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Colouring Inside The Lines

by | Tue, Mar 15 2022

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Exodus 20:17, ‘You shall not covet your neighbours house; you shall not covet your neighbours wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbour.’

What is it about coveting that makes it so heinous? This answer from the Gospel Coalition explains the answer very, very well.

“It can never be satiated. Coveting relentlessly craves more of this world; and a person’s thoughts, affections, and heart occupied with the world will cease seeking heaven. It forsakes love for God and disposes one to hate their neighbor. Coveting pulls the heart down into the pit of self-seeking and the muck and mire of envy, slander, adultery, pride, dishonor, murder, thievery, and idolatry. It has rightly been said that when we break any of the first nine commandments, we also break the tenth commandment.” [1]

This is confirmed in Judaism as well. An article online at Jewish Encyclopedia says;

“Covetousness is the inordinate desire to possess that to which one is not entitled, or that which belongs to another…Covetousness never succeeds in the attainment of the object desired.” [2]

In other words, coveting leads to more coveting which leads to sin and it’s never, ever satisfied. Instead of staying within the boundaries of appreciation and contentment with what we have, we want to step outside those bounds…colouring outside the lines…to get more and more but never ever being content.

What are some examples from the Bible of coveting?

Adam and Eve were told they could eat from every tree in Eden except one…one lousy tree was all they were required to avoid and because Eve couldn’t have it, she wanted it. It’s like putting up a sign that says, “Keep off the grass”…as soon as we know we’re not allowed to walk on the grass, all we want to do is walk on the grass…we crave walking on the grass and so we do! (Gen 2:16-17)

Then there’s Achan; he was told by, along with the entire nation of Israelites, that when Jericho was conquered they weren’t to take any spoils of war…nothing…not a single thing. (Josh 6:18) But Achan became very covetous, and when he laid eyes on the wealth in the city he just had to keep it for himself. (Josh 7:1, 20-21)

One last example, king David had numerous wives and yet, when he laid eyes on Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah he couldn’t get his thoughts off her. He didn’t need another woman, he had several wives and yet, he coveted another man’s wife and because he was king he decided to take her and that lead him to commit murder when he couldn’t secretly cover up his sin. (2 Sam 11)

These three examples show clearly that human beings crave colouring outside the lines of the boundaries that God expects us to stay within. That explains why coveting is so bad but what about longing? Is that the same as coveting? When is it actually okay to want or long for something?

There are four root Hebrew words that can all be translated as ‘covet’ but they don’t all necessarily mean something bad.

חמד                        (khamad)             – This word is about finding something delightful, to want it

אוה                         (e’va)                    – This word is about great desire, craving

קנא                         (qanna)                – This word concerns jealousy

בצע                        (batsa)                  – This word concerns chasing after (unjust) gain

These word descriptions and definitions can be seen in God’s behaviour, all except batsa, God never chases after something for unjust gain.

Psalm 45:11, ‘Then the King (God) will desire your (the people of God) beauty. Because He’s your Lord, bow down to Him.’

The Hebrew word for ‘desire’ is ‘e’va’ and it’s a good desire, a righteous desire and so not a sin as detailed in the commandments. His desire was for the benefit of His people.

Psalm 132:13-14, ‘The Lord has chosen Zion; He’s desired it for His habitation. “This is My resting place forever; here I’ll dwell, for I have desired it.”’

Again, the Hebrew word used twice in these verses is ‘e’va’ and it’s a good, righteous and thoroughly holy kind of desire and it’s a desire exercised by God Himself.

God also describes Himself as jealous.

Exodus 20:5, “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me.’

The Hebrew word used here for the word ‘jealous’ is ‘qanna’ where God is expressing righteous, holy zealous jealousy. God didn’t want His people chasing after what was bad or evil, He wanted them to be faithful to Him and devoted to Him and He in turn would be devoted to them. Who would benefit ultimately? God’s people would.

The real issue at play here is the boundary of righteous longing, craving and desire as opposed to coveting what we’re not permitted to have. There’s nothing wrong with desiring a home…you just can’t be covetousness or greedy for the home that belongs to someone else. There’s nothing wrong with the desire for a husband or wife, you just can’t covet someone else’s specific husband or wife. There’s nothing wrong with working towards and longing for a job you love and enjoy and that meets the needs of your family, but it’s wrong to try and maneuver or oust someone else from their job so you can have it.

In a nutshell, it’s the difference between jealousy or zeal for what is a godly desire and longing that God says is good for you, and jealousy, greed and envy for what is not rightly yours.

Sometimes this can mean waiting until the right time and it’s in the waiting times that we’re supposed to learn to be content with what we have. Not because having something more or different is a sin, but because sometimes getting everything we want when we want it isn’t always good for us. Waiting is also part of God’s means of growing us up so we can handle the things He brings our way.

Philippians 4:11-12, Paul said, ‘Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I’ve learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.’

We have to learn to live our lives colouring within the boundaries God has us in.

 

Shalom

Mandy

 

 

 

 

 

 

Based in part on an article at oneforisrael.org

[1] https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/the-deadly-sin-of-coveting/

[2] http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/4715-covetousness