The Danger Of Covetousness

The Danger Of Covetousness.

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Exodus 20: 17.

In all my years as a believer I have not heard up to 3 preachers talk about the sin of covetousness. In fact, most preachers encourage, fuel and sponsor the sin of covetousness by telling us about their luxury houses, their bank accounts, their possessions. They fuel covetousness by staging testimonies of people who got financial breakthroughs by their sacrificial giving, thereby stirring a deep greed for money and material possessions in the heart of their congregation. Majority of testimonies birth greed in people, not faith or love for Yeshua.

The Deception At Jezebel’s Table

 

1 Kings 18:19
Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.

In the days of Elijah the Tishbite, there were three categories of prophets in the land of Israel.
The prophets of Baal.
The prophets who ate at Jezebel’s table
Elijah and the prophets of The Lord.

The prophets of Baal openly served their sex and fertility god called Ashtoreth. Their worship of this evil deity wasn’t hidden. It was known to all that these particular prophets were absolutely dedicated to the worship of Ashtoreth. These were evil men who didn’t even pretend to follow Jehovah in any way.

Then there were the four hundred prophets who ate at Jezebel’s table. Jezebel was the daughter of a king who worshipped Ashtoreth. She married Ahab king of Israel and brought her Ashtoreth/baal worship along with her. Jezebel was a wicked woman who loved to be in control of both the political and spiritual aspects of the kingdom. These prophets allied and aligned themselves with this wicked woman because of what she offered them. She offered them royal dainties from her table. She offered them a royal lifestyle powered from her throne of wickedness. These prophets ate whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted, however they wanted. There was unlimited provision at Jezebel’s table. There was no restraint whatsoever at Jezebel’s table. Eating at Jezebel’s table represents the unrestricted satisfaction of the desires of the flesh.

Those who ate at Jezebel’s table had certain characteristics.

The Deception Of Covetousness

The deception of covetousness.

A few months ago I met a dear brother after a long time. After the pleasantries, I asked him how he was doing. He began to tell me about how much money he was making when I interrupted him. I asked him to tell me about the condition of his soul. That was when he confessed that his spiritual life was in shambles. He had lost his way and needed help to get back on track with The Lord. If I hadn’t stopped him, he would have carefully concealed his dilapidated spiritual condition behind a facade of financial success. His life was more than possessions and money. His real life was suffering while he was busy accumulating material things. His problem was covetousness.

A woman buys shoes, clothes and jewellery at a frantic pace. She hardly wears what she buys but she feels pressured to buy more. She compromises her values, sells her body and soul and is ready to do absolutely anything to get more money and material things in her life. She is driven by covetousness.

A man keeps acquiring cars, houses and women. He is never satisfied with what he has and sits up at night thinking about how to acquire more. He is ready to do absolutely anything to acquire more of what he already has in abundance. He is driven by covetousness.

On Whose Terms?

On Whose Terms?

A rich, young man ran after Jesus, knelt before him and asked, ‘Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus told him to keep the commandments. He said he had kept all the commandments from his youth. Jesus looked at him and LOVED him, then said to him, : ‘you lack just one thing, give up your riches and follow me.’

The Bible records that the young man went away sorrowful because he had great possessions. You can read this story in Mark 10:17-27.

The Bible says in Hebrews 13:28, that we should serve God in an acceptable manner, with reverence and godly fear. Basically, it says that we should serve God in a manner that is acceptable to HIM, not to us.We should serve Him the way that He wants to be served, not the way we feel like.Whether you realise this or not, there is an ACCEPTABLE way to serve God.