Exodus 20:17 - You shall not covet

You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Exodus 20:17

Commentary

The word covet does not come up in everyday language much. But it certainly is a part of everyday life! The definition for coveting is: to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others. Behind this is a heart of ingratitude, selfishness and a belief that God has somehow withheld something from us. "I sure wish I had one of those... or, "why isn't my spouse more like them...or, "why do I have to stay in this job...?"

Wanting what we don't have displays that we are not satisfied with God's provision in our life. "I deserve better than this!" And, "I know what I need better than God does." When we believe that God is infinitely good, and we remember that he alone is sovereign, we can set all coveting aside. Another way of translating this command would be, "Be satisfied with what your generous God has given you!"

Today's Commentary by:
Caesar Kalinowski, Pastor, Soma Communities

Exodus 20:16 - You shall not give false testimony

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Exodus 20:16

Commentary

Lying distorts reality. We give a false testimony, or tell a lie about something, to change someone's perception. It may be a person's opinion of us, our abilities or strength. It may be to change their perception of another person. Either way, we are trying to be "God" in the situation. We are actually taking control over another person's mind and emotions when we tell lies. Lying is an offense to God because he has commanded that we have no other gods before him-including us! If we believe and trust God to love and care for us in all things, we never have to lie to try and manipulate the circumstances. We only lie because we do not believe God is big enough to handle a given situation, so we take control of people and things with our words. We act like we are God in the situation. Trust that God is 'large and in charge' of everything in your life. Allow him to be your defender and you will no longer need to lie.

Today's Commentary by:
Caesar Kalinowski, Pastor, Soma Communities