COVETOUSNESS IS IDOLATRY
COLOSSIANS 3:5-6: “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: … passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience”
EPHESIANS 5:5: ” For this you know, that no … covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God
What does the word “covet” mean?
The Hebrew word “hamad” meaning to take pleasure in, to desire, to lust, to covet, to desire passionately.
We see from the writings of Paul that coveting is equal to being idolatrous. This practice must be put to death. The thinking here is that one’s inordinate desire and passion to possess that which belongs to another will become a major distraction in your life; that thing that one covets becomes the idol and the passion of ones life. This is declared to be sinful. The tenth Commandment establishes covetousness to be a sinful practice. The thing that one covets becomes a god in one’s life and ultimately the driving force and motivation.
The prophet Micah declares disastrous consequences to the one who would make a career out of coveting:
Micah 2:1-3
1 Woe to those who devise iniquity, And work out evil on their beds!
At morning light they practice it, Because it is in the power of their hand.
2 They covet fields and take them by violence, Also houses, and seize them.
So they oppress a man and his house, A man and his inheritance.
3 Therefore thus says the Lord: “Behold, against this family I am devising disaster, From which you cannot remove your necks;
Nor shall you walk haughtily, For this is an evil time.
We know about the covetous nature of the Ahab/Jezebel mentality that demonstrated no respect for the vineyard of their neighbor Naboth whose family worked the field for generations….this was an inheritance from his father.
Ahab’s only concern was to extend his field by appropriating the property which brought joy to the household of Naboth’s family for generations. But how would you expect Ahab to concern himself with this?
He is covetous and idolatrous by nature.
The matter did not stop there.
He engaged his wife Jezebel to do his evil work. They truly suited one another perfectly.
To all my sons, find your field, and work your field. Do not covet anything that belongs to another brother. Be faithful in what God has called you to do and God will bless you. Amen. Love and peace.
CCF International Church 