One of the benefits of reading the whole Bible (instead of just small bits of it) is that you begin to gain a clearer understanding of certain concepts. Each time a biblical author mentions something about a specific word or idea it helps you understand more about it.

Take, for example, the idea of coveting. The verse that perhaps first comes to mind when you hear that word is probably to do with the tenth commandment: “You shall not covet…” (Exodus 20:17)

But did you know that the idea of coveting comes up a lot throughout Scripture? Let me give you some examples, and then at the end I’ll highlight how these occurrences contribute to our understanding of this important idea as a whole.

James 4:2 states that coveting leads to fighting and quarrelling.

Romans 13:9 states that when we avoid coveting that is one way to love our neighbours as ourselves.

Ephesians 5:5 puts coveting in the same category as idolatry. 

Colossians 3:5 also puts coveting in the category of idolatry and calls it “earthly” (as opposed to something that is from God).

In Mark 7:21 Jesus calls it “evil.”

Wow, that’s a lot of occurrences! 

So, what do they tell us? 

First, at the heart of the tenth commandment is a mistrust that God will provide for you. However, he is the Good Shepherd. He knows what you need, even when you don’t. 

Second, coveting doesn’t tend to stay to itself. It grows and tends to transgress the people around you. You might want (and then take) what they have and you don’t. But even if it doesn’t go that far, it leads to hostility.

Third and finally, a suggestion based on the previous two points: try to stop coveting before it starts. There’s nothing wrong with having goals or wanting new shoes. But that’s different from never being satisfied with God’s blessings in your life, and always focusing on material things.

Life is so much more. In Luke 12:15 (ESV) Jesus said: “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

According to Jesus, covetousness is something we need to “guard against.” It infiltrates our minds, undermines our trust in God, turns us against other people, and makes us focus too narrowly on material things.

Take care, he says. Be on guard. For one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.

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Notes:

–“Am I supposed to honour my parents if they abused me?” – This is a question related to a teaching series I recently led on the 10 Commandments. At the time I said I would create an addition resource which responded to this question. To read my response, click here. You can also hear the response at that same link, or by finding it on ‘The Pulse Podcast with Matthew Ruttan’ wherever you subscribe (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.)