The Ten Commandments Part 10 Series

Now I want to touch on something else briefly. In that culture, the wife was owned by the husband. She was his property. Today we look at such a thing with disgust. It wasn’t uncommon for a man to see another man’s wife and want her – not to be his wife but to want her. I know you understand what I’m saying. How many of you have seen the movie “Indecent Proposal’ with Robert Redford, Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore? Harrelson is an architect and Moore is a real estate agent but their businesses are struggling because of a recession. So they go to Las Vegas to gamble hoping to win enough money to save their dream home. They lose everything. Redford, a billionaire offers them a solution to their problem. He’d pay Harrelson $1 million dollars if he could sleep with his wife. This is what was happening in Israel. But in this case, the sin had two sides. Both of the men were coveting or lusting. The man wanted the wife for pleasure and the husband wanted the material benefits, typically more cattle or land. When you think about it, Israel in many ways didn’t value human life like God does. A person was used just like one would use cattle. And not too much is different today. Our world today doesn’t value human life the way God does.

I also want to remind you that covetousness has a twin and their name is jealousy. If you read Song of Solomon 8:6 you will see where he describes jealousy as cruel as the grave (or as some translations say, hell.) When you covet something that someone else has you’re often jealous because you do not have it. If someone is coveting something jealousy is right there within them too. But where does covetousness come from? Where does it originate? As with most things pertaining to sin, this too starts in the heart. There are two ideals by which men mold their lives. One makes God the center of all things, the other makes self the center. One says “Thy will be done,” while the other says “My will be done.” It is in the heart that that covetousness has its home. Everything is regarded in its relation to self; the neighbor's life and home, property, and character, are only so many possible instruments which may stop or assist in the gratification of selfishness. The thought of something which may give pleasure, leads us to the desire for the possession of that thing, and the desire will only be restrained from fulfilment by external checks which may make fulfilment difficult. A man may refrain from adultery or theft, because of the social penalties which attach to such transgressions; all the same in his inmost heart he may be a thief and an adulterer. Selfishness is the parent of all sins; its offspring is only dwarfed in growth when selfishness is restrained by society.

There is an example of coveting in the Bible that I want to share with you this morning. But before we look at it, turn with me to James chapter one. We’re going to read verses 13, 14 and 15. James shows us what happens when coveting or lusting is allowed to run its course and let me tell you now, it’s not pretty. James 1:13-15 says “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” This is the picture these verses are painting for us this morning. You are a fish swimming around and minding your own business. All of a sudden this worm drops in the water and you see it and you like what you see. So you swim toward it. But then something unexpected happens. It starts to move away from you. But you want that worm so badly that you follow it and follow it and follow it just hoping to catch it. Are you getting the picture? You have been enticed by the worm because you’re thinking how good it’s going to taste. So you continue to pursue the worm. And then you catch it. But what you don’t know is the worm was the bait to catch you! Your lust will ultimately lead to death – in this case, your death. This is what James is talking about.