Theological term
Envy
5 sermons · All terms
The Tenth Commandment
The tenth commandment's prohibition of covetousness exposes the spirituality of God's law: external compliance is insufficient, for the law reaches the desires and affections of the heart. Covetousness is defined as inordinate desire for what belongs to a neighbor — whether his wife, his goods, or anything that is his — and its connection to the first commandment reveals that misplaced desire is a form of idolatry. The sermon traces covetousness through envy and discontentment, showing how inward sin often becomes the prelude to overt transgression. The positive counterpart calls believers to contentment grounded in God's sovereign ownership, his covenant promise of provision, the surpassing weight of eternal glory, and the cultivation of a genuinely charitable spirit toward others.
The Tenth Commandment
The Tenth Commandment's prohibition against covetousness exposes the internal nature of God's law in a way no other commandment does: it is a sin but not a crime, reaching the desires and affections rather than merely outward conduct. Covetousness is shown to be inextricably linked to idolatry (Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5), rooted in discontentment with God's providential allotment, and often the seed from which violations of every other commandment spring. Positively, the commandment calls believers to acknowledge God's sovereign ownership of all things, rest in his promise of temporal provision (Hebrews 13:5), cultivate contentment (1 Timothy 6:6), and displace covetousness with a charitable, generous spirit. The sermon also treats the three classical uses of the law — civil, pedagogical, and normative — showing that the Tenth Commandment functions as a searching pedagogue that drove the Apostle Paul and the rich young ruler alike to confront their need for Christ.
2 Samuel 3:22-39
The assassination of Abner by Joab in 2 Samuel 3:22–39 exposes the destructive power of envy and selfish ambition, contrasted with David's careful maintenance of covenant integrity and political innocence. Joab's murder of Abner — motivated not only by a desire to avenge his brother Asahel but by fear that Abner's rise would diminish his own standing — illustrates Calvin's warning that ambition is the most mortal evil that can befall the church. David's public mourning, fivefold curse upon Joab, and lament over Abner are examined as covenantal and diplomatic acts flowing from genuine righteousness rather than self-interest. The passage calls believers to guard their own hearts against the same envy and selfishness visible in these ancient figures, and to take encouragement that God builds his kingdom through and despite such human wickedness.
The Tenth Commandment
The Tenth Commandment forbids not merely external acts of acquisition but the inward disposition of covetousness itself — the inordinate desire for what belongs to a neighbor. The sermon traces three aspects of the commandment: its prohibition (covering a neighbor's spouse, goods, discontentedness, and envy), the reasons underlying it (the spirituality of the moral law and the duty of love for neighbor), and its positive demands (contentment, appreciation for others' blessings, and a charitable spirit). The three classic uses of the law — civil, pedagogical, and normative — are then applied, with the pedagogical use directed especially toward those who, like the rich young ruler or Paul before his conversion, suppose they have kept the commandments outwardly while remaining guilty of covetousness within.
The Tenth Commandment
The Tenth Commandment — 'You shall not covet' — reaches past external conduct to regulate the intentions and desires of the heart, exposing sins that civil law cannot punish and that no amount of outward morality can conceal. This exposition of Deuteronomy 5:21 identifies three things the commandment prohibits — inordinate desire, discontentedness, and envy — and then establishes the theological reason for the prohibition: covetousness is idolatry, bringing the Decalogue full circle from the First Commandment back to itself. Nine positive helps for mortifying covetousness are set forth, culminating in the active obedience of Christ imputed to believers — the only ground of hope for those whom this commandment finds out.