The Pulpit Commentary — Deuteronomy — Section 118

ehnlt not covet," "As it was given," said an earnest preacher, in the winter of lBi0 "in the first instance to a nation, it is natural to consider some of the ways in which ~ nntion mny violate it. 'fhe 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 pros- perous people cannot endure that the corn-fields and vineyards and the nolile river which cnn be seen from its frontiers should belong to a neighbonring power." "Sooner or later it is almost certnin that this national covetousness will end in a. war of acra-rcs- sion or conquest. Some pretext will be founrl 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 aftel." 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 neighbour 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 neighbour 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 neighbour's joy if he bas 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 (Rom. xii. 15). It is much easier to "weep with them that weep," than it is to "rejoice with them that do rejoice." ,vhen 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 e'lual readiness. In a. word, the tenth commandment requires entire unselfishness. "Love is the fulfilling of the Law." II. '!'ms 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 n11ted cha.meters in New 'l'estament history gained, not only from the Decalogue, but from this particular precept, his first deep convictions of sin (see Rom. vii.). Making a like use of it, we see: J. 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 (Jas. iv. 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 tie 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? 6. Thus we see that there is quite enough in heart sim; to shut us out from the kingdom of heaven. 6. Thus, by this commandment, and a fiJrtiori by all the commandments tocrether, there is revealed to us the impossibility of any one who starts with a burden of ';ccumulated guilt, attaining to the righteousness which is of the Law (Rom. vii. 9, 10). Thus the Law reveals a mischief which it is not its province to cure. Ill .•WHILE LAW IlEVEALS MISCHIEF, THE GOSPEL REVEALS A REMEDY FOR l'l', 1. It s~ows us how grace would cut up covetousness by the root. (1) Our Lord shows us by his teaching that our true wealth consists in what we are rather than in what we have (Luke xii. 13-20). (2) When penitent, he forgives the past. (3) He re-creates the soul, and lifts us up by promises to a higher level (2 Pet. i. 3, 4 ; Matt. vi. 33; Luke 106 THE BOOR OF DEUTERONOMY. [cH, \'. 1-33.