{"id":62321,"date":"2020-04-26T22:55:39","date_gmt":"2020-04-26T19:55:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=62321"},"modified":"2025-11-21T22:40:52","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T19:40:52","slug":"do-not-bring-yourself-to-be-licked-by-dogs-through-the-sin-of-coveting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2020\/04\/26\/do-not-bring-yourself-to-be-licked-by-dogs-through-the-sin-of-coveting\/","title":{"rendered":"DO NOT BRING YOURSELF TO BE LICKED BY DOGS THROUGH THE SIN OF COVETING"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

THE WARNING AGAINST COVETING<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cYou shall not covet your neighbor\u2019s house; you shall not covet your neighbor\u2019s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor\u2019s.\u201d \u2014 Exodus 20:17<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Lord places great emphasis on this command: \u201cDo not covet.\u201d
And notice how it covers almost every area of what your neighbor owns.<\/p>\n

The coveting spoken of here does not mean the desire to have something similar to what your neighbor has. Instead, it refers to desiring the very thing that belongs to your neighbor\u2014wanting it for yourself and seeking every means possible to obtain it.
This is what God hates.<\/p>\n

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BIBLICAL EXAMPLES OF THE DANGER OF COVETING<\/h2>\n

1. King David<\/h3>\n

David coveted Uriah\u2019s wife and sought every means to destroy Uriah so he could take her.
We know the consequences he suffered\u2014grief, shame, and years of regret.<\/p>\n

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\u201cSo they spread Absalom a tent on the roof, and Absalom went in to his father\u2019s concubines in the sight of all Israel.\u201d \u2014 2 Samuel 16:22<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

David experienced humiliation when his own son publicly violated his concubines.
(Read the whole account in 2 Samuel chapters 11\u201318.)<\/p>\n

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2. King Ahab<\/h3>\n

Ahab coveted Naboth\u2019s vineyard because it was beautiful and close to his palace. When Naboth refused to give it to him, Jezebel arranged Naboth\u2019s death so Ahab could seize it.<\/p>\n

Ahab did not repent. Instead, he immediately took possession of the vineyard.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAnd the dogs licked up his blood\u2026 in the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth.\u201d \u2014 1 Kings 21:19<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This is exactly how Ahab\u2019s life ended\u2014under judgment for coveting what belonged to another.<\/p>\n

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COVETING IN DAILY LIFE<\/h2>\n

We must guard our hearts from this spirit.<\/p>\n

A woman may visit her neighbor and admire her house-help: hardworking, peaceful, and skilled. Instead of seeking her own helper, she covets the one belonging to her neighbor and tempts her away with higher pay.
This is covetousness\u2014and it brings consequences.<\/p>\n

Another example:
A businessperson sees his neighbor prospering in a particular location. Instead of finding his own place, he covets that exact spot and offers the landlord higher rent to displace his neighbor.
This too is the sin of coveting.<\/p>\n

This is why Scripture says:<\/p>\n

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\u201cOr anything that belongs to your neighbor.\u201d \u2014 Exodus 20:17<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Nothing is excluded.<\/p>\n

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CONTENTMENT IS GREAT GAIN<\/h2>\n
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\u201cBut godliness with contentment is great gain.\u201d \u2014 1 Timothy 6:6<\/p>\n

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We must learn to be satisfied with what God has given us.
Ask yourself:<\/p>\n

Does what I desire harm my neighbor in any way?
If yes, then abandon that desire\u2014escape the curse and avoid judgment.<\/p>\n

May the Lord bless you.<\/p>\n