The 10 Commandments
Commandment 10: Reward
Jon Robinson | Pastor of Discipleship
Exodus 20:17 - “You shall not covet…”
I stated at the beginning of our journey through the 10 commandments that if you get nothing else from these 10 weeks please get this, you must live from God’s love and not for God’s love. It's not enough for us to know the commandments but we must see through the window of rules into the value it brings to our lives and the joy we experience as a result. The joy part is critical and that is what we are all shooting for. Everything you do is in some way an action to pursue joy. Even the hard things and even your sinning. At the root of your being is a joy battle that helps you filter your affections and make your decisions based on your loves. You have felt this tug at a surface level when deciding between two restaurants you really like. The question is, which menu would make me feel better or be happier? Sure that is insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but we make deeper and more difficult decisions in the same way. The issue for humanity is the disordered desires in our hearts. Our affections are warped (Jeremiah 17:9) and this is where not just some of our problems come from but where every single problem that we have arises. The problem is this, you want stuff that isn’t yours. Therefore God gives us the command in Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet…”
I think the 10th commandment should be viewed as a summative statement. As if all the commandments added together in an equation culminate to ‘don’t want stuff that’s not yours.’ I think I could be faithful to scripture and say if you focus your heart on just this one commandment and obey it then you would obey the rest. Or I could say that if you simply worked on being content you would find that many of your battles fade. Now, not all of your battles would go away because you have other people in your life that are also struggling with contentment and they will cause battles in your life too. James 4:1 says, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” Have you ever thought that the war within you causes the wars around you? The image that comes to mind is a toddler (you) buckled in a car seat and throwing a fit because they want to run around in the car. The strap holding you in is the restraint God has put in place to keep you from your desire. The tantrum you throw is your dissatisfaction with God’s plan and provision for your life. However, have you ever considered the buckle is in place to protect you? Have you ever thought that God hasn’t given you the house, job, career, and kids that you want because you aren’t ready for it? It’s well documented that when a person with disordered finances wins the lottery that it often ruins their life because many of the restraints that were in place for them are removed in an instant. They are now a toddler running around in a moving car with unlocked doors and open windows. If you really put God first in your life. If God really became as St. Augustine says in his Confessions, “My sweetness”, then you would find an inner order to your life that would bring an outer order to your family, friends, and your community. You will find peace in your bones. You would have a contentment in your spirit even in the most difficult situations. Many people wake up lost, despondent, bitter, and just plain sad because they wanted something that they didn’t get. Here's a very helpful truth: our God is massive. He is so big that He covers all things and all people. He knows all things and all people. He knows all plans and all places. The theological term is that God is sovereign. He is king over everything. Therefore if you didn’t get something that you thought you deserved, or something cheated you, or someone cheated on you, God allowed it. I know that seems harsh but it should instead be a balm to your pain and a salve to your situation. If God knows you deeply and loves you infinitely, then He is in control of everything. Then we can know that His plans for us, even the plans of pain, are for our joy. This is the gospel. The path to the cross was paved with pain and pleasure. “For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son .” (John 3:16) The Old Testament prophet Isaiah prophesied of Jesus' death in Isaiah 53:10 “...It was the will of the Lord to crush him.” It was God’s desire to go through the pain of the cross. It was through the pain of our God that we saw the greatest act of love. We will go through pain and seasons of pain that God allows. However, hear this truth today, eyes of contentment will help you see the opportunity for a greater joy in God through the pain then if there we never pain at all. God is in control and He is working for our joy. Would you say that out loud today? Let it sink into your bones. God is in control and He is working for my joy. If you can let go of your covetousness and give your disordered desire to God, He will fill the gap and pour out His Spirit into your life. God is for you. God loves you. God chases you. God cherishes you. God is in control therefore, you don’t need to covet because He works for your joy. The question is, will you let Him? I love you all, thanks for going on this journey with me.
I stated at the beginning of our journey through the 10 commandments that if you get nothing else from these 10 weeks please get this, you must live from God’s love and not for God’s love. It's not enough for us to know the commandments but we must see through the window of rules into the value it brings to our lives and the joy we experience as a result. The joy part is critical and that is what we are all shooting for. Everything you do is in some way an action to pursue joy. Even the hard things and even your sinning. At the root of your being is a joy battle that helps you filter your affections and make your decisions based on your loves. You have felt this tug at a surface level when deciding between two restaurants you really like. The question is, which menu would make me feel better or be happier? Sure that is insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but we make deeper and more difficult decisions in the same way. The issue for humanity is the disordered desires in our hearts. Our affections are warped (Jeremiah 17:9) and this is where not just some of our problems come from but where every single problem that we have arises. The problem is this, you want stuff that isn’t yours. Therefore God gives us the command in Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet…”
I think the 10th commandment should be viewed as a summative statement. As if all the commandments added together in an equation culminate to ‘don’t want stuff that’s not yours.’ I think I could be faithful to scripture and say if you focus your heart on just this one commandment and obey it then you would obey the rest. Or I could say that if you simply worked on being content you would find that many of your battles fade. Now, not all of your battles would go away because you have other people in your life that are also struggling with contentment and they will cause battles in your life too. James 4:1 says, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” Have you ever thought that the war within you causes the wars around you? The image that comes to mind is a toddler (you) buckled in a car seat and throwing a fit because they want to run around in the car. The strap holding you in is the restraint God has put in place to keep you from your desire. The tantrum you throw is your dissatisfaction with God’s plan and provision for your life. However, have you ever considered the buckle is in place to protect you? Have you ever thought that God hasn’t given you the house, job, career, and kids that you want because you aren’t ready for it? It’s well documented that when a person with disordered finances wins the lottery that it often ruins their life because many of the restraints that were in place for them are removed in an instant. They are now a toddler running around in a moving car with unlocked doors and open windows. If you really put God first in your life. If God really became as St. Augustine says in his Confessions, “My sweetness”, then you would find an inner order to your life that would bring an outer order to your family, friends, and your community. You will find peace in your bones. You would have a contentment in your spirit even in the most difficult situations. Many people wake up lost, despondent, bitter, and just plain sad because they wanted something that they didn’t get. Here's a very helpful truth: our God is massive. He is so big that He covers all things and all people. He knows all things and all people. He knows all plans and all places. The theological term is that God is sovereign. He is king over everything. Therefore if you didn’t get something that you thought you deserved, or something cheated you, or someone cheated on you, God allowed it. I know that seems harsh but it should instead be a balm to your pain and a salve to your situation. If God knows you deeply and loves you infinitely, then He is in control of everything. Then we can know that His plans for us, even the plans of pain, are for our joy. This is the gospel. The path to the cross was paved with pain and pleasure. “For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son .” (John 3:16) The Old Testament prophet Isaiah prophesied of Jesus' death in Isaiah 53:10 “...It was the will of the Lord to crush him.” It was God’s desire to go through the pain of the cross. It was through the pain of our God that we saw the greatest act of love. We will go through pain and seasons of pain that God allows. However, hear this truth today, eyes of contentment will help you see the opportunity for a greater joy in God through the pain then if there we never pain at all. God is in control and He is working for our joy. Would you say that out loud today? Let it sink into your bones. God is in control and He is working for my joy. If you can let go of your covetousness and give your disordered desire to God, He will fill the gap and pour out His Spirit into your life. God is for you. God loves you. God chases you. God cherishes you. God is in control therefore, you don’t need to covet because He works for your joy. The question is, will you let Him? I love you all, thanks for going on this journey with me.