The dreaded 10th commandment. Why single that commandment out?
There were 2 tablets of commandments given at Sinai. The first with the 4 holiness laws...and the 2nd with the 6 righteousness laws.
But the 10th commandment is unique in that it is not an outward commandment but an inward one.
Old Testament righteousness dealt with behaviour...outward behaviour. A person could think evil thoughts and could covet all day long, but as long as he didn't act on his baser impulses he was seen as righteous. So a person could be righteous under the law and still be a sinner inwardly. As in...the outside of the vessel is clean, but the inside is corrupt.
But coveting is a direct challenge to the privacy of our every thought. Naturally these thoughts are hidden from men...although not from God.
So the law speaks of another level of righteousness...the righteousness of God. And only God can determine that a person is free from coveting.
The law shows us that men cannot escape their covetousness in their own power. Without being filled with the Spirit we WILL covet...something.
Coveting is trying to be fulfilled with something of this world...other than with God Himself. We have a need to be filled with something...and the world offers many products and things that we think we want.
No man has ever conquered covetousness with his own willpower. There is always something we will want. So then ALL who covet are under the law. That dreaded 10th commandment keeps us pinned down to earth.
There were 2 tablets of commandments given at Sinai. The first with the 4 holiness laws...and the 2nd with the 6 righteousness laws.
But the 10th commandment is unique in that it is not an outward commandment but an inward one.
- Thou shalt have no other gods before me
- Honour thy father and thy mother
- Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy
- Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
- Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
- Thou shalt not kill
- Thou shalt not commit adultery
- Thou shalt not steal
- Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour
- Thou shalt not covet
Old Testament righteousness dealt with behaviour...outward behaviour. A person could think evil thoughts and could covet all day long, but as long as he didn't act on his baser impulses he was seen as righteous. So a person could be righteous under the law and still be a sinner inwardly. As in...the outside of the vessel is clean, but the inside is corrupt.
But coveting is a direct challenge to the privacy of our every thought. Naturally these thoughts are hidden from men...although not from God.
So the law speaks of another level of righteousness...the righteousness of God. And only God can determine that a person is free from coveting.
The law shows us that men cannot escape their covetousness in their own power. Without being filled with the Spirit we WILL covet...something.
Coveting is trying to be fulfilled with something of this world...other than with God Himself. We have a need to be filled with something...and the world offers many products and things that we think we want.
No man has ever conquered covetousness with his own willpower. There is always something we will want. So then ALL who covet are under the law. That dreaded 10th commandment keeps us pinned down to earth.
Last edited: