Covetousness, What is it?

Covetousness vs Contentment

Covetousness comes forth in our lives for various reasons. Pride. Greed. Desire. Fear. What is Covetousness? It is marked by an inordinate desire for wealth or possessions or for another's possessions and a craving for possession and power. Not only is this a bad habit to have, but it is also a Spiritual Law. As a matter of fact, it is so predominant in human nature, that God felt it necessary to make it the Tenth Commandment.

“You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.”Exodus 20:17

It is human nature to see what someone else has, and want that. Keeping up with the Jones. Seeing someone who has money and all the toys and you are working hard to pay bills and eat. Is there anything wrong with seeing what someone else has and striving to get stuff like that? Yes. It is motivation maybe. However, it is motivation in the wrong things. This is why God warns us against it.

Why? Because if you do not greedily desire, AKA Covet, anything, especially from those you love, you won't commit adultery, you will not steal from, and of course, murder them. If you become envious of someone who appears to be better off than you, especially if you KNOW that they are not children of God, then you will be led down that same path. If they lied, cheated, stole, and perhaps even murdered, to get where they are, and you Covet what they have and how they live, you will say it with me, lie, cheat, and steal, to achieve the same.

Here is a problem for them that you have not thought about. They are temporal, while you are eternal. When telling us the story of the rich man and Lazarth, Jesus said this.

"There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. and at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried,  and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’  But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us." Luke 16:19-26

Say "Too late." There will come a time, believe it or not when it will be too late. We are told consistently throughout the Word, that we should store up our treasures in Heaven, and we should seek first the Kingdom of God, trusting in Him to meet our daily needs. Although it seems unfair that they have so much and you have nothing, know this, in reality, it is them that have nothing. You? You have EVERYTHING. You are a child of God.

How bad is it for us to allow this in our lives? Do you really think you cannot fall for this sort of thing? Look at King Ahab. He was a king. He had nearly anything he could ever want. Well, except this.

“Now Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And after this Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden because it is near my house, and I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money.” But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And Ahab went into his house vexed and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him, for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food.”

Even though Ahab was a king, and even though he had even better lands than that of Naoth, look here, “and I will give you a better vineyard for it” still he coveted Naboth’s land. He coveted Naboth’s land so much that it made him physically sick. Read on.

“But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “Why is your spirit so vexed that you eat no food?” And he said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money, or else, if it please you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” And Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now govern Israel? Arise and eat bread and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city. And she wrote in the letters, “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people. And set two worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, ‘You have cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.” And the men of his city, the elders, and the leaders who lived in his city did as Jezebel had sent word to them. As it was written in the letters that she had sent to them, they proclaimed a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people. And the two worthless men came in and sat opposite him. And the worthless men brought a charge against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned; he is dead.”

As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money, for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” And as soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.”1 Kings 21:1-16

Ahab coveted, and it lead to false witness, theft, and murder. Talking about kings. What about one of the greatest kings to ever live? King David. What the Word of God calls a man after God’s own heart?

“In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.

It happened, late one afternoon when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.”

Stop there for a second. First, it seems like David got comfortable, or perhaps even lazy. His life of ease caused him to get used to not doing much. He stayed home. He did not go off like the other kings did at the appropriate time. He got up from a nap and went outside to see what he could see, and he saw a beautiful naked woman bathing. He could have looked away. He could have gone back inside. Instead? He kept watching. He asked who she was, and take a look at the response. “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” Now I cannot prove it, but that sounds much like what we would say today. “Who is that?” “Come on Pete, you know who that is. That’s Billy’s wife.” Or something to that effect.

This is the wife of Uriah. Who is Uriah? He is an elite soldier in the army of David. Chances are King David knew and has seen Uriah and his wife on numerous occasions. Even if he did not initially recognize her, someone told him who she was. Then this happened. “David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her.” Does that sound like she chose this? Can you say forced her to go to the king? Can you say rape? Now because David coveted Bathsheba, it caused up to this point, kidnapping, and rape. Now a pregnancy. Read on, it gets worse.

“So David sent word to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab was doing and how the people were doing, and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” And Uriah went out of the king's house, and there followed him a present from the king. But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord and did not go down to his house. When they told David, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?”

You see, David wanted him to go down to his house, get cleaned up, and have relations with his wife. Then when it became known that Bathsheba was with child, all would assume, including Uriah, that Uriah was the father. But David's plan failed because of Uriah's reverence and love for David, He refused to go.

“Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.”

David’s plan failed. So he had to come up with an option B. Get him drunk.

“Then David said to Uriah, “Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. And David invited him, and he ate in his presence and drank so that he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.”

Well? That failed also. David now desperate, tries to cover up his rape of Uriah’s wife and continues to fail. Time to get drastic.

“In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. In the letter he wrote, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die.” And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men. And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died. Then Joab sent and told David all the news about the fighting. And he instructed the messenger, “When you have finished telling all the news about the fighting to the king, then if the king's anger rises, and if he says to you, ‘Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?’ then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’”

So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him to tell. The messenger said to David, “The men gained an advantage over us and came out against us in the field, but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate. Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall. Some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.” David said to the messenger, “Thus shall you say to Joab, ‘Do not let this matter displease you, for the sword devours now one and now another. Strengthen your attack against the city and overthrow it.’ And encourage him.”

When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband. And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.”2 Samuel 11:1-27

David coveted Bathsheba. This led to kidnapping, rape, lies, and murder. It goes on to say how God killed the child. 

Jesus Himself warns us about this.

“Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15

Some people work themselves half to death. Some work themselves to death. Some turn to lying, cheating, and stealing, Some plot, and yes, even arrange or carry out, out and out murder. The only way to truly guard against Covetousness is through Contentment. This will be what we will be discussing next time.

Have you been adopted into the Family of God? Would you like to be? It really is simple. Say this prayer. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

Brand new Email if you wish to contact me, it's truthbygod1@gmail.com

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Jesus, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!