Commandment Series: The Tenth

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Exodus 20:17

Scientists theorize the existence of what's known as black holes:

"A Black hole is an area in space in which the pull of gravity is so great that not even light can escape it once it enters. Since the escape velocity from a black hole is greater than light, escaping it is impossible." (1)

Coveting is a black hole, and almost all of us are guilty of it. It is the sin that can easily beget other sins. If you covet, you may steal for it, kill for it, pray to another god for it, commit adultery for it, dishonor your parents for it, etc. When you're pulled into the black hole of envy and forbidden desire, it's hard to see the light and it's hard to escape the drug of your obsession.

"How you have fallen from heaven,
morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”
(Isaiah 14:12-14)

The first sin, noted in the Bible, to hit the universe was Satan coveting God's power. It didn't take long for humanity to fall.

"'You will not certainly die,' the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves." Genesis 3:4-7

Eve coveted the fruit of the tree and the wisdom she believed she would gain by eating it, and sin was ushered into the world. Generation after generation.

"...but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell." Genesis 4:5

Cain broke almost all of the ten commandments the day he killed Able, but the catalyst was jealousy. He coveted Able's favored position with God.

"Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house." 2 Samuel 11:2-4

David coveted a married woman, committed adultery, stole her from her husband, and had the husband killed. The catalyst of greed was passed on through every generation, and there are too many stories in the Bible detailing the trail of blood and tears that it caused. Suffice it to say, this sin might be under the last commandment, but it isn't the last in its impact upon the world.

Do you struggle with coveting? You may have experienced desiring something or someone which or who is unattainable, at least without sinning. This may be a straightforward passage for you. However, some "things" are not material or even physical. Have you ever desired respect from people who'll never give it to you? Have you ever felt bad looking at other people's lives on Facebook, wondering why yours isn't as exciting or your family isn't as cooperative? Have you ever stared at flat-bellied models in magazines, spurring yet another diet phase? Looking further, have you ever had to work overtime or hold down two jobs just to keep up with the non-essentials in your life? Let's be honest here: they really are non-essentials aren't they?

"A man who is all alone with no companion, he has no children nor siblings; yet there is no end to all his toil, and he is never satisfied with riches. He laments, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is futile and a burdensome task!" Ecc. 4:8

Coveting is a black hole that is never satisfied. The man in Ecclesiastes realized an important lesson. What exactly is he working for? He covets endless riches, but he'll never be able to keep them without living in unending work and misery. His wealth doesn't even go toward building others up as he has no one. Are you sweating for something you'll never really gain?

I believe God wants us to not be blinded by the things or people we don't have. You're blessed in innumerable way daily, and coveting not only leads us to other painful sins, but we're too focused on the things we don't have that we don't find joy in the things we have. As much as He loves for us to be hard workers, He also loves for us to rest. He wouldn't have built a Sabbath into His ten commandments if rest wasn't important. Rest in your blessings, open your eyes to the joy already in your life, and you'll find peace.

What is coveting but a misplaced yearning for something to fill an emptiness inside? We are meant to be filled with the peace that can only come from God, and this world can't satisfy us even if we had everything we wanted. God, and God alone, can give us everything we need or want if we only seek Him and His love.

As we come to the end of the commandment series, we should remember the basis of the commandments and all of God's laws.

"For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." Romans 13:9-10

Sources other than Bible:
1)http://hepguru.com/blackholes/characteristics_frame.htm
2)https://algundiamereiredeesto.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/hole_in_my_chest_by_thesearchingeyes.jpg (picture)

Commandment Series: The Ninth

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." Exodus 20:16

The 9th commandment is a very specific requirement based on the ancient Jewish court system established in the Old Testament. Witnesses were called to testify against wrongdoers before any sentences were carried out against them. In this way, if you lied that someone was guilty in court, they could very wrongly be punished for someone else's transgressions. Punishment, of any type, given to an innocent would be horrible, but the sentences spelled out in the Old Testament were many times death. No wonder lying in court was forbidden in the very important ten commandments; it has to be one of the worst things a person can do.

Many say the 9th commandment itself is, strictly speaking, only touching upon the situation in which a person would lie, causing an innocent to be punished wrongly. However, as with all of God's laws, they are all about matters of the heart. Jesus brought this idea up during his Sermon on the Mount.

“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." Matthew 5:33-37

You, as a child of God, need not make promises to others. The words you speak must be so consistently true that, when you open your mouth, every thing you utter is considered in stone. That is the way God is, and He expects us to follow His ways.

What about lies spoken/done in love? God is all about love, right? Satan, get thee behind me. If you think this, than know the world has twisted a truth into a lie, and made you believe it.

"For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." 1 Corinthians 14:33

He even gives examples in the Bible where people lied in love and caused trouble. In Genesis, we see Rebekah wrapping her son Jacob in furs and deceiving the blind Isaac into giving blessings to him. She certainly was thinking this was done in love for the betterment of her son, but it only caused strife between brothers that lasts for years, making Jacob run away from a murderously angry Esau. Another example is when Abraham feared for his and his wife's life, causing him to lie to the pharaoh that Sarah was his sister and not wife. This caused the pharaoh to almost commit adultery, expelling them from his kingdom when he found out his deceit.

What about bending the truth , half-truths, or concealing the truth? Well, if anything you say has the intention of deceiving the other person, whether your words are literally truth or not, your heart is full of deceit. So, yes those are lies too. If you stand near a cliff, you don't see how close to the edge you get before you fall, you see how far BACK you can get. The Bible gives many examples of just this, but the most prominent one I can think of is that of Joseph. Remember Jacob? His most beloved son was Joseph for whom he made a beautiful coat of many colors. His brothers sold him into slavery out of jealousy. In order to lie without lying (they thought), they covered his coat with animal blood and showed it to Jacob, saying only "Does this look like your son's coat?" They never lied, with words, but their hearts were full of the intent to deceive Jacob into thinking Joseph was dead.

So, you can lie with words, actions, half-truths, or simply concealing the truth with the intent to deceive. If you're lying in court or any other situation that would cause an innocent person to suffer, that's obviously the worst lie you could commit. However, every lie is wrong, and we should adhere to the truth even when it's painful. It is God's way, the way of light and love.

Need more verses about God's view on lying? They're innumerable. Well, maybe there's a number, but it's a really high one, so we won't be putting the vast majority here. Instead, here's a hand-selected few:

“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44

“There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.” Proverbs 6:16-20

"'You will certainly not die,' the serpent said to the woman." Genesis 3:4

"The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy." Proverbs 12:22

"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." Revelation 22:14-15

Commandment Series: The Eighth

"You shall not steal." Exodus 20:15

There are many ways to steal. One is obvious, that of actively taking someone else's possessions. Despite the glaring wrongness of this, many people in the world still have problems keeping their hands to their own stuff.

"Theft from retail stores costs the American public 33.21 billion dollars per year." (1)

In 2014, it was estimated by the US Chamber of Commerce that "75% of employees steal from their workplace and do it repeatedly." (2)

"Identity thieves... hit a record 15.4 million Americans" in 2016 (3)

There's a great poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox called "Two Kinds of People." I'll only post the portion that relates to our subject:

"No! The two kinds of people on earth I mean
Are the people who lift, and the people who lean.

Wherever you go you will find the world's masses
Are ever divided into these two classes.
And, strangely enough, you will find, too, I wean,
There is only one lifter to twenty who lean.

This one question I ask. Are you easing the load
Of overtaxed lifters who toil down the road?
Or are you a leaner who lets others bear
Your portion of worry and labor and care?"

Stealing is a heart problem, as is every sin. Stealing is about not respecting others and their possessions, not giving in love, it's about taking and selfishness, which is against everything God stands for.

There are other ways you might steal. If you write up incorrect information on your taxes (stealing money), take longer on a work break than you're allowed (stealing time and possibly money), sell products with misleading advertisements (stealing money), or taking advantage of the goodness of others out of laziness (time, money, etc). We can add kidnapping to the list. You could probably think of other things that are actually theft. If the spirit of your actions are selfish, you might be stealing.

Hosea 12:6-8 But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always. The merchant uses dishonest scales and loves to defraud. Ephraim boasts, “I am very rich; I have become wealthy. With all my wealth they will not find in me any iniquity or sin.”

"Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight." Leviticus 19:13

You could also be stealing from God. He is the Creator and owner of all things big and small, and that includes time, energy, material possessions, living beings, etc. If you have the ability and possessions available to you that, after you and your loved ones' needs are met, could help others, you have the obligation to do so. Nothing is really yours, after all. If you hoard things, you're stealing what is God's, and God wants everyone to be blessed. If you have an excess of anything, He wants you to share in the joy of blessing others.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

"If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. "Ephesians 4:28

Another way others have stolen is by being false prophets and teachers. This is also a way of stealing from God. They steal His people and lead them astray.

“This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them. So Jesus said to them again, Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.” John 10:6-8

Jesus was clear that stealing is undermining everything it means to be Christian. God wants to give generously out of love, and He wants us to emulate Him in this way.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10

When we take, whether that's material possessions, people, identities, time, energy, anything, we could have been giving. Use what He has given us to bless the world, and you'll be blessed in return.

“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. People curse the one who hoards grain, but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell. Whoever seeks good finds favor, but evil comes to one who searches for it. Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives. If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner!” Proverbs 11:25-31

Sources other than the Bible:

1) crimedoctor.com/shoplifting-facts.htm

2) pinkerton.com/blog/who-took-that-preventing-employee-theft-in-retail

3) nbcnews.com

Commandment Series: The Seventh

“You shall not commit adultery." Exodus 20:14

Statistics show 19% of married women and 21% of married men admitted to cheating on their partners. Those are just the ones who admitted it. However, some people will define cheating as physical, some emotional, and others are deluded into thinking its not cheating if it's an "open" relationship. By the way, humans never defined marriage, so they can't define adultery. Only God can do that. So, how does God define it, anyway?

"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery." Matthew 5:37-42

The Greek for woman in this verse is "Gunh" which stands for "a woman; specially, a wife:--wife, woman." (Strong's) If adultery is to covet someone who isn't yours, it is essentially about both envy but also the beginnings of theft. Now, of course humans are not objects which are actually owned by others, but they "belong" to one another in the sense of marriage. Their life together is for one another. In the same way as with any sin, even to foster the seeds of coveting a married person is a sin. As an aside, I believe it is not a sin to lust after an unmarried person. They belong to no one. However, if you are yourself married, be careful to focus on your partner. It is ok to observe and appreciate the beauty of this world and God's creations, but remember to tend your own grass so the other side doesn't begin to look greener. Once you water the seeds of that thought process, you are walking down the path to causing someone else to sin... which is a sin for you as well.

Does Jesus mean for us to literally pluck our eyes out if they cause us to lust? Well, I'm not saying no. I'm not telling you to do something so extreme, but the point is that you do whatever it takes, however painful it may be, to remove the things in your life making it easy to sin. Chances are good that the sin itself would be ten times more painful for everyone if you continue in it.

"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body." 1 Corinthians 6:18

This is connected to the idea that, for pre-Greek Hebrews, the soul with the body was the soul. If you sin with your physical self, you are sinning against your soul and vice versa. If other sins are all abstract, sexual immorality is a double whammy, hurting yourself physically, emotionally, and mentally. As much as the modern world wishes to believe we can do things with others with no internal consequences, it's not true. We are connected to everyone we physically connect to, which can be a problem to those involved in adultery or pre-marital relations.

"Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” 1 Corinthians 6:15-16

One flesh, like a married couple. I'm sure there are some things we don't understand about the connections forged, even unwillingly, between couples. Relations are meant for connecting and re-connecting emotionally between married couples. If this is taken outside that institution, it can bring more than just the possibly of a child (always a blessing!). It can bring emotional hang-ups, mental scars, loss of trust and connections with even future partners, etc. I can see some may not believe that, but I can also see that many who have never forgotten their past partners or the somewhat brief connections they shared that was ripped apart by the transitory nature of their relationships.

"Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral." Hebrews 13:4

"But a man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself." Proverbs 6:32

"For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man." Romans 7:2-3

Alluding to a prior post about the symbolic nature of marriage, the husband, wife, and children can be considered a mirror of the Holy Trinity. The Trinity is permanent, not in the sense of mankind's "permanency" which always ends even if it's at death, but wholly, immortally permanent. A marriage is also meant to be as permanent as we can make it as humans so the rest of the world knows that there's a sense of stability with God. We represent God is all we do, and that includes our marriage. Jesus would never serve another God than the Father, and the Father would never disown Jesus. It is unthinkable and impossible. We need this rock of trust in God and in our spouse. If we can not trust in the permanency of our spouse, the most permanent relationship we can forge with another human being, we can trust in no one. That's not a world I wish to live in.

"May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer— may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love. Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife? Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman? For your ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all your paths. The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly." Proverbs 5:18

Adulterers punish themselves and those around them for their selfish motives. Marriage is hard because we're broken humans, but as Christians, we aren't just humans. We are children of God, the God of selfless love. We must strive hard to not even entertain the seeds of adultery so that our paths are easier to walk and clearer to view.


Sources other than Bible:
http://www.divorcestatistics.info/latest-infidelity-statistics-of-usa.html
Greek Strongs Concordance