The Apostle Paul wrote that the Scriptures were written for our instruction (I Cor. 10:11). Of course, he was referring to the entire corpus of what we know as the Old Testament. In that revelation of the written word is the repeated references to Israel’s failure, unrepentant sin, and rebellion toward the God of their fathers, and the subsequent judgment of God. Reading through the prophets was the testimony of God’s warnings over a period of years of the severity of divine wrath if Israel did not repent. This was the prophetic theme of the Old Testament. A good, concise summation of this history is recorded in Romans 1:18-32. Read it.
In this brief passage, there are three repeated phrases in verses 24, 26, and 28:
God gave them over
God gave them over
God gave them over
God gave them over to the consequences of their own lusts, degrading passions, and to a depraved mind.
The description of the story line of Israel’s history from the time of the Exodus to the deportations of the house of Israel and the house of Judah was devastating. It can only be understood as divine, holy wrath.
Even in the first century AD there were those of Israel who refused Jesus Christ and the cross and practiced “lawlessness” and who were deceived by false signs and wonders of that time “with all deception of wickedness” did so because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.” (II Thess. 2:9-10)
Our God has not changed and is the same yesterday, today and forever. The God of Israel will not compromise His holy Name!
Understanding Our Times
We are experiencing, and will continue to experience, God’s judgment on His people. For those who know what’s going on and the increasing enslavement and pestilence we are witnessing, we may offer many reasons why: false prophets and pastors, a false education brainwashing system, false monetary system, medical sorcery (poisoning and murder), rigged political system, sexual perversion, child trafficking, false science, compromised military, uncontrolled foreign immigration, unstoppable drug flow, unresolvable debt ….
But these are just symptoms. What is the biblical reason about why all this has happened to us? Simple.
Israel Has Sinned!
It’s the same old story repeated once again in our time. Israel has sinned! You want to understand our times? Israel has sinned!
Are you hoping for a rescue mission from Jesus Christ to swoop down and slay all our enemies with the breath of His mouth? Oh, He will eventually deliver us, but only when we confess: Israel has sinned! He will deliver us only when we have repented and obeyed.
What Sin?
What sin has modern-day Israel (not the Jews) committed? What shall be confessed and repented of? From my observation, I believe it is this: the sin of covetousness. At the heart of ongoing judgment is the sin of covetousness. Why?
Let me build my case by reviewing what covetousness means. There are two main Greek words used in the Old Testament (Septuagint) and the New Testament for covetousness variously translated covet, desire, lusts, or greed: epithumia and pleonexia. Epithumia in classical Greek times referred to an impulse or desire, being excited about something resulting from a false evaluation of possessions. The term in the Old Testament was used in a positive sense as a praiseworthy desire (Gen. 31:30) or yearning for the righteousness of God (Isaiah 58:2), but was also used in reference to “greedy desires” as opposed to God’s will (Numbers 11:4, 34).
In the New Testament, epithumia also was used in a good sense when Jesus “earnestly desired” to eat the Passover with His disciples (Luke 22:15), but the majority applications had a bad connotation such as unlawful sexual desire (Mt. 5:28). In the parable of the soils in Mark 4:19, it was the ‘desires” of many worldly things associated with ‘the deceitfulness of riches” that choked out the word of the Kingdom.
The Apostle Paul used epithumia referring to the 10th commandment, “You shall not covet” (Romans 7:7-8), as the sin that rules men and came out of the old Adamic nature or “flesh” (Gal. 5:16; Eph. 2:3; 4:22), among other descriptions.
The other Greek word, pleonexia, is a more aggressive kind of covetousness. It literally means to have more: pleon (more) and echo (have). In classical Greek, the term referred to a lust for power, bold or aggressive ambition, or to multiply beyond what a man already has. In the Old and New Testaments, it applied to “dishonest gain” (Jer. 22:17) or gain by bribery (II Maccabees 4;50). In the New Testament:
· “deeds of coveting” which is part of what defiles a man (Mark 7:22)
· “every form of greed” (Luke 12:15)
· “covetous” as one of the sins of one who would “not inherit the Kingdom of God” (I Cor. 5:9-10)
· “defraud” or cheat (I Thess. 4:6)
· “greed” which is idolatry (Col. 3:5)
· among the vices deficient in the knowledge of God (Rom. 1:29).
In summary, pleonexia severs the bond between man and God because he seeks fulfillment in himself and his possession.
Between epithumia and pleonexia, the sin of coveting is a condition of the heart to satisfy the flesh and conform to the world system in order to seek out and obtain that which, from God’s viewpoint, is illegitimate. This has many varied applications, but the focus for this message centers in on the ungodly desire for material possessions for one’s own pleasure and security, first and foremost, outside of the Kingdom of God. Sometimes this is an overt display of aggressive wealth-building, but this sin of coveting also has a subtle side masked by religious excuses.
In Part 2 of this series, I will discuss my observations about why covetousness is at the heart of the rejection of the New Covenant Kingdom message.
And I will offer some biblical principles and examples of this sin and its impact from the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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