Monday, November 25, 2013

Exodus 20:17 -- Do not Covet

Exodus 20:17 Do not covet your neighbor’s house. Do not covet your neighbor’s wife, his male or female slave, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Do not covet.  Do not become jealous of what your neighbor has.  If you do, it could lead you into more sin.  If you covet your neighbor's wife, you may want to commit adultery with her.  If you covet his slave or animals, you may want to steal them.  When you covet, your heart desires the things you cannot have and will eventually seek a way for you to obtain those things.
Joshua 7:20 Achan replied to Joshua, “It is true. I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. This is what I did: 21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Babylon, 200 silver shekels, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, I coveted them and took them. You can see for yourself. They are concealed in the ground inside my tent, with the money under the cloak.” 22 So Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent, and there was the cloak, concealed in his tent, with the money underneath. 23 They took the things from inside the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and spread them out in the Lord’s presence.
24 Then Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, and the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his ox, donkey, and sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and brought them up to the Valley of Achor. 25 Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? Today the Lord will trouble you!” So all Israel stoned them to death. They burned their bodies, threw stones on them, 26 and raised over him a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day.
The above story is about a man who coveted, and as a result he took things he should not have.  As a result of his disobedience, he and all his family and possessions were killed and destroyed.

Having desires and wants is not wrong in and of itself.  It is wanting those desires so much that you are putting them before God and you are willing to sin to get those desires.

Exodus 20:16 -- Do Not Lie

Exodus 20:16 Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.
In other words, do not lie.  Do not say something that is not true.  When you lie, you cause yourself to become untrustworthy.  Some people seem to think that lying isn't that bad.  Other sins, like murder or adultery are worse that telling a lie.

This is what the Bible has to say:
James 2:10 For whoever keeps the entire law, yet fails in one point, is guilty of breaking it all. 11 For He who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder.
The one who said those things also said to not lie, so we must obey or we are just as guilty as the murderer or the adulterer.