16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
Exodus 20:16-17 NIV
The Ten Commandments. If you are reading this blog, I’m guessing you’ve heard of them. They were carved into stone tablets… twice. The people of God know them, both Jews and Christians. They hang in Sunday school rooms and are worked into stained glass in sanctuaries. We memorize them and scan the lists when we do something wrong and come before God and think things like, “Well at least I’ve never murdered!”
The truth is that these two verses at the end have always struck me as funny. Not ha-ha funny but gut punch, uh-oh funny. I get it! No bowing down to other gods or idols. No stealing, no adultery, no murder, and the way I treat my parents is of vital importance, but really? I can’t really want what someone else has and can’t lie about anyone? Did God throw these two in to round out numbers?
Let me be serious and tell you that I understand that these things are not okay, but for much of my life, it has been hard to hold these sins in equal view with murder. You scan through the list of scary sins then get to the “acceptable ones.” Lying and wanting what someone else has. What’s the big deal?
One of the things that God has been showing me over the past year or so is just how destructive lying is. Reality is of the utmost importance. We invite in something deeply evil when we lie to or about someone. Satan is called the father of lies (John 8:44) for a reason. Jesus is the truth.
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6
I have seen lies from myself and others destroy relationships, families, businesses, trust, and hope. It doesn’t take much to start a cascade of confusion and evil in any situation, so God says. “Let me be clear. You will not lie about each other.” Further into the conversation in Leviticus 19 God says, “No lying.” It’s all off the table.
Now on to covetousness. Barb gets a new house; Greg gets the kind of wife you always wanted. Your house and your wife are acting crazy, and you think to yourself. “I want that. What I have isn’t as good.”
They may have a better car, better job, more friends, etc., or it may be perception and you think there is something better. What’s the problem? I think the problem is that we get discontent with the amazing gifts that God has given us, and we value the wrong things.
I recently heard a female pastor say, “Jealously reveals what you value.” It hit me like a ton of bricks, and I gingerly pulled back the curtains of my jealousy to take a peek at where my values lie. I did not like what I saw. The things I have been jealous of are issues of discontentment and a very shallow heart. I was grateful that God had already corrected a few of them so it didn’t hurt as bad as it could have.
I know my scholarly readers want me to be more precise about what covetousness means and about bearing false witness. I just want to simplify and lump in a few icky variations of these things. I don’t think God is saying, “Just don’t lie in court,” or “Don’t desire to a point where you might take things.” Let’s be real, we can define our way out of a lot of responsibility if we aren’t careful.
As you read through the Bible you will run across sins that confuse you. You will think some are so outrageous, how could anyone commit them? Then others won’t seem like a big deal at all. When this happens, I want to encourage you to linger with God. Ask Him to search you out and show you what is going on inside. Ask Him to convince you of the severity of all sin. Ask Him to give you compassion and hope for those who have committed the sins you find so repulsive.
Jesus hung on the cross to not only forgive these sins but to empower us to repent and move past these sins further and further into holiness. As we walk with Jesus, we get cleaner and cleaner. He asks for more and more and gives more and more of Himself to us. We shed the big sins and the “little sins” with His help, and He brings truth and contentment. Maybe you already hated lying and coveting, maybe you are just realizing these things are off-limits. Glory to God! He will finish His good work in us right on time.
Holy Spirit do Your thing! Lead us into righteousness and wipe away the stain of our sin and our misunderstanding hard hearts. Soften us up and wash us in the blood of Jesus so that sins that are acceptable all around us become unacceptable in us.
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