10 Commandments: Tenth Commandment

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So far:

We have already studied 9 of the Old Testament's well-known but little-observed commandments.We have striven to examine each in context and understand its message to us as Christians living under the new testament.It is time to conclude our study - to meditate on a commandment that significantly differs from all the others, which may explain why it appears last.

Text

The 10th commandmentExodus 20:17: You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Comment

We falsely believe that life is about things, or having what our neighbor has (Ecclesiastes 4:4).Violating this commandment can begin in a fantasy: imagining how life would be better if we had what our neighbor has.Greener lawn?Nicer home, nicer things?Better financial security?More appealing car or other means of transport?Classier employees or domestic help?More attractive spouse?A better life?The sevenfold prohibition suggests completeness. God desires complete holiness.Of all the commandments, this one can be disobeyed without others necessarily seeing. When we disobey the other commandments, people know. Coveting, in contrast, can be committed in broad daylight and no one may know.Recall that this is the one commandment Paul chose as an example of the difficulty of keeping the law apart from God's Spirit (Romans 7).1 John 2:15-17; Hebrews 13:5.Coveting (greed) is idolatry (Colossians 3:5), thus connecting the 10th commandment with the 2nd.

Conclusion

The commandments at first blush are deceptively simple.Yet the more we meditate on them, the more we realize how far short we have fallen. Ultimately this insight drives us to the Savior.Which are the hardest commandments to keep? 2,4,7, and perhaps 5? Or is it no. 10? How do you respond personally to this question?Although the commandments challenge the heart, we as Christians are now called to an even higher standard.Not just a list of rules, but a pathway to freedom in context of recent liberation from slavery.The proper response to the revelation of God's holiness (Exodus 20:18-21).Think biblically.Read both testaments. Finish the O.T. if you have never read it in its entirety.Learn from the Law.For the ancient Jews, the Torah was the word of God and the law of God. For us, the regulations of Exodus-Deuteronomy are not the law of God for us, yet they are still his word for us. There is much to learn!The Decalogue is expanded beginning in Exodus 21. Much of what follows are case studies, concrete examples of putting the principles of the Decalogue into practice.Steven A. Kaufmann has been suggested that the Decalogue is reflected in the structure of Deuteronomy. ("The Structure of the Deuteronomic Law," Maarav, A Journal for the Study of the Northwest Semitic Languages and Literatures, 1-2 [1978-1979]: 105-158). What do you think?1-2 -- Deut 12:1-31 -- Worship3 -- 13:1-14:27 -- Name of God4 -- 14:28-16:17 -- Sabbath5 -- 16:18-18:22 -- Authority6 -- 19:1-22:8 -- Homicide7 -- 22:9-23:19 -- Adultery8 -- 23:20-24:7 -- Theft9 -- 24:8-25:4 -- False testimony10 -- 25:5-16 -- CovetingReplace vague theological opinions with biblical convictions!Aim to see the "big picture."Observe the Decalogue as specifically and faithfully as you are able.Put nothing ahead of God (commandments 1-2).Honor his name: be a man or woman of our word. Make sure our words are not harming others (commandments 3 and 9).Make time for the Lord. Carve out some "sabbath time" weekly -- and daily (commandment 4)!Honor your parents, and all who fulfill the role of a "father" or "mother" in your life (commandment 5).Refrain from murder, theft, and adultery in all their various forms (commandments 6-8).Be content with what you have, and realize how insidious coveting is, and how pervasive it is in our world (commandment 10).Know for a certainty that God desires us to be holy. His law is not about external conformity, but about inward devotion, purity, and holiness.Let us tremble before a holy God (Exodus 20:18-20).