The Tenth Commandment

We are continuing to look at the Ten Commandments and today we examine number 10: "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's." (RSV) How can the Torah prohibit something as normal as jealousy? Once the depth of this commandment has been explained, the answer is very simple. Ever notice people don't really covet things that are inaccessible? Do men covet to be the King of England? Do women covet to the be the Queen of England? No, people covet those things that are within reach. That is why the Scripture refers to items that are within reach. However, the point is that we should consider those things within reach as out of reach. Why? It is because to God they are as inaccessible as being royalty in England. We are to consider things of others as totally inaccessible to us. That is obeying this last commandment.

It takes faith in God to see those things close by as not within reach. If God has given property or a spouse to another, then to covet what God has given to another demonstrates a lack of faith in God. Only God could have given this commandment. The government can legislate murder, theft, lying, or any other action. However, only a holy God could legislate concerning ones thoughts. This prohibition also addresses selfishness. As the Hebrew Sages say: "A covetous person will have children who dishonor him, because selfishness can lead people to overstep all bounds of decent conduct, putting selfish desires above all other considerations."

I trust as we have examined the Ten Commandments that you have seen that there is much more to them than the obvious. If we can live our lives in obedience to them, we will be a light to a dark world. The Commandments are one of God's ways to evangelize. When the lost see how we live and why, those God is calling will inquire as to why you do the things you do. Even if they don't, we should rejoice that we are living a life that is pleasing to God.