Author: Haverland

COVETING AND CONTENTMENT

Text: Exodus 20:17 - HC LD 44, Q. 113.
Readings: 1 Kings 21, Phil 4:10-20.
Theme: We should not envy or desire what belongs to our neighbour but be content with what God gives us in Christ.
Purpose: To warn against covetousness and encourage contentment in Christ.

Many people in NZ are better off now than they have ever been in the past but they are more dissatisfied. 
Sociologists have made a study of, what they call, "the economics of happiness", which examines the relationship between money and a person’s sense of well-being. They point out that money can buy happiness, but not for very long! It doesn't take any time at all before you have adapted to your increase in wealth and you have a new set of worries and concerns. 

Many middle class people with good incomes constantly feel broke and believe they are stinting themselves; this group has been described as "the suffering rich". 

Even people who are very wealthy are often unhappy. Many men and women who are famous, rich and good looking are constantly comparing themselves to others who are even more famous, who have even greater wealth and who may be even more attractive. As a result they are dissatisfied and discontented.

All this relates directly to the tenth commandment. These words were written thousands of years ago but they are apply directly to us. Today too we need to heed this command, "You shall not covet."  

We will consider the negative and positive aspects of this commandment, which forbids coveting but urges contentment.

1. DO NOT COVET.

a. The Hebrew word translated here as coveting is a neutral word and means a strong desire. The word can be used in a good or a bad sense. 

Desiring something is not wrong in itself. This is part of who we are, part of who God has made us. Later on we will consider some things that we must desire. 

There are also things we may desire. You may desire to have good health, or a refreshing holiday, or a university education, or a secure job. There is nothing wrong with those desires. You may desire to marry. A couple may be married and desire to have children. These are legitimate desires. 

Jesus himself desired certain things. 
He told the people of Jerusalem that he had longed to gather her children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but they were not willing. (Luke 13:34)
As he sat down to the last Passover meal with his disciples he told them; "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer." (Luke 22:15)

So strong desires are not wrong, and there are things we may desire. 
But this command forbids sinful desires.
 
b. Sinful coveting is a strong desire for what belongs to someone else. 

The commandment says; “You shall not covet your neighbour's house. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife … or anything that belongs to your neighbour.” Three times the word “neighbour“ is used. Coveting is desiring what belongs to your neighbour. It is very closely connected with the sins of envy and jealousy and of course, directly related to the 8^th Comm. 

One of the most obvious Old Testament examples of this is when Ahab wanted the vineyard of his neighbour Naboth. Naboth refused to sell it to the king because it belonged to his family and been passed down for many generations. The king wanted it so badly that he became sullen and angry and lay on his bed in a sulk and refused to eat. That was a classic example of sinful covetousness. 

But all of us know something of this sin in our own hearts. You are satisfied with your clothing until you see someone with the latest fashion. 
We are quite content with our lounge suite until we visit someone who has one that more comfortable and more luxurious than ours.
We are happy in our home until we see someone move into a home that is bigger and better.
We are satisfied with our motorbike or car or boat until one of our friends trades theirs in for the latest model.

One of Aesop's fables tells the story of a man who could get whatever he wanted - the only catch was that his neighbour would get twice as much; .....he was an unhappy man!

Advertisements cleverly work on this motive of envy and use this to promote covetousness. 
They present us with images of ideal lifestyles and happy people who have got it all! They have the latest BMW, a beautiful new home and a fast launch or a luxury yacht. They are always up-to-date with the latest technology and can afford overseas holidays in exotic locations.
Adds make us desire more than we have. We want to keep up with the Joneses; we want what they have because they have it. Someone has said that we often buy what we don't need, with money we don't have, to impress the people we don't like!

At some time or other, probably more than we should care to admit, we have been consumed by covetousness.  
We have set your heart on our neighbour's wife, or job, or tools; on her husband, or kitchen, or wardrobe, or her looks?
As a result we have become restless and dissatisfied, disgruntled and discontent, unhappy and ungrateful.

c. But sinful covetousness not only forbids wanting what belongs to our neighbour, but also excessive wrong desire. 

i. Covetousness is a desire for the things of the world that is compulsive, inordinate. It is a desire that has gotten away on you, it has taken control, it dominates your thoughts, controls your emotions and directs your life. 
Coveting is a desire that has become obsessive; it has become the main focus, the primary aim. When we covet something then we are always thinking about it, dwelling on it, planning how to get it. This person or object has become an all-consuming greed.

ii. Jesus himself warned us against this when he said; "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

We need to hear this warning. Often we play over in our minds the words, "If only...".
If only I had that car then I would be happy.
If only I could go on that holiday then I would feel better.
If only I could build on that extra room, buy that bigger house, get that ipad, afford that smart phone - then I would be satisfied!

But, as we know, happiness will not come through these things. If this is the way you are thinking then you are chasing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and you will never find it. And even if you gained all these things you would still not be content. Life would still not be complete. 
A greedy man will never be satisfied. 
A covetous woman will never be happy. 
A compulsive desire will never be fulfilled.

iii. Now it is important to realise that this has nothing to do with how much or how little you have.  
You could be a billionaire with all the money in the world and everything that opens and shuts and still be covetous and discontented.
Or you can be scratching for money to pay your bills week by week and also be driven by this evil desire. 

So sinful coveting is a desire for what belongs to your neighbour and it is an excessive, compulsive greed for the things of this world. 

d. Covetousness is a matter of the heart.

This is true of all the commandments.
The 6th commandment doesn't just forbid murder but also anger.
The 7th commandment doesn't just forbid adultery but also lust.
The 8^th commandment doesn’t just forbid theft and stealing but also greed and selfishness.

This commandment too focuses directly and specifically on our inner life. It forces us to recognize that we are sinners through and through. 

It is significant that the apostle Paul in Romans 7 uses this command to illustrate how the law shows us our sin. “I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, ‘Do not covet.’ But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire.” (Rom 7:7-8)

This command probes deeply into the intentions and motives of our heart. The authors of the catechism were conscious of this when they said that the intent of this command is that "not even the slightest thought or desire contrary to any one of God's commandments should ever arise in my heart." (Q 113) 

In this way they made this the most far-reaching of the commands dealing with our neighbour. It warns us against those deep sins of the heart, selfishness, greed and envy.

If we are going to deal with these sins we need to recognize them, confess them to God and repent of them. But dealing with sin in our lives also requires that we focus on the positive side of this command. 

2. We must BE CONTENT. 

a. We must be content with what God has given.

i. Paul wrote; “Godliness with contentment is great gain…. If we have food and clothing we will be content with that.” (1 Tim 6:6,8) Contentment comes as we remember that God will provide for us. 
Paul assures the Philippians; “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:19) 
We must be content with what he has given us, satisfied with the way he has ordered our lives, at peace with the knowledge that he will always look after us. 
We must keep in mind that our circumstances have been ordered by God’s providence. God has put you and me in this particular situation and we must accept this. 

ii. This is not easy but it is something we can learn. Paul told the Philippians that he had “learned to be content whatever circumstances, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Phil 4:12) He had learned to be at peace with what God had given him. We need to learn that same lesson. 
It is a lesson we can learn from the Scriptures as we read the Bible and apply it to our own situation. 
But God also teaches us by taking us through trials and suffering and difficulties. At times he takes things away from us, or forces us to do without, to teach us to be content with our daily bread. We must be content with what God has given.

b. We must be content with who we are in Christ. 

Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth, “All things are yours… all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.” (1 Cor 3:23) The most important relationship in all of life is that we know Jesus; that we know him as Lord and Saviour; that we are united with him, that we belong to him, that we are with him and he is with us. 

We have been redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ.” (1 Peter 1:19) God loved us so much that he gave us his One and Only Son. While we were still sinners Christ died for us. Our Father in heaven has adopted us into his family as his sons and daughters. He has included us in the church as members of the body of Christ. All this is possible because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. 

Contentment comes as we appreciate Christ so much that everything else seems unimportant in comparison; all else fades into the background; everything else seems secondary and ultimately trivial.

c. We must be content with what God has given us, content with who we are in Christ, and content with biblical goals.

Earlier we saw that desire in itself is not wrong; in fact, there are some things we must desire and strive for. 
We must desire to live holy and upright lives, to seek first the Kingdom of God, to eagerly desire the greater gifts, to seek the things that are above where Christ is, to press on toward the goal to win the prize of eternal life. (Matt 6:32; 1 Cor 12:31; Phil 4:13f) 

Are these your priorities? Have you set your sights on these? Are these your goals in life? 

You can't get too carried away with these desires. You can't seek first his kingdom and his righteousness too much. You can't desire to know God too much. In these matters and desires the bigger the better! The stronger your desire for God the better it is!

In this way the last commandment brings us back to the first. The first command calls us to put God first, to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. If we put him first in our lives then we will also be content with him. This means that if we keep the first commandment we will also keep the tenth.

This final command reminds us that God has given us all we need in our Lord Jesus Christ. If we have him we have everything. If we know him we need nothing else. If we belong to Christ then we can be content with him and with all that he gives us. 

Amen