Deuteronomy 5:21 - The Decalogue The Basis Of The Covenant, The Essence Of The Whole Law, And The Condition Of Life And

The tenth commandment. The religion of the heart.

This commandment is in some respects the most manifestly sweeping and searching of all. It even more fully than the others illustrates Hebrews 4:12 . If any reader has thought that in making such heart-work of the preceding, we have gone beyond the scope of the Decalogue, this verse should serve to correct such an impression, for it deals verbally with the unexpressed wishes of the soul, and lays a restraint upon them. We will first of all—

I. INQUIRE INTO THE GROUND WHICH THIS PRECEPT COVERS . Recognizing the neighborly relation between man and man, and people and people, and implying the duty of each individual and of each nation cherishing a kindly feeling for another, it not only forbids the violation of neighborliness by any outward act of unkindness and wrong, but even the desire out of which such unneighborly acts might arise. "Thou shalt not covet." "As it was given," said an earnest preacher, in the winter of 1870, "in the first instance to a nation, it is natural to consider some of the ways in which a nation may violate it, The history of the world is stained and darkened by the crimes to which nations have been driven by the spirit of covetousness. A great and prosperous people cannot endure that the corn-fields and vineyards and the noble river which can be seen from its frontiers should belong to a neighboring power. Sooner or later it is almost certain that this national covetousness will end in a war of aggression or conquest, Some pretext will be found for a quarrel, by some means or other there will be a justification discovered, or created, or alleged, for seizing by force of arms what the heart of the nation longed for" (R. W. Dale). But since the command forbids even the covetous desire , the justification alleged may be as wicked as the war itself; it may be but a cloak to hide from the undiscerning that covetousness which not the thickest veil of night can hide from him whose eyes are as a flame of fire. It is, however, chiefly with the application of this command to the individual that we have now to do. It forbids:

1. Desire after lower good to the neglect of the higher.

2. Desire after improper objects.

3. Desire after lawful objects carried to an improper degree.

4. Desire to gain any object in an improper manner.

5. Any desire after what belongs to another, which is inconsistent with the rule, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," It forbids too:

6. Discontent with the allotments of Divine providence. A discontented spirit is but one form of covetousness, albeit it is a very unamiable one. We are not to be envious of another's possessions, nor for a moment to allow the wish, if our neighbor is rich and we are poor, that his wealth and our poverty should change hands. On the other hand, there is to be a thankful content with the mercies we possess, and a joy in our neighbor's joy if he has more than we have. So far from wishing to gain advantage at another's cost, we are to rejoice in another's good as really as if it were our own. So runs the precept ( Romans 12:15 ). It is much easier to "weep with them that weep," than it is to "rejoice with them that do rejoice." When we do the former, we may have the secret thankfulness that we are spared the sorrow of others; but when the latter, our joy is apt to be checked by the secret wish that we were possessors of their cause of joy. Our obedience to this precept is not complete till we can "weep" or "rejoice" with others with equal readiness. In a word, the tenth commandment requires entire unselfishness . "Love is the fulfilling of the Law."

II. THIS COMMAND MAKES VERY REMARKABLE REVELATIONS . Sin is defined by the Apostle John as "the transgression of Law." Consequently, wheresoever the Law reaches, there would the transgression of it come under that term, "sin." Hence, by the Law is the knowledge of sin. We find accordingly that one of the most noted characters in New Testament history gained, not only from the Decalogue, but from this particular precept, his first deep convictions of sin (see Romans 7:1-25 .). Making a like use of it, we see:

1. That this law reveals that to be sin which else would not have been suspected as such. If we were asked by some to point out the marks of sin in the world, they would refer us to war, oppression, tyranny, etc, But God's Word strikes at the lusts out of which these evils come ( James 4:1 ).

2. This law reveals to us how deeply sin has struck its roots in our nature, that it has permeated and saturated our very thoughts , and made them selfish.

3. We see too by the same light that many an apparently good act before men has been rotten by reason of the "lust" in which it had its root.

4. So that we also learn that a man may be altogether blameless in the sight of his fellows, and yet be condemned in the sight of God. God judges acts by motives. Have all our motives been pure?

5. Thus we see that there is quite enough in heart sins to shut us out from the kingdom of heaven.

6. Thus, by this commandment, and a fortiori by all the commandments together, there is revealed to us the impossibility of any one who starts with a burden of accumulated guilt, attaining to the righteousness which is of the Law ( Romans 7:9 , Romans 7:10 ). Thus the Law reveals a mischief which it is not its province to cure.

III. WHILE LAW REVEALS MISCHIEF , THE GOSPEL REVEALS A REMEDY FOR IT .

1. It shows us how grace would cut up covetousness by the root.

2. It shows us a sphere in which the natural ambition may have legitimate play without degenerating into lust. For, it may be urged, "If we had no desire after the improvement of our condition, we should do away with enterprise? Ought not a young man to be anxious to rise in the world?" Certainly. But not at the expense of others . In a right direction a man not only may, but should, make the very utmost of himself for which his power capacitates him ( 1 Timothy 4:8 ; Proverbs 30:5-9 ). Another may say, "I have the organ of acquisitiveness very strongly developed. I am so made that I must get, so that if I am anxious to have more, I am only acting out that which is imbedded in the structure of my physical frame." Acquisitiveness! an excellent organ to have, and one which makes it specially desirable to decide of what its possessor shall be acquisitive, If it is a necessity of any one's nature to be ever getting, the greater the need that he should be rightly getting the right. Now, while God's Law condemns acquisitiveness in the wrong direction, yet God's grace and gospel open up the grandest possible field for its exercise. By all means let any one develop that noble capacity ( Proverbs 3:16 ; Proverbs 4:5-7 ; 1 Corinthians 12:31 ). The surest way of guarding against covetousness of ill will be so to develop this eagerness after good that the other cannot coexist ( 1 John 2:15 ). There is no faculty of our nature which can be developed to finer issues than this desire of having, if it be reset by Divine grace, and guided by the Spirit of God. No function of the soul is common or unclean, unless we make it so. Here is the right sort of covetousness ( Philippians 3:8 ), "That I may win Christ ." Let all our power of coveting go out after him. He will bring with him durable riches and righteousness. The wealth we have in him will be vastly more than aught we can have from him, and by "the expulsive power of a new affection" he will wean us from the false craving for earth, and ever satisfy us with himself!