Sunday, September 7, 2008

The Tenth Word


Exodus 20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.

The Tenth Word puts to rest any notions you may have had that the Ten Words are all about external actions. Despite the desire of some to put the Ten Commandments up in courtrooms throughout our country, an American judge cannot keep anyone from coveting. The Tenth Word shows you that you are sinning and worthy of God's temporal and eternal punishment even when others are thinking that you are the greatest saint that ever lived. The jealousy and hatred in your own mind that are never show outwardly to others make you worthy of the fires of hell. Desire for what another person has is an act of murder and thievery against that person. When you covet, you tell God that He hasn't given you what He should. When you covet you tell God that He is unfair and unwise in His distribution of His good gifts.

The incarnation is the ultimate anti-covetous act. The Lamb did not take on human flesh out of envy. The Lamb did not seek His own glory. The Lamb offered Himself up and poured out His blood for your salvation.

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