Topical Bible: Covetousness: Woe Denounced Against

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Covetousness, often understood as an intense desire for wealth or possessions that belong to others, is a recurring theme in the Bible, where it is consistently condemned. The Scriptures warn against the dangers of covetousness, emphasizing its destructive nature and the divine judgment it incurs.

The Old Testament provides foundational teachings on the sin of covetousness. In the Ten Commandments, God explicitly commands, "You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor" (Exodus 20:17). This commandment highlights the comprehensive nature of covetousness, extending beyond material possessions to include relationships and status.

The prophet Isaiah pronounces woe upon those who are driven by greed and covetousness, declaring, "Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field, until there is no more room and you alone dwell in the land" (Isaiah 5:8). This passage underscores the insatiable nature of covetousness and its tendency to lead individuals to exploit others for personal gain.

In the New Testament, Jesus warns against covetousness in His teachings. In the Gospel of Luke, He tells the parable of the rich fool, who hoarded his wealth without regard for God or others. Jesus concludes the parable with a stark warning: "Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (Luke 12:15). This admonition serves as a reminder that true life and fulfillment are not found in material wealth but in a relationship with God.

The Apostle Paul also addresses the issue of covetousness, equating it with idolatry. In his letter to the Colossians, he writes, "Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5). By linking covetousness to idolatry, Paul emphasizes that it is a form of worship directed away from God and towards material things.

Furthermore, Paul warns Timothy about the dangers of covetousness, stating, "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows" (1 Timothy 6:10). This passage highlights the spiritual peril that accompanies a covetous heart, as it can lead individuals away from faith and into a life filled with regret and suffering.

The Bible's consistent denunciation of covetousness serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of contentment and trust in God's provision. By recognizing the destructive nature of covetousness and heeding the biblical warnings against it, believers are encouraged to cultivate a heart of gratitude and reliance on God, rather than on material wealth.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 5:8
Woe to them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the middle of the earth!
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Habakkuk 2:9
Woe to him that covets an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Motives to this Oversight
... do you not know that covetousness and pride are sins ... How oft have you denounced against
it the terrors of the ... must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/baxter/the reformed pastor/section 2 the motives to.htm

The Third Day in Passion-Week - the Last Controversies and ...
... The second Woe was on their covetousness and hypocrisy. ... The fourth Woe is denounced
on the moral blindness of these guides rather than on their hypocrisy. ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter iv the third day.htm

The Greater Prophets.
... abhorrence, and the severest judgments were denounced against him ... "Woe is me, my
mother," he cries out in ... love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxii the greater prophets.htm

The First Stages. Ch. 9:51 to 13:21
... had returned with more terrible manifestations of hypocrisy, covetousness, hatred,
fanaticism ... 8. Pharisaism Exposed and Denounced. ... 42 But woe unto you Pharisees ...
/.../erdman/the gospel of luke an exposition/a the first stages ch.htm

Twenty Fourth Sunday after Trinity Prayer and Spiritual Knowledge.
... in security a life of wealth, pleasure and covetousness. ... to become agitated and utter
its cry of woe. ... presence of King Jeroboam openly denounced the idolatry ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/twenty fourth sunday after trinity.htm

The Analysis
... life, with all it yields of joy and woe. ... line as ourselves, a spirit of covetousness
and detraction ... find them better than suspicion feared or calumny denounced. ...
/.../drummond/the greatest thing in the world and other addresses/the analysis.htm

A Holy Life the Beauty of Christianity: Or, an Exhortation to ...
... and open as Sodom's were; pride and covetousness, loathing of the ... they say when the
prophets so bitterly denounced God's judgments against them, 'Because ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a holy life the beauty.htm

The Barren Fig-Tree;
... Their covetousness declareth that they are weary of depending ... that thou shalt cut
it down.' 'Woe also to ... cutting down, or the judgment here denounced, as it ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the barren fig-tree.htm

Introductory Notice Respecting Tauler's Life and Times
... In return, they boldly denounced the Pope as a heretic ... a lively picture of the
inordinate covetousness, and utter ... to fill up the measure of the people's woe. ...
/.../introductory notice respecting taulers life.htm

A Few Sighs from Hell;
... the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.' And ...
time be shut out from the presence of God into everlasting woe and distress. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a few sighs from hell.htm