Coveting Hall of Shame – Part 7 – Tenth Commandment

Joseph’s Brothers

The coveting Hall of Shame, Series 1

The tenth commandment

Exodus 20.17; Deuteronomy 5.21

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, his house, his field, his male or female servant, his ox or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Genesis 37.4

But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.

Jealousy is just another form of covetousness.

Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him. They thought they should be more favored by their father than Joseph, and they must have griped about it to one another on more than one occasion. For when, later on, the opportunity came to “punish” Joseph, they did, selling him to the Midianites and lying to their father about his “death.” If only they had recognized that tinge of resentment for the covetousness it portended. Their covetousness led to treachery and lying, a lie that they would conceal for nearly two decades. At times of solitude, perhaps in the presence of God, they must have regretted their actions and hoped against hope that, somehow, Joseph would be all right.

Pray

Lord, I’m not always good at recognizing when covetousness is beginning to worm its way into my soul. Teach me to wait on You, Lord, and to listen for the leading of Your Spirit whenever I may be inclined to join this Hall of Shame.
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“In the Gates” is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001,2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.