in the world was he planning on wearing this robe? Was he just going to strut around the tent with it on in front of the family – play dress up every night before dinner? He didn’t think it through. It was an impulsive act. Achan couldn’t have used the money either. Those who knew him knew that he was a relatively poor man. “Where’d you get all that money you’ve been throwing around, Achan?” Achan should have realized that things gotten from covetousness were never going to bring him any enjoyment. He was going to be riddled with guilt, and he was going to have to keep his prize a secret from everyone. The only ones who were going to know were his family. He had to tell them because the only place he could hide these things was in the ground underneath the tent.
- vs. 22-25 Once Achan had confessed to the sin that he committed, Joshua sent messengers to check it out and to bring the things that Achan had stolen. Then it was time for Achan to pay the penalty for his crime. Achan, his family, his animals and all the things that he had stolen out of his covetousness were covered over with a huge pile of stones and then burned. Achan never got to enjoy that things that he had stolen. The whole time that he had these things, he was planning how to hide them, hiding them, worrying that someone was going to find them, confessing where he had hidden them or being hidden with them forever. Achan, like Lot, lost all that he had – his possessions, his family and the very things that had caused his downfall to begin with. It’s almost as if God was saying, “If you’re not going to be satisfied with what I have already given you, then I will take that away too.”
Did you notice the progression of the sin that Achan committed. He told how it happened back in vs. 21. Achan saw the things, he coveted them, he took them, he hid them, and then he died with them. (James 1:14-15 NIV) but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. No one, including God’s ministers, was ever able to take advantage of these resources because of the evil desires of one man.
Achan illustrates for us the truth that a covetous spirit will destroy you. It will rip you up inside every time you see what someone else that you want or every time that someone uses the skill that you really wish you had. And a covetous spirit may very well destroy the people around you too. Because of Achan’s stealing, his family was destroyed, and 36 of Israel’s warriors lost their lives. That makes Achan guilty of stealing and murder.
- One more thing for us to see before we move on. In 8:2, once Achan was gone, God gave the orders for Israel to attack the city of Ai one more time. Only this time, when they were victorious, they were given permission to take for themselves the spoils of war. Whatever they saw that they wanted in the city of Ai once the fighting was over, they were welcome to take it. If Achan had been willing to wait until the conquest of the next city, he would have been able to take the plunder with God’s blessing instead of God’s prohibition. But Achan wasn’t willing to wait for God’s timing.
All of these men illustrated a spirit of covetousness, and they illustrated what happens to you and to the relationships that you enjoyed if you allow your desire for stuff to take control of your life. God forbids it in our lives because he knows that it will destroy us as individuals, our effectiveness as His witnesses, and it will destroy our church. But as usual, God doesn’t just want us to stop behaving badly. He also wants us to put a good action in its place. He wants us to become people who give generously to meet the needs of other people and further the work of the Gospel. One of the first Bible characters that you ever learned about as a child was the little man named Zachaeus. Zachaeus was a man who was hated by those who knew him because he was a tax collector. His covetous spirit caused him to collect a little bit more than was actually owed on other people’s taxes and then pocket the difference. But one day, Zachaeus met Jesus. On that day, his heart was changed. He got rid of the thorns that choked his life, he saw through the lies of covetousness, and he became a giver.
