Hey All,
This week we wrap up the Ten Commandments review. I am putting both 9 and 10 together because they really speak to what are “motives” are when dealing with our neighbor. Granted the examples given are not as relevant today as we do not have man servants or maid servants but the concept is the same. So let’s take a deeper look at these two commandments.
The Ninth and Tenth Commandment
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house
What Does this mean: We should fear and love God that we may not craftily seek to get our neighbor’s inheritance or house, nor obtain it by a show of right, but help and be of service to him in keeping it.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant. nor his cattle, not anything that is thy neighbor’s
What Does this mean: We should fear and love God that we may not estrange, force, or entice away from our neighbor his wife, servants or cattle, but urge them to stay and do their duty.
What does God Want or NOT want us to do?
To “covet” according to the dictionary means we “yearn” or “desire” to have something. So in the ninth when we are told not to covet our neighbor’s house it is different than in the Seventh Commandment where God tells us not to commit the physical act of stealing our neighbor’s house. This commandment speaks to the heart. Are we looking across the fence every night when get home thinking about out neighbors house? It says in Matthew 23:14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you devour widows houses and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation. Or worse yet are we looking at our neighbor’s life style and wishing we were him as is forbidden in the Tenth commandment? Timothy steers us clear of this in 1 Timothy 6:8-10 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content, But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all evil, and some by longing for it had wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with griefs.
So let’s put that verse to test. How many of us feel if we have food and shelter that we should be content that God is fulfilling all our needs and not want anything else our neighbor has? Your not alone. God clearly knew that we would struggle with this commandment therefore he is telling us be happy with what you have and don’t fall into temptations.
So to wrap up
Paul calls to“love and serve” one another as is says in Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brethren, only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Father God I pray this week that you would press upon our hearts to be thankful for everything we have, Help us to be still in our prayer life to listen for your calling in our lives. Amen? AMEN!
image sourced from google images
