Exodus 20:17 Study Guide: Do Not Covet
Community Group Study Guide — The Tenth Commandment - Do Not Covet
Exodus 20:17
Study Information:
What do you long for? We can find ourselves day dreaming about the missing piece of our lives whether that be a new job, more money, a different spouse, more things or a change of scenery. More than that, we can develop a jealousy over what we see others have compared to what we have. Our world pushes us towards comparison and discontentment. Just think of marketing, often marketing is designed to convince you that you need what they’re selling and that your life is missing until you have it. Many of us can look in our closets or garages and see various things we have that we thought we needed but haven’t touched in years. Some of us have made rash choices on big purchases, changing jobs or even leaving marriages because of what the Bible calls coveting. To covet is when we don’t just notice what other people have, instead we desire it for ourselves and in the process we cease to be thankful for what God has provided. The root of the Tenth Commandment is contentment in God. When we survey all the commands this one is most similar to the First Commandment’s call to worship God and God alone because of how it addresses the heart. Specifically we’re not to look to what is our neighbors and make that thing and idol for our lives.
The Sin of Dissatisfaction
Exodus 20:17, Matthew 19:16-30
This commandment is expansive in its scope of what we’re not to covet, essentially covering two previous commandments to not steal or commit adultery in how it focuses on neighbor’s property and spouse. Yet the sin behind the sin is the heart issue of envy and dissatisfaction. To covet includes looking primarily to where you lack instead of being thankful for what God has provided. Couple with that is the trap of comparison, where we look to what another has and think “wow, God must have surely blessed them” or “If I had what they had then my life would be fulfilling.” This sin goes beyond merely appreciating a nice car you see or enjoying someone else’s home when you come to visit. To covet is to give in to the sin of dissatisfaction.
One of the most famous examples of coveting from the scripture is the story of the Rich Young Ruler in Matthew 19. In that story a young man with wealth went to Jesus with a longing to know how he could have eternal life. Jesus told him that he knew the commands, and Jesus listed off 5 of the commands “do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness and honor your father and mother.” This guy replied back enthusiastically that he kept all these commands! However, from our vantage point it is clear to see that Jesus didn’t list one of the commandments specifically by omitting “do not covet.” So after this man said he kept all the commandments, Jesus exposed his covetousness when he told him “go sell all your possessions and give to the poor.” The second half of that statement is important, Jesus told him to get rid of his possession AND see someone else enjoy them. This command from Jesus was to do the opposite of coveting which desires to take from another so you can enjoy. This man did not just love money, he thought that accumulating these things would satisfy the longing of his soul.
C.S Lewis spoke of our longings in his book Mere Christianity in order to make the point that there is something in us that can only be satisfied in knowing God, “Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise … If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world (p135).” the Rich Young Ruler had longings for heaven that were trying to be satisfied in the world.
Out of all the various sins we commit the only one Paul directly called “idolatry” was covetousness (Colossians 3:5). Like the First Commandment stated, we’re to find our joy and satisfaction in God and worship him alone. It is no mistake that the first and last commandment focus on the heart, because the heart is the root of all our sin and breaking of the commandments.
Cultivating Contentment
1 Timothy 6:6-8
We cannot fight the sin of covetousness by just saying “stop it, knock it off!” We need God’s help, the new heart that comes from following Jesus and we need to cultivate contentment in our lives.
First, start with recognizing that with God there is no lack or limit. God is not stingy or holding back good things from us. Places like Psalm 23 and James 1:17 teach us this, every good thing we have is from God. Remember the gospel, God saves us by his grace alone which is a free and extravagant gift from God. He did not save us because he needs us or because we deserved it, instead salvation is an extravagant gift from a limitless God through faith in Christ.
Second, we can express thankfulness for what we have. Paul taught in 1 Timothy 6:6-8 that godliness with contentment is great gain and we should thank God for what we have. We discussed gratitude a bit with the Eighth Commandment, “do not steal,” be core to the nature of coveting is discontentment and a desire for what another has. As those feelings arise in our heart we can counteract them by offering a prayer of thanks to God for what he has given us. Jesus said in Luke 12:15, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Maybe take a break from buying more stuff or scrolling Zillow when you’re bored, those practices may seem harmless in the moment but are fruit showing us a root problem of discontentment in our hearts. Instead think about how God has blessed you and offer thanks to him for it.
Finally, we can cultivate contentment by blessing others. Jesus told the Rich Young Ruler to give his money away and essentially watch others be blessed by what he had. Many of us think “that is a nice suggestion for someone who struggles with loving money… good thing that isn’t me!” Do you write off too quickly your sin of covetousness? We live in one of the riches places, with some of the nicest stuff in the world! Let’s not assume that we’re spiritually strong to resist the pull of nice things. One practice we can do to develop contentment is to bless others with our money and things. Not everyone has a need, but there are probably more needs around you than you realize. Pray that God would bring some of those needs to light and find the joy and contentment with seeing God use what you have to meet the needs of others.
At your community group:
Take 15-20 minutes to share about how God has been at work in your life, prayer concerns and pray for one another.
How did God speak to you through the scripture and the sermon this week?
Discussion Questions:
Read Exodus 20:17
Commandments 5-10 are typically thought of as ways God commands us to love our neighbor. How is the Tenth Commandment different from the other 5 of those commandments?
How is coveting your neighbors stuff connected to comparison? What are some ways our culture push us towards comparison?
Jesus told the Rich Young Ruler to sell all he had and give to the poor. How would that action uniquely combat the sin of covetousness?
What are some ways you think you can cultivate contentment in Christ this coming week?
Exodus 20:17
Study Information:
What do you long for? We can find ourselves day dreaming about the missing piece of our lives whether that be a new job, more money, a different spouse, more things or a change of scenery. More than that, we can develop a jealousy over what we see others have compared to what we have. Our world pushes us towards comparison and discontentment. Just think of marketing, often marketing is designed to convince you that you need what they’re selling and that your life is missing until you have it. Many of us can look in our closets or garages and see various things we have that we thought we needed but haven’t touched in years. Some of us have made rash choices on big purchases, changing jobs or even leaving marriages because of what the Bible calls coveting. To covet is when we don’t just notice what other people have, instead we desire it for ourselves and in the process we cease to be thankful for what God has provided. The root of the Tenth Commandment is contentment in God. When we survey all the commands this one is most similar to the First Commandment’s call to worship God and God alone because of how it addresses the heart. Specifically we’re not to look to what is our neighbors and make that thing and idol for our lives.
The Sin of Dissatisfaction
Exodus 20:17, Matthew 19:16-30
This commandment is expansive in its scope of what we’re not to covet, essentially covering two previous commandments to not steal or commit adultery in how it focuses on neighbor’s property and spouse. Yet the sin behind the sin is the heart issue of envy and dissatisfaction. To covet includes looking primarily to where you lack instead of being thankful for what God has provided. Couple with that is the trap of comparison, where we look to what another has and think “wow, God must have surely blessed them” or “If I had what they had then my life would be fulfilling.” This sin goes beyond merely appreciating a nice car you see or enjoying someone else’s home when you come to visit. To covet is to give in to the sin of dissatisfaction.
One of the most famous examples of coveting from the scripture is the story of the Rich Young Ruler in Matthew 19. In that story a young man with wealth went to Jesus with a longing to know how he could have eternal life. Jesus told him that he knew the commands, and Jesus listed off 5 of the commands “do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness and honor your father and mother.” This guy replied back enthusiastically that he kept all these commands! However, from our vantage point it is clear to see that Jesus didn’t list one of the commandments specifically by omitting “do not covet.” So after this man said he kept all the commandments, Jesus exposed his covetousness when he told him “go sell all your possessions and give to the poor.” The second half of that statement is important, Jesus told him to get rid of his possession AND see someone else enjoy them. This command from Jesus was to do the opposite of coveting which desires to take from another so you can enjoy. This man did not just love money, he thought that accumulating these things would satisfy the longing of his soul.
C.S Lewis spoke of our longings in his book Mere Christianity in order to make the point that there is something in us that can only be satisfied in knowing God, “Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise … If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world (p135).” the Rich Young Ruler had longings for heaven that were trying to be satisfied in the world.
Out of all the various sins we commit the only one Paul directly called “idolatry” was covetousness (Colossians 3:5). Like the First Commandment stated, we’re to find our joy and satisfaction in God and worship him alone. It is no mistake that the first and last commandment focus on the heart, because the heart is the root of all our sin and breaking of the commandments.
Cultivating Contentment
1 Timothy 6:6-8
We cannot fight the sin of covetousness by just saying “stop it, knock it off!” We need God’s help, the new heart that comes from following Jesus and we need to cultivate contentment in our lives.
First, start with recognizing that with God there is no lack or limit. God is not stingy or holding back good things from us. Places like Psalm 23 and James 1:17 teach us this, every good thing we have is from God. Remember the gospel, God saves us by his grace alone which is a free and extravagant gift from God. He did not save us because he needs us or because we deserved it, instead salvation is an extravagant gift from a limitless God through faith in Christ.
Second, we can express thankfulness for what we have. Paul taught in 1 Timothy 6:6-8 that godliness with contentment is great gain and we should thank God for what we have. We discussed gratitude a bit with the Eighth Commandment, “do not steal,” be core to the nature of coveting is discontentment and a desire for what another has. As those feelings arise in our heart we can counteract them by offering a prayer of thanks to God for what he has given us. Jesus said in Luke 12:15, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Maybe take a break from buying more stuff or scrolling Zillow when you’re bored, those practices may seem harmless in the moment but are fruit showing us a root problem of discontentment in our hearts. Instead think about how God has blessed you and offer thanks to him for it.
Finally, we can cultivate contentment by blessing others. Jesus told the Rich Young Ruler to give his money away and essentially watch others be blessed by what he had. Many of us think “that is a nice suggestion for someone who struggles with loving money… good thing that isn’t me!” Do you write off too quickly your sin of covetousness? We live in one of the riches places, with some of the nicest stuff in the world! Let’s not assume that we’re spiritually strong to resist the pull of nice things. One practice we can do to develop contentment is to bless others with our money and things. Not everyone has a need, but there are probably more needs around you than you realize. Pray that God would bring some of those needs to light and find the joy and contentment with seeing God use what you have to meet the needs of others.
At your community group:
Take 15-20 minutes to share about how God has been at work in your life, prayer concerns and pray for one another.
How did God speak to you through the scripture and the sermon this week?
Discussion Questions:
Read Exodus 20:17
Commandments 5-10 are typically thought of as ways God commands us to love our neighbor. How is the Tenth Commandment different from the other 5 of those commandments?
How is coveting your neighbors stuff connected to comparison? What are some ways our culture push us towards comparison?
Jesus told the Rich Young Ruler to sell all he had and give to the poor. How would that action uniquely combat the sin of covetousness?
What are some ways you think you can cultivate contentment in Christ this coming week?
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