Hebraic Insight....
"Thou shalt not covet..."
Ex. 20:17

The word translated covet usually refers to selfish desire or lust (e.g., "Lust not after her beauty in thine heart..." Prov. 6:25), and thus speaks directly to the heart's innermost intention, which, even if unacknowledged by ourselves, is always revealed before God: "Your Father who sees in secret" (Mt. 6:6). On the other hand, selfish desire can — if we are willing to be honest with ourselves — reveal to ourselves the condition of our hearts and thus mark our need for deliverance from the power of sin: "I had not known sin ...except the law had said, 'Thou shalt not covet'" (Rom. 7:7).

Now here is a paradox: How can we refrain from desiring that which we, in fact, do desire? How can we be made free from the endless cycle of desire-sin/desire-sin? By walking in the power of the Holy Spirit by the grace of God through Jesus Christ: "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Gal. 5:24).

Webster's Meaning of Covetous:

(I3c) 1: marked by inordinate desire for wealth or possessions or for another's possessions 2 : having a craving for possession <~ of power> - cov-et-ous-ly adv - cov-et-ous-ness n' Syn COVETOUS, GREEDY, ACQUISITIVE, GRASPING, AVARICIOUS means having or showing a strong desire for material possessions. COVETOUS implies Inordinate desire often for another's possessions; GREEDY stresses lack of restraint and often of discrimination in desire; ACQUISITIVE implies both eagerness to possess and ability to acquire and keep; GRASPING adds to COVETOUS and GREEDY an implication of selfishness and often suggests unfair or ruthless means; AVARICIOUS implies, obsessive acquisitiveness especially of money and strongly suggests stinginess.

The following are excerpts from a sermon on a covetous wealthy chief tax collector, named Zacchaeus.

Luke: 19:1 - 4 1 "Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through." 2 "A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy." 3 "He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way." (NIV) Jesus being God in the flesh was omniscient (all knowing) he knew who Zacchaeus was and that he would be in that tree that day. Because he knew Zacchaeus before he was born and knew his name was already in the Lambs Book of Life. Jer 1: 1 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." (NIV) Luke 19: 5 -6 5 "When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly."(NIV) If you notice Jesus did not ask to stay at his house, but said "I must stay at your house today." Luke 19:7 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a sinner." (NIV) Probably other things were said like he is a betrayer, a deceiver, a cheat, a liar and a thief as well. Luke 19: 8 "But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."(NIV) As you can see Zacchaeus, guilty conscience was getting the best of him, so he admitted to his sins and would give back four times to those he cheated and stole from. He had to admit to his sin, redeem himself and make restitution in order to keep his name in the Lambs Book of Life. Luke 19:9 9 Jesus said to him, , "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (NIV)

As you can see Zacchaeus's name was in the Lambs Book of Life. But there is a rich man who was of even better character than Zacchaeus that was not as fortunate to have his name n the Lambs Book of Life. Matt 19:16-23 16 Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" 17 "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want eternal life, obey the commandments." 18 "Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied, "'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself. '' 20 "All these I have, kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?" 21 Jesus answered, "If you want, to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.,, 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." (NIV)

As you can see Jesus approached Zacchaeus about staying in his home, because he knew that Zacchaeus would repent and make restitution, which kept his name in the Lambs Book of Life. But the rich man approached Jesus and asked what to do, Jesus knew what his decision would be. Not to give up his riches, therefore the consequence of this was his name was not added in the "Lambs Book of Life." Jesus knew what our decisions would be before we were born, but we don't know and neither dose Satan. This is why there is a constant waring going on inside of us.

Their are those who think they have something when they have the worldly prize of money and material possessions. But how about the heavenly prize of having their names in the "Lambs Book of Life?" They needlessly put themselves in a grave dilemma; a perilous crossroads; they now have a choice of taking one of two paths. They can choose the Heavenly path of light as Zacchaeus did and repent and make restitution for their wrong doings, or they can choose the Worldly path of darkness as the rich man did, thus suffering the same consequences as he. And that being not having their name in the "Lambs Book of Life." Jer 17:11 11 "Like a partridge that hatches eggs it did not lay is the man who gains riches by unjust means, when his life is half gone, they will desert him, and in the end he will prove to be a fool. (NIV)

Are you Trustworthy? 1 Cor 4:2 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. (NIV) Luke 16:11-12 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own? (NIV) Always prove yourself to be TRUSTWORTHY? Matt 6:24 24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Mark 12:30 30 "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." I Mark 12:31 31 the second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these."

The Bible has a lot to say about sin of lying because it was inspired by one that does not and cannot lie. The following are excerpts from a sermon on lying.

Matt 7:1?2 1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (NIV) Luke 6:37 37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (NIV) Can we judge? Yes! We can judge a person by their fruit, only God can judge their soul. Matt 7:17-20 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. (NIV)

Scripture states that God abhors lying (Proverb 12:22). Since it is quite clear that lying is a serious matter in the eyes of God, it is important to note three truths about lying in the scriptures.

First, we need to observe the detection of lying. It is a sin that will be detected. It may go unnoticed for a while, but eventually it will be exposed. Eph 5:11 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. (NIV) Lying cannot be hid or concealed from an omniscient (all knowing) God. Proverbs 15:3 states "The eyes of the lord are in every place keeping watch on the evil and the good." He is an all knowing and seeing god. Nothing escapes his attention. Nothing goes undetected by God, not even the sin of lying. We can cover sin from people, but not from God. Eventually, like every other sin it will be found out. Num 32:23 23 "But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. (NIV)

Second, we need to observe what scriptures say about the danger of lying. The practice of lying has dire consequences. Solomon writes in Proverbs 19:5 ...and he who tells lies will perish."

The consequences of lying are severe. It is a dangerous practice. Fortunately for us, our nation is unlike Siam where this punishment is to have ones mouth sewn up. In the life of the early church, this sin was fatal to a husband and wife by the name of Ananias and Sapphira. Acts 5:1-11 1 "Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 with his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself but brought the rest and put it at the apostles, feet. 3 Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God." 5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. 7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, "Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?" "Yes," she said, "that is the price. 9 Peter said to her, "How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also. 10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events." (NIV) The temporal consequences for lying are severe in this life, but they are severe in the life to come as well, which brings us to the third truth about lying.

Third, we need to observe the damnation of lying. The sin of lying is damning. The rewards for lying on earth are short lived, but the retribution for such is eternal.

(Rev. 22:15). Therefor, Liars must repent and receive the only savior or be forever damned. The only liars found in Heaven will be former liars who had repented their sin and received God's forgiveness in this life.

Scripture tells the truth about lying and people need to hear it. Like many other matters, the Bible is straight forward when it comes to telling lies. Whether a white lie or a half truth, lying is an affront to the holiness of God. This is not only a warning to the unbelieving crowd, but also a reminder to those who claim his name.

We have a higher standard of conduct, which is found in the God of truth. "A righteous man hates lying... 11 (Proverbs 13:5). Maybe pray the prayer of the psalmist who sang, "Deliver my soul, 0 Lord, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue" (Psalm

Forgiveness doesn't start with us it starts with God. Because an angry, bitter spirit can be self-destructive, many believe that the ability to forgive is more for us than for the person who has hurt us. Some even resent the thought that we should feel compelled to forgive our offender for their sake.

But if forgiving others is God's merciful way of helping us deal with our own bitterness, why then does He add to our pain the difficult task of confronting those who have hurt us, and to forgive them only if they say, "I repent." Luke 17:1-4 1 Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke (admonish) him, and if he repents, forgive him. 4 If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, "I repent," forgive him." (NIV) God lovingly withholds forgiveness from those who have not had a change of heart. Even though it saddens Him to do so. He will not forgive the guilt of those who willingly refuse to admit their sin.

Forgiveness doesn't require a return to business as usual. There may be consequences that are irreversible. God forgave Adam and Eve, but they were banished from the Garden even though he clothed them. God forgave the anger of Moses, but wouldn't allow him to enter the Promised Land. God forgave David for adultery and murder, but would not let David have a child born of his adultery. Even though Judas had repented and gave back the thirty pieces of silver the guilt of what he had done was too much for him, the consequence of this was he hanged himself. As you can see forgiveness from God always bears consequences. And the forgiver may still wisely and lovingly ask for reasonable restitution, legal due process, and a plan to avoid recurrences, and time to heal.

Scriptures to Live and Abide By:

Lev 19:11-18 11 "Do not steal.'Do not lie." 'Do not deceive one another. 13  " 'Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him." 'Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight. 15  " Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. 16 "Do not go about spreading slander among your people. "'Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the LORD. 17 "'Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt. 18  'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. (NIV) Matt 7:12-21 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. 13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15  "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17   Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 2 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord, I will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only­ he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22  Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers, (NIV) Luke 17:3 3 So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. (NIV) Pore 11:3 "A good man is guided by his honesty; the evil man is destroyed by his dishonesty." Pore 11:5 "the upright are directed by their honesty; the wicked shall fall beneath their load of sins" (ALB)

Beware of those (evildoers) bearing gifts of lies and deceit who are really inwardly "ferocious wolves". 1 Tim 5:8 8 If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (NIV) 1 Tim 3:5 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) (NIV)

1 Tim 4:1-2 1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. (NIV) 1 Tim 6:10-11 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief's.

Proverbs 15:3 states "The eyes of the lord are in every place keeping watch on the evil and the good." He is an all knowing and seeing god. Nothing escapes his attention. Nothing goes undetected by God, not even the sin of lying. We can cover sin from people, but not from God. Eventually, like every other sin it will be found out. Num 32:23 23 "But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. (NIV)

We are commissioned by God to Rebuke, (criticize sharply) Refute (prove them wrong) and to expose those who do evil. Eph 5:11 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. (NIV) Lk 17:3 So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke (admonish) him, and if he repents, forgive him. Isa 54:17 17 no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD. (NIV)

Do not be affraid of them who lie, deceive and wrong you, resist them. Matt 10:26 26 "So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. (NIV) Mark 4:22 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. (NIV) Mark 4:22 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. (NIV)

And finally: 1 Pet 5:8-9 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (NIV)