Topical Bible: Servants: Characteristics of Wicked Servants: Covetousness

◄ Servants: Characteristics of Wicked Servants: Covetousness ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

In the biblical context, servants are often depicted as individuals entrusted with responsibilities by their masters. However, not all servants fulfill their duties with integrity and faithfulness. Among the characteristics of wicked servants, covetousness stands out as a significant flaw that leads to various forms of misconduct and moral failure.

Covetousness, or an inordinate desire for wealth or possessions, is condemned throughout Scripture as a root of many evils. In the context of servanthood, this trait manifests in a servant's desire to acquire what belongs to their master or others, often leading to deceitful and unjust actions.

Biblical Examples and Teachings

1. Gehazi, the Servant of Elisha: One of the most illustrative examples of covetousness in a servant is found in the account of Gehazi, the servant of the prophet Elisha. After Elisha healed Naaman of leprosy, Naaman offered gifts to Elisha, which he refused. Gehazi, driven by covetousness, pursued Naaman and deceitfully obtained the gifts for himself. As a result, Gehazi was struck with Naaman's leprosy as a punishment for his greed (2 Kings 5:20-27).

2. The Parable of the Unjust Steward: In Luke 16:1-13, Jesus tells the parable of the unjust steward who, upon learning he would be dismissed, manipulated his master's debtors to secure his own future. This parable highlights the steward's covetous nature, as he prioritized his own welfare over his duty to his master. Jesus concludes the parable by teaching that one cannot serve both God and money, emphasizing the incompatibility of covetousness with faithful service (Luke 16:13).

3. Warnings Against Covetousness: The New Testament contains numerous warnings against covetousness, which apply to all believers, including servants. In 1 Timothy 6:10, Paul writes, "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" . This admonition underscores the spiritual peril that covetousness poses, leading individuals away from righteousness and into various sins.

4. The Tenth Commandment: The prohibition against covetousness is enshrined in the Tenth Commandment: "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 reflects God's desire for His people to cultivate contentment and trust in His provision, rather than succumbing to the destructive desires of the flesh.

Moral and Spiritual Implications

Covetousness in a servant not only disrupts the trust and harmony between the servant and master but also reflects a deeper spiritual malaise. It reveals a heart that is not aligned with God's will, prioritizing material gain over spiritual fidelity. Such a disposition is antithetical to the biblical call for servants to be faithful, trustworthy, and content with their lot.

The Scriptures consistently call believers to guard against covetousness, urging them to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). For servants, this means performing their duties with integrity, honoring their masters, and trusting in God's provision rather than succumbing to the fleeting allure of worldly wealth.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Kings 5:20
But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master has spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD lives, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Fourth Book
... In this we have the same characteristics as our poor ... a master when he had done so
much for his wicked servants. ... Of what daring are the wicked minds of men not ...
//christianbookshelf.org/salvian/on the government of god/the fourth book.htm

The Unclean Spirits.
... Being alike in their characteristics, they must symbolize some ... declared the apostles
to be "the servants of the ... 3. And Paul says of that wicked: "Whose coming ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/the unclean spirits.htm

The Royal Marriage Feast.
... come at the call of the servants, and taken ... method of redemption and the decisive
characteristics of believers. ... over the world of spirit, "the wicked is driven ...
/.../arnot/the parables of our lord/xii the royal marriage feast.htm

The Conflict with Evil
... Christian opposition to the idolatrous and wicked social order ... this world, then would
my servants fight, that ... toil, and gets its class characteristics by toil. ...
/.../rauschenbusch/the social principles of jesus/chapter x the conflict with.htm

The Three Last Parables of the Per??an Series: the Unrighteous ...
... is unabashed) conquers even a wicked person [to ... was one of the distinctive
characteristics of the ... his reckoning' (sunairein) with his servants' - certainly ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xix the three last.htm

The Greater Prophets.
... The prominent characteristics of these three sections are ... for all time, in which
wicked nations may ... peculiarly encouraging to God's faithful servants who labor ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxii the greater prophets.htm

John i. 1
... to be inferior, he immediately adds the characteristics of genuine ... an evil hour,)
nor from a wicked spirit, but ... And why too do our servants, though insulted by ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily iv john i 1.htm

Index.
... Conversion of a wicked priest, v.12; of a sinner, xxxix ... seeing a picture of Christ,
ix.7; servants of, xi ... loneliness of the soul in, xx.13; characteristics of, xx ...
//christianbookshelf.org/teresa/the life of st teresa of jesus/index 2.htm

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs.
... present writing bear any of the characteristics of a ... and shall destroy Beliar and
his servants." There is ... indistinct concerning the fate of the wicked, and has ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the testaments of the twelve.htm

Augustin's Part in the Controversy.
... midst of this argument, Augustin is led to discuss the differentiating characteristics
of the ... if God's help be allowed, this contention is not so wicked as the ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/iii augustins part in the.htm