Tenth Commandment

Tenth Commandment          

Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbour’s house. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or his man-servant or maid-servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.”

Extra Reading: Exodus 20:1-21

Today most families are affected by overextending a normally adequate income for luxuries and personal indulgence, and by the modern habit of installment buying. “Buy now, pay later”, says the advertisements. But do you really have to buy this item now? And are you sure you will be able to “pay later”? We have become a society based on lust. “Keeping up with the Joneses” is a well-known slogan. High-pressure advertisements constantly encourage this idea. It is made to seem backward or wrong not to strive and compete and lust after as many material possessions as your neighbour owns.  The modern idea is to “get all you can while the getting is good.” The incessant pressure to get ahead-which usually means to acquire more money and material property-has spawned more and more idolatry. It has blinded the minds and hearts of millions to the life of God.

The frenzied effort to compete with others and get ahead is the source not only of most financial problems, but the real cause of much physical and mental illness, broken homes, frustrated lives. Most important of all, this form of idolatry leaves one with almost no time, strength or desire ever to become acquainted with the true God, whose living laws and ways alone would bring real inner peace and joy. The Tenth Commandment refers most specifically to man’s relation to man. This command regulates even the thoughts in the mind and heart of man. Most men look on sin as an outward or physical type of thing. They do not realize that the holy, righteous character which God purposes in us necessitates that even our thoughts be completely purified and made like His. Action follows thought. What you think, you are. If you secretly reject God’s standard and His way, if in your heart you lust after something which you either cannot or will not come to lawfully possess with His blessing, then, sooner or later, this mental rebellion will bring forth outward sin. The actions will then proceed to defy God, to break His law because the thoughts have been doing this all along.

Prayer: Father God, help me not to covet my neighbour’s house or wife. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!

Rev. Samuel N. Modise