Bible Discussion Thread

.....continued

The last commandment is concerning covetness. This is a "thought" sin. It is desiring in our hearts to have what rightfully belongs to another. We are not to scheme ways to acquire such things or person by deceit or wrong dealings. We are to not be envious of others or jealous of what they have, thinking that they should surely be made to share their wealth with others. (It is up to the wealthy to decide what to do with their wealth, not us or the government.) It is to think snarkily about others who are prospering. It is to encroach on a property line inch by inch. There are so many ways to covet. It begins in our minds and then moves to scheming to find ways to obtain what they have and then acting on these schemes. We get to keep what we have earned and worked for and others get to do the same with their own property, wealth, family, and "stuff" (even job position, if you work with someone-even a promotion or honor given to another).

These are the 10 commandments. These are not the whole of the Law God gives to the Israelites, but it is the basic tenets that keep a society civil and moral. If God had said, "Love God and love your neighbor" without spelling it out as He did, people would redefine this in so many nefarious ways, allowing for multitudes of sinful ways to be seen as o.k.

Jesus later takes theses commandments down to even a finer detail in the Sermon on the Mount.

Well, the people saw all of the thunderings of the trumpets and lightning flashes and the mountain smoking. They trembled and drew farther back away from the base of the mountain, telling Moses to have God speak to him, not to them, fearing they will die if God speaks directly to them. Moses tells them not to fear, for God has come to them to keep them from sinning. Moses then returns and draws near to the thickening darkness where God was. Are we willing to go into such a state as Moses did to be where God is and is ready to meet with us personally?