The Tenth Commandment, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's," stands as a vital part of the living, active laws of the Ten Commandments, which bring curses when broken and blessings when kept. Covetousness, an insatiable desire for worldly gain, lies at the root of most sin and uniquely emphasizes man's relationship to man through the repeated phrase "your neighbor's," protecting others' interests across seven major areas listed within the commandment. Covetousness plays a central role in the process of sin, as desire, when conceived, can lead to breaking any of the commandments, and no one is immune to its pull. Uncontrolled lust for power, land, or wealth can drive men to extreme acts like murder to obtain what they covet. It produces only negative outcomes such as theft, lying, murder, harmful lusts, and apostasy, ultimately leading to sorrow and death if it dominates a person's mind. Seeking possessions through covetousness often results in a false sense of security and superiority, deceiving individuals into believing calamity will not touch them, yet it brings endless dissatisfaction and sorrows. God will exclude any covetous person from His Kingdom, and even ministers must avoid covetousness, setting a proper example, as their judgment is harsher. The struggle against covetousness is real, even for the elect, but God, through His Spirit, aids in resisting these desires, expecting us to oppose the lusts of the flesh and present ourselves as instruments of righteousness, hating covetousness and finding contentment in what we have. The opposite of coveting is giving, reflecting the character of God, who is a Giver of good and perfect things. Although the Tenth Commandment deals prominently with human and physical relationships, its spiritual requirement is profoundly rigid, regulating the mind and heart. Sin is not merely physical action; the holy, righteous character God purposes to form in us demands that even our thoughts be purified and aligned with His. The Ten Commandments, including the tenth, serve as the standard of righteousness by which God develops His mind and character in us, a task achievable only with the help of the Holy Spirit.

The tenth commandment, as stated in Deuteronomy 5:21, declares, You shall not covet your neighbor's wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, his manservant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's. To covet means to desire or take delight in something beyond the acceptable bounds set by God, longing after property that belongs to another in order to enjoy it. Covetousness involves indulging in thoughts that lead to actions forbidden by the other commandments, turning grasping thoughts into grasping deeds. This desire often stems from perceiving beauty in a desirable object or from a persistent inclination for something abstract like power, both equally harmful. In the Exodus 20:17 version, the term house implies household, with additional items listed to clarify this meaning. In Deuteronomy 5, wife is placed first as the crown of possessions, and field is added to address concerns of land ownership not relevant during the earlier Exodus context. Through these variations, God provides a comprehensive safeguard of others' interests, emphasizing outgoing concern. This commandment moves from external actions into the secret place where good and evil originate: the heart. The inner life shapes a person's destiny, as desires are nurtured there. The tenth commandment functions similarly to the first, acting as a governor to control adherence to the others. It addresses the root of sin in the heart, where desires can lead to actions that break God's laws. Covetousness, described in Colossians 3:5 as idolatry, involves an insatiable desire for what belongs to others, reflecting ruthless self-seeking and placing self-interest above God. This desire for more can lead to theft, evil ambition, tyranny, or fornication, setting up an idol in the heart to serve personal gain rather than God's will. To overcome such illicit desires, one must give oneself to God and make a radical transformation, surgically excising self-centeredness from conduct.

God commands in Exodus 20:17, You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's. Here, house signifies household, with the listed items clarifying the breadth of what is meant. In Deuteronomy 5:21, wife or spouse is placed first as the crown of one's possessions, and field is added, reflecting the Israelites' upcoming settlement in the Promised Land. This commandment steps from the outer world of word and deed into the secret place of the heart, where all good and evil begins. Desire itself is not wrong, but desiring what belongs to another to such a degree that it dominates thinking and motivates unlawful actions to possess it is sin. Such covetousness can suppress the more important things of God, potentially causing one to forget them altogether. When desire builds to a breaking point, it can lead to lying, stealing, adultery, dishonoring parents, or even murder to obtain what is lusted after. Breaking this commandment can also lead to violating the Sabbath and destroying one's witness for God by serving personal desires. There is nothing wrong in merely wanting something, but it becomes sin when the want is so intense that one would break every law to get it, be sick with unhappiness without it, or push God out of life to pursue it. To desire a better life does not break the command, but entering the race to keep up with others does. Wanting children to have better than oneself is natural, yet it turns evil when the purpose distorts their values. Loving beauty is normal, as God loves and creates beauty, but desiring beautiful things to show off and arouse envy in others is wrong. Desiring life's needs and even luxuries is acceptable, but a feverish passion for more that incites unlawful action breaches God's law. Coveting is sin for two reasons: it can cause crime against others and is a real crime against oneself. The ruin of impure thought awaits even those who harbor unchaste desires. If certain books, pictures, magazines, movies, places, activities, or people tempt one to lust, they must be avoided at any cost, as not sinning is paramount. What feeds the imagination is crucial to purity, and one must stop feeding it impurity to maintain cleanliness of thought. Even when coveting does not directly break another commandment, it can damage both persons and principles. When one covets what belongs to another, even without taking action, virtue is robbed of meaning, and obedience becomes a hollow, mechanical act. Coveting also plays a part in gossip, which often stems from a hidden lust for superiority. Its emotional effects include sorrow, pain, remorse, guilt, restlessness, and dissatisfaction. When one wants something so badly that happiness is impossible without it, coveting is present. Every problem, whether individual or national, has its root in sin, and sin is caused by wrong desires brought to fruition. From peasant to king, all are subject to such desires. If a desire is nourished long enough, the consequence is virtually inevitable, turning into action. However, desire can be stifled or, by the grace of God, eliminated altogether through humbly giving oneself to Christ and engaging in good activities and thoughts, leaving little time or place for evil desires. This commandment pierces through surface adherence, revealing whether one has truly surrendered their will to God.

God indicts an entire nation for not listening, as our minds are consumed by what we covet. We are part of a nation addicted to covetousness, seemingly slaves to our desires, with instant gratification as the watchword. Covetousness among men is a powerful drug that corrupts judgment, making one subject to bribes and destroying integrity. God is saying that covetousness is a narcotic, ultimately addictive, and wealth does not love in return, offering no true satisfaction. Jesus warns to beware of covetousness in every shape and form, teaching a vital lesson for those seeking the Kingdom of God to avoid this sin. This commandment pierces through surface Christianity, revealing whether a person has surrendered his will to God, as it reaches the thoughts of one's heart. Covetousness is a serious sin, always at the threshold of our heart, given over to satisfying self-centered desires at any moment. Paul describes the heart of the unconverted as given over to lewdness and greediness, voraciously pursuing the fruits of sin. He contrasts covetousness with walking in love, classifying it alongside fornication and uncleanness as self-centered acts, unlike love which is centered on self-sacrifice. Paul reminds us that those who commit such acts, including covetousness, will not be in the Kingdom of God. Overcoming coveting is difficult due to its closeness to our nature and the many means of stimulating it, but it can be overcome because God is on His throne, creating Jesus Christ in us. It must be overcome, as no covetous person will enter God's Kingdom. To replace covetousness with contentment, we must face realities: human nature cannot be satisfied, there is no peace in satisfying lust, nothing physical holds power to fully satisfy, and joy and contentment are spiritual fruits. We must seek God first through study, fasting, prayer, and meditation, filling the mind with His Word to make sin nearly impossible. We should concentrate prayers on interceding for others and giving thanks to God, taking focus off the self. Adopting true values about ourselves in relation to God and others, recognizing our spiritual privileges by His grace, helps squeeze out covetousness and fosters contentment with what He has given. Grace teaches us to renounce the evil desire of covetousness, and with God's help, through effort, it can be overcome as we prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ, polishing our character and mind for His arrival.