Download Law and the Tenth Commandment (No. 263)

Christian Churches of God
No. 263
Law and the Tenth
Commandment
(Edition 2.0 19981011-20120512-20120819)
It is written: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy
neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any
thing that is thy neighbour's. This paper explains the entire structure of the Law of God, as
applied to its Commandment as explained by the prophets and the Testament in compliance
with the reading of the Law in the Sabbath years.
Christian Churches of God
PO Box 369,
WODEN
ACT 2606,
AUSTRALIA
Email: [email protected]
(Copyright  1998, 1999, 2012 Wade Cox)
This paper may be freely copied and distributed provided it is copied in total with no alterations or deletions.
The publisher’s name and address and the copyright notice must be included. No charge may be levied on
recipients of distributed copies. Brief quotations may be embodied in critical articles and reviews without
breaching copyright.
This paper is available from the World Wide Web page:
http://www.logon.org and http://www.ccg.org
Page 2
Law and the Tenth Commandment
Law and the Tenth Commandment
It is written: “You shall not covet.”
Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's
house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor
his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor
his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. (KJV)
Deuteronomy 5:21 Neither shalt thou desire thy
neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy
neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or
his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that
is thy neighbour's. (KJV)
The tenth commandment establishes the law on
a higher and spiritual plane. It establishes the
law in the mind and heart and regulates the
conduct of the elect. A breach of this
commandment regarding coveting, as with the
other commandments in the structure, breaches
the law entire.
Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin?
God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the
law: for I had not known lust, except the law had
said, Thou shalt not covet. (KJV)
The structure of the tenth follows that of the
Two Great Commandments as well as the other
nine commandments all of which are centred
on the love of God.
Matthew 22:36-38 Master, which is the great
37
commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
38
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is
the first and great commandment. (KJV)
God’s System and Authority as Law
God has established His law until the complete
fulfilment of His plan over the entire age and
the resurrections to life and judgment.
Matthew 5:17-32 Think not that I am come to
destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to
18
destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till
heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in
19
no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least
commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be
called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but
whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall
20
be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say
unto you, That except your righteousness shall
exceed the righteousness of the scribes and
Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom
21
of heaven. Ye have heard that it was said by them
of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall
22
kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say
unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother
without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment:
and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall
be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say,
23
Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there
rememberest that thy brother hath ought against
24
thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go
thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then
25
come and offer thy gift.
Agree with thine
adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with
him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the
judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and
26
thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee,
Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou
27
hast paid the uttermost farthing.
Ye have heard
that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not
28
commit adultery:
But I say unto you, That
whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath
29
committed adultery with her already in his heart.
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and
cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one
of thy members should perish, and not that thy
30
whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy
right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from
thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy
members should perish, and not that thy whole body
31
should be cast into hell.
It hath been said,
Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her
32
a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That
whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the
cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery:
and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced
committeth adultery. (KJV)
The entire structure of the law was interpreted
correctly and placed on the Spiritual plane
through Messiah. He gave the law to Moses
and then, as Messiah, gave the understanding
as to how it had to be kept.
Deuteronomy 27:26 Cursed be he that confirmeth
not all the words of this law to do them. And all the
people shall say, Amen. (KJV)
All power is from God, even to that power
conferred on and permitted to Satan and the
Host in the last days. God is not a respecter of
persons as we have seen (Lev. 19:15; Deut.
1:17; 16:19; 2Sam. 14:14; 2Chr. 19:7; Prov.
24:23; 28:21; Rom. 2:11; Eph. 6:9; Col. 3:25;
Jas. 2:1; 2:9; 1Pet. 1:17). God allocates power
and privilege within His plan.
Law and the Tenth Commandment
Monotheism is the system whereby all will is
in subjection to the will of the One True God,
under Jesus Christ whom He sent (Jn. 17:3).
Persecution of God’s people through
envy
Exodus 1:1-14 Now these are the names of the
children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man
2
and his household came with Jacob.
Reuben,
3
Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and
4
5
Benjamin, Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob
were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.
6
And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that
7
generation. And the children of Israel were fruitful,
and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and
waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled
8
with them. Now there arose up a new king over
9
Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto
his people, Behold, the people of the children of
10
Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on,
let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and
it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war,
they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us,
11
and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they
did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with
their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure
12
cities, Pithom and Raamses.
But the more they
afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew.
And they were grieved because of the children of
13
Israel.
And the Egyptians made the children of
14
Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their
lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in
brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all
their service, wherein they made them serve, was
with rigour. (KJV)
Pharaoh and the Egyptians here dealt shrewdly
with Israel. Similarly, by coveting the growth
and well being and fearing the power of God’s
people, the adversary promotes their
destruction. However, the Lord raises up the
deliverance of His people while it is yet far off.
Exodus 2:16-25 Now the priest of Midian had seven
daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled
17
the troughs to water their father's flock. And the
shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses
18
stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
And when they came to Reuel their father, he said,
19
How is it that ye are come so soon to day? And
they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand
of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us,
20
and watered the flock.
And he said unto his
daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have
21
left the man? call him, that he may eat bread. And
Page 3
Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he
22
gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. And she bare
him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he
23
said, I have been a stranger in a strange land. And
it came to pass in process of time, that the king of
Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by
reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry
24
came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And
God heard their groaning, and God remembered his
covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
25
And God looked upon the children of Israel, and
God had respect unto them.
Exodus 3:1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his
father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the
flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the
mountain of God, even to Horeb. (KJV)
God then calls His deliverer for the purpose for
which he has been set aside. God undertakes
the deliverance in His own good time. The
tenth commandment teaches patience and
perseverance in the will of God.
Wills in rebellion
Having a will in rebellion to the Will of the
One True God is Polytheism and rebellion. It is
as the sin of witchcraft. Polytheism merely
seeks to establish wills in opposition to or
external to the will of the One True God. Christ
did the will of the Father in all things (Jn. 6:3840).
God knows what our needs are and all things
are catered for in His plan. Covetousness
strikes at the faith by doubting the adequacy of
the provisions God has set aside for us. The
children of Israel were given manna so that
their bread and water would be sure; which is
His promise to us in the last days in the
wilderness (Ps. 37:25; Isa. 33:16; cf. also Num.
11:1-35).
We are to give thanks in all things – to be
thankful for what the Lord has given us. For in
lust and covetousness is the wrath of God.
Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft (1Sam.
15:23). So too witchcraft and enchantment stem
from the desire to circumvent God’s will.
Observing times and divining times is a desire
to know the future and to determine will in
opposition to the will of God.
Page 4
Deuteronomy 18:10-14 There shall not be found
among you any one that maketh his son or his
daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth
divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter,
11
or a witch,
Or a charmer, or a consulter with
12
familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For
all that do these things are an abomination unto the
LORD: and because of these abominations the
LORD thy God doth drive them out from before
13
thee.
Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy
14
God. For these nations, which thou shalt possess,
hearkened unto observers of times, and unto
diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not
suffered thee so to do. (KJV)
Stargazing and communing with spirits is the
antithesis of faith; and the just shall walk by
faith (Rom. 1:17; 2Cor. 5:7).
The Sabbath as a Sign of God and His
power
God establishes His system according to His
times and His calendar and not according to the
god of this world. That is why the entire
calendar of the world’s system, including the
false calendar of the Hillel system under
Talmudic Judaism, must be overthrown and
returned to the calendar of the Temple period
(cf. Lev. 23:1-44; Num. 15:3; 29:39; 1Chr.
23:31; Ezra 3:5; Neh. 10:33). The Solar
Calendar and the Jewish Hillel Calendar are in
opposition to the Will of God and God has said
that He hates their feasts (Isa. 1:14) because
they have polluted His Feasts.
The entire Sunday-keeping system is based on
pagan theology in opposition to the will of God
and His specific laws given in the fourth
commandment system (cf. Law and the Fourth
Commandment (No. 256)). The entire theology
in defence of Sunday-worship is based on a
perversion of the Scriptures and a distortion of
the creation narrative, which places the Sabbath
rest of God on the seventh day Sabbath. The
first day of the week has no basis in this
narrative, other than as the beginning of the
seven day creation narrative. The mindset of
itself is based on the covetous mindset of the
demons, again in breach of the tenth
commandment.
Covetousness as Breach of the Second
Great Commandment
Law and the Tenth Commandment
Covetousness strikes at the law in a spiritual
fashion and sets the mind on the downward
path to physical sin. We are sons of God and
are meant to worship in Spirit and in truth.
It is written:
Matthew 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (KJV)
Romans 13:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit
adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal,
Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not
covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is
briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (KJV)
The thrust of the law is encapsulated in this
statement: “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself.” How then does the tenth
commandment relate to this concept?
Offences against neighbour
Leviticus 19:13 Thou shalt not defraud thy
neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is
hired shall not abide with thee all night until the
morning. (KJV)
The basic crimes of fraud and theft are, as we
have seen above, physical actions but they are
all based on a thought process that yields to sin.
Sin attacks the fabric of a society and the
freedom of a people.
The strength of a nation rests on the premise of
a free and independent people. Slavery is an
anathema to God’s system and the spirit of
family, which embraces the concept of the sons
of God. Coveting a manservant interferes with
the capacity to administer and observe the law.
A servant who escapes from his master is
deemed to have done so with just cause, and the
servant is not to be returned by those who find
him; rather, he is to be given sustenance in the
place to which he flees.
Deuteronomy 23:15-16 Thou shalt not deliver unto
his master the servant which is escaped from his
16
master unto thee: He shall dwell with thee, even
among you, in that place which he shall choose in
one of thy gates, where it liketh him best: thou shalt
not oppress him. (KJV)
This legislation also goes to the spirit of the
refugee who escapes for just cause in
preservation of his life; it does not simply
condone the idle movement of the populace in
pursuit of better standards of living. Most of the
Law and the Tenth Commandment
people escaping are in dire necessity through
the failure of the nation to observe the laws of
God in the first instance.
Malice
The “eye for an eye” legislation was put in
place to deal with malicious wounding caused
by covetousness and malice.
Leviticus 24:19-20 And if a man cause a blemish in
his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to
20
him;
Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for
tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall
it be done to him again. (KJV)
Christ had much to say about our attitudes to
these offences and our love of our neighbour
and the capacity for forgiveness. Nevertheless,
the law is there to be used under circumstances
which make it appropriate.
Covetousness as Idolatry
The system is on a higher level in the tenth
commandment and that fact is seldom fully
appreciated.
Ephesians 5:5 For this ye know, that no
whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous
man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the
kingdom of Christ and of God. (KJV)
Covetousness is of itself idolatry and precludes
the individual from the kingdom of God.
The structure of the law and the gift of God is
often resented and misapprehended in
covetousness and respect of persons.
Matthew 20:13-16 But he answered one of them, and
said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou
14
agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and
go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto
15
thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with
16
mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many
be called, but few chosen. (KJV)
We all labour for the same wages and we are all
granted salvation, which is the gift of God by
grace. It is the same no matter how long and
hard we labour in the vineyard of the Lord. The
reward is also of talents and cities.
Nevertheless, we are all saved with the blood of
Christ as one price for our labour. Obedience to
God’s Laws does not grant salvation and
eternal life. However, obedience to the
commandments of God and the testimony of
Page 5
Jesus Christ is the method by which we keep
the gift of grace and eternal salvation. We are
not saved by keeping the law. We are not saved
by works. However, we retain our position in
the kingdom according to our obedience to the
commandments of God and the testimony of
Jesus Christ (Rev. 12:17; 14:12) and that is the
fundamental difference between faith and
works which is not understood by mainstream
Sunday-keeping
Christianity,
Rabbinical
Judaism and Hadithic Islam. And we know that
faith without works is dead (Jas. 2:17).
Those who do not glorify God but seek to
elevate themselves or others to His level
through covetousness are fools. Many being
called lose their positions in the kingdom
through this error of thinking (cf. Rom. 1:22;
8:29-30).
Covetousness in society as it affects
the Family
Covetousness must never interfere with the
well being of the family, which is the basis of
the nation.
Exodus 21:3-11 If he came in by himself, he shall
go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife
4
shall go out with him. If his master have given him
a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the
wife and her children shall be her master's, and he
5
shall go out by himself. And if the servant shall
plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my
6
children; I will not go out free: Then his master
shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring
him to the door, or unto the door post; and his
master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he
7
shall serve him for ever. And if a man sell his
daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as
8
the menservants do. If she please not her master,
who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let
her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he
shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully
9
with her. And if he have betrothed her unto his son,
he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.
10
If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment,
11
and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she
go out free without money. (KJV)
The law does not allow any person to be
mistreated by covetousness or neglect. The
mindset that seeks to deny salvation to the
Gentiles so that they can be extorted in usury
and increase arises from a gross perversion of
Page 6
Law and the Tenth Commandment
the laws of God and blasphemy against His
system of love and order. This is apparent,
even to the extent of denying that they are
entitled to have their lives saved in
emergencies such as we saw in Talmudic
Judaism (cf. Law and the Sixth Commandment
(No. 259)). It is the reason the Messiah
condemned the Pharisees and is the reason they
killed him rather than repent. The same evil
mindset gave rise to the attitudes against
Judaism in Islam and the persecutions in
Christianity.
be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead
15
the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
Then
answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us
16
this parable.
And Jesus said, Are ye also yet
17
without understanding? Do not ye yet understand,
that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into
18
the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
But
those things which proceed out of the mouth come
19
forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For
out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders,
adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness,
20
blasphemies: These are the things which defile a
man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a
man. (KJV)
Covetousness in Murder and Adultery
Here we see the power of thought and
covetousness in undermining our spirituality.
All murder springs from anger and lust arising
out of covetousness or envy. This is the basic
lesson of Messiah.
Matthew 5:21-28 Ye have heard that it was said by
them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever
shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I
say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his
brother without a cause shall be in danger of the
judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother,
Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but
whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of
hell fire. 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the
altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath
ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the
altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy
brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 25 Agree
with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the
way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver
thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the
officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26 Verily I say
unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence,
till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. (KJV)
The mindset extends to hatred among one’s
neighbours. The term Raca is left untranslated
in the West because it is not understood. It is
an Aramaic term which means: “spit in your
face.” It is used in bargaining and is a term of
contempt for the terms of trade offered by the
other party (cf. notes to Lamsa’s translation of
the Peshitta version).
It is the terms we use that defile us.
Matthew 15:10-20 And he called the multitude, and
11
said unto them, Hear, and understand:
Not that
which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that
which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
12
Then came his disciples, and said unto him,
Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after
13
they heard this saying? But he answered and said,
Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not
14
planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they
Micah 2:1-2 Woe to them that devise iniquity, and
work evil upon their beds! when the morning is
light, they practise it, because it is in the power of
their hand. 2 And they covet fields, and take them by
violence; and houses, and take them away: so they
oppress a man and his house, even a man and his
heritage. (KJV)
This was given effect by Ahab’s wife Jezebel
(1Kgs. 21:1-29) and also by David with the
wife of Uriah the Hittite (2Sam. 11:1-12:9). In
both cases covetousness led to murder through
false witness and abuse of power and authority
against loyal men. In each case the Lord raised
a prophet to deal with the abuse of power.
The breach of the tenth commandment through
covetousness results in adultery, as seen with
David and Bathsheba.
Matthew 5:27-28 Ye have heard that it was said by
28
them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a
woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with
her already in his heart. (KJV)
This higher law strikes at the preparation of the
mind and the spirit for the role of a son of God.
Covetousness as Theft
Covetousness also leads to theft as seen in
1Kings 21 with Ahab and the field.
Covetousness leads to the breach of the orders
of God and loss of position in the kingdom as
we saw with Achan (Josh. 7:19-21).
The entire structure of the tenth commandment
is the key to the intent and spirit of the law and
is the first commandment to fall when the spirit of
the law is breached. Thus the law proceeds from
Law and the Tenth Commandment
Page 7
God and is upheld by spiritual perfection and
completion in the tenth commandment.
dealing with the law shows us its full intent and
application.
Leviticus 6:1-7 And the LORD spake unto Moses,
2
saying, If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against
the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which
was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a
thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his
3
neighbour; Or have found that which was lost, and
lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all
4
these that a man doeth, sinning therein: Then it
shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that
he shall restore that which he took violently away, or
the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that
which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing
5
which he found, Or all that about which he hath
sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the
principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto,
and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the
6
day of his trespass offering. And he shall bring his
trespass offering unto the LORD, a ram without
blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a
7
trespass offering, unto the priest: And the priest
shall make an atonement for him before the LORD:
and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that
he hath done in trespassing therein. (KJV)
The extension of the term brother to the alien
and the sojourner in the land is seen in the text
of Leviticus 25:35-55. Thus usury and increase
are not to be exacted from anyone in the nation,
including the aliens and sojourners among us.
We have seen in the section Law and the
Eighth Commandment that this text shows a
physical restoration. The text in verses 6 and 7
describes the trespass offering, which then
progresses to the healing of the breach of the
tenth commandment and its effect on the mind
and the spiritual condition.
All sin comes between us and God. The nation
perishes and the people are disqualified from the
covenant and the first resurrection.
Leviticus 20:10-11 And the man that committeth
adultery with another man's wife, even he that
committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the
adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to
11
death. And the man that lieth with his father's wife
hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them
shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be
upon them. (KJV)
This is a severe penalty. Christ showed that it
was the ultimate sanction under the law. He
showed how the handling of this sanction was
to be undertaken when the adulterous woman
was repentant, and he stated that whoever was
without sin let them cast the first stone. We can
only speculate what was happening there.
However, being convicted of its own sins, the
crowd dispersed (Jn. 8:1-11). This method of
We have seen the effects of this legislation in
the Law and the Eighth Commandment. The
entire thrust of this legislation is to show how
the citizenship of Israel was to be a valued
thing, and that no one could be a citizen and
remain idolatrous. The rejection of the notion
that salvation was extended to the Gentiles in
Jesus Christ, was resisted from a fundamental
desire to deny salvation to the nations, and to
acquire their property under unjust terms. This
mindset persists even today.
All of the people who live in the nation are
destined to become sons of God and the nation
is to prepare them for that role. Salvation is of
the Gentiles and all of Israel should be joyous
that this has been allowed.
From the text of Exodus 22:1-15 (cf. Law and
the Eighth Commandment (No. 261)) we saw
the legislation for restoration of loss through
theft. Much of that text deals with losses that
arise as a direct result of a breach of the tenth
commandment and consequent fraud. The text
has also a section dealing with unjust claims at
law. If a person claims ownership of something
and he is not correct, then he is to be fined
double that which he has claimed (Ex. 22:9).
This penalty acts as a deterrent against
attempted acquisition and litigation by false
claims arising from covetousness.
In this text we see also the loss that arises from
covetousness is to be made good under the law,
and false claims in covetousness are penalised.
Here in this text we also go to the concept of
damages in fire and loss through negligence,
arising in damages ensuing from secondary
sources. The concept of due care of property in
charge or in proximity is seen here, and this
also follows to the tenth commandment. Care
of our neighbour’s property flows from love
Page 8
Law and the Tenth Commandment
and concern. Damages often flow from the lusts
and ubiquities of the mind.
Arson arises from a diseased mentality;
nevertheless, loss through arson is recoverable
in damages. Arson is also a theft and is often
simply destruction out of envy or jealousy.
Jealousy stems from the desire to acquire that
which another has, while envy is the desire to
destroy something which another person has
purely because we do not have it. This breach
of the tenth commandment is a serious problem
of mental attitude among a people, and prevents
anyone of that frame of mind from entering the
kingdom of God.
Covetousness leads to theft of lands and
inheritance, of sustenance and livelihood.
Deuteronomy 27:17 Cursed be he that removeth his
neighbour's landmark. And all the people shall say,
Amen. (KJV)
Deuteronomy 19:14 Thou shalt not remove thy
neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have
set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in
the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to
possess it. (KJV)
The Spiritual aspects of the Law entire
The spirit and intent of the law extends to the
preservation of our enemy’s property, as well
as our brother’s. When we extend the Law of
God to the whole world in the Spirit, we have
fulfilled the will of God.
Deuteronomy 22:1-4 Thou shalt not see thy brother's
ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from
them: thou shalt in any case bring them again unto
2
thy brother. And if thy brother be not nigh unto
thee, or if thou know him not, then thou shalt bring it
unto thine own house, and it shall be with thee until
thy brother seek after it, and thou shalt restore it to
3
him again. In like manner shalt thou do with his
ass; and so shalt thou do with his raiment; and with
all lost thing of thy brother's, which he hath lost, and
thou hast found, shalt thou do likewise: thou mayest
4
not hide thyself. Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass
or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from
them: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up
again. (KJV)
We are required to restore all damage that we
see without being asked and are to protect our
neighbour as ourself.
No person is to make profit at the expense of
another, whether by theft or usury, which is
also theft and the desire to profit from another
man’s labour.
Exodus 22:25 If thou lend money to any of my
people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him
as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.
(KJV)
No pledge is to interfere with a man’s comfort,
survival, or welfare; nor is to impinge on his
ability to provide his livelihood.
Exodus 22:26-27 If thou at all take thy neighbour's
raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by
27
that the sun goeth down: For that is his covering
only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he
sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto
me, that I will hear; for I am gracious. (KJV)
A covetous attitude precludes a person with
such an attitude from entering the kingdom of
God, and leads to breach of the other
commandments and, ultimately of the entire
law.

SUMMATION
When God placed Israel in its inheritance it
was commanded to keep His laws, as seen in
Deuteronomy 26. Israel was set up as an
example nation: it was to be the portion of
Yahovah and the focal point of the Plan of
God.
Together with the blessings given by God there
were some symbolic activities, as indicated in
Deuteronomy chapters 11 and 27 (cf. these
texts in Law and the Sixth Commandment (No.
259) and Law and the First Commandment
(No. 253)).
Deuteronomy 11:26-32 "Behold, I set before you
today a blessing and a curse: 27 the blessing, if you
obey the commandments of the LORD your God
which I command you today; 28 and the curse, if you
do not obey the commandments of the LORD your
God, but turn aside from the way which I command
you today, to go after other gods which you have not
known. 29 Now it shall be, when the LORD your
God has brought you into the land which you go to
possess, that you shall put the blessing on Mount
Law and the Tenth Commandment
Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal. 30 Are they
not on the other side of the Jordan, toward the
setting sun, in the land of the Canaanites who dwell
in the plain opposite Gilgal, beside the terebinth
trees of Moreh? 31 For you will cross over the Jordan
and go in to possess the land which the LORD your
God is giving you, and you will possess it and dwell
in it. 32 And you shall be careful to observe all the
statutes and judgments which I set before you today.
(NKJV)
Gerizim was the place of blessings of the
people, who were commanded to say “Amen”
to each blessing. To this day in the month of
Abib, the Samaritans hold the Passover vigil of
the afternoon of the Fourteenth slaughter and
the Fifteenth Night to be Much Observed (as
determined anciently according to the
conjunction of the moon) on Mount Gerizim.
They spend the night in vigil watching, and
only return in the morning to the Holy Day
Passover festivities. They then continue into
the remainder of the Feast – the part termed the
Feast of Unleavened Bread – until the holy Last
Day of Unleavened Bread.
The blessings and the curses in this text were
according to the nature of deeds that might be
done privately; hence the nation was able to
enter its inheritance with an avowal of public
and private morality. The priests and Levites
stood on the valley floor and made
proclamation, which was shouted from both
sides of the mountains by the balance of the
twelve tribes, with six on either side.
The public avowal of the law of God in its
entirety was through the erection of a public
altar. Two great stone tablets were to be erected
in a public place with the entire structure of the
law written on them as a checklist for the entire
nation. Thus all the law of God was to be
publicly declared and publicly maintained in
open affirmation of obedience. The notion of a
private oral tradition – which runs counter to
this public and written structure of law and
justice – is absurd and is an accusation against
our forefathers who were established under the
One True God.
God gave the promise of the law to Israel,
along with the details of the blessings and the
curses of Deuteronomy 28:1-68.
Page 9
God set Israel in the wilderness as an example
to us, and to point towards the coming of the
Messiah and the forty Jubilees in the
wilderness under the Holy Spirit (cf. also Acts
7:1-60). The Holy Spirit was necessary in order
to keep the law properly. The law of God
proceeds from God and is aligned with His
nature. Thus the image of God through the
Holy Spirit is necessary to the keeping of the
Law, which God writes in our hearts and minds
(Jer. 31:31-40).
This Spirit was given at Pentecost in 30 CE.
From 27 CE, God had begun to call the
remnant of His elect, as was spoken of by the
prophets and apostles (cf. Joel 2:28-31).
Acts 2:16-36 but this is what was spoken by the
prophet Joel: 17 'And in the last days it shall be, God
declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions, and your old
men shall dream dreams; 18 yea, and on my
menservants and my maidservants in those days I
will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. 19
And I will show wonders in the heaven above and
signs on the earth beneath, blood, and fire, and
vapor of smoke; 20 the sun shall be turned into
darkness and the moon into blood, before the day of
the Lord comes, the great and manifest day. 21 And it
shall be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord
shall be saved.' 22 "Men of Israel, hear these words:
Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God
with mighty works and wonders and signs which
God did through him in your midst, as you
yourselves know-- 23 this Jesus, delivered up
according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of
God, you crucified and killed by the hands of
lawless men. 24 But God raised him up, having
loosed the pangs of death, because it was not
possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says
concerning him, 'I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26
therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue
rejoiced; moreover my flesh will dwell in hope. 27
For thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let
thy Holy One see corruption. 28 Thou hast made
known to me the ways of life; thou wilt make me full
of gladness with thy presence.' 29 "Brethren, I may
say to you confidently of the patriarch David that he
both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to
this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing
that God had sworn with an oath to him that he
would set one of his descendants upon his throne, 31
he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the
Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did
his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up,
and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore
exalted at the right hand of God, and having
received from the Father the promise of the Holy
Page 10
Spirit, he has poured out this which you see and
hear. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens;
but he himself says, 'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit
at my right hand, 35 till I make thy enemies a stool
for thy feet.' 36 Let all the house of Israel therefore
know assuredly that God has made him both Lord
and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." (RSV)
The last verse of the text in Joel points to the
remnant the Lord shall call and the deliverance
of some from Jerusalem.
Joel 2:32 And it shall come to pass that all who call
upon the name of the LORD shall be delivered; for
in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those
who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the
survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls.
(RSV)
These are those who are called in the covenant
of God; they were established from Sinai, and
continued to Messiah and beyond (Deut. 29).
The scattering of Israel was prophesied from
the beginning, and God said that from this law
their understanding would return. The law
would be written on the hearts and minds of
His people with the Holy Spirit and they would
then be restored.
We note from Deuteronomy 30:1-20 that
from the adoption of the Law Israel is saved
and restored. The curses are then placed upon
the nations which persecuted them in their
dispersion and punishment. The parable of
the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25 comes
from this text.
Matthew 25:31-46 "When the Son of man comes in
his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit
on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be
gathered all the nations, and he will separate them
one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep
from the goats, 33 and he will place the sheep at his
right hand, but the goats at the left. 34 Then the King
will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry
and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave
me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36
I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you
visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' 37
Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did
we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give
thee drink? 38 And when did we see thee a stranger
and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? 39 And
when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit
thee?' 40 And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say
to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my
brethren, you did it to me.' 41 Then he will say to
those at his left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed,
Law and the Tenth Commandment
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a
stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and
you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you
did not visit me.' 44 Then they also will answer,
'Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a
stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not
minister to thee?' 45 Then he will answer them,
'Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the
least of these, you did it not to me.' 46 And they will
go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous
into eternal life." (RSV)
We see in this text a transition from Israel as
the nation of God being persecuted by the
nations of the world, to Israel as the elect of
God being persecuted, and then to the nations
being judged according to their treatment of
Israel. Here we have two witnesses: one is the
physical aspect of Israel as the nation and the
individual tribes within it; the second is that of
Israel as the Church. These two aspects carry
on to the end days.
We see that Moses then spoke to Israel of the
future and taught Israel his Song, together with
the Song of the Glory of the Lord given to him.
These two Songs mark the elect of the Last
Days and the time of the restoration. With the
Lamb a new Song is given to the twenty-four
elders (Rev. 5:9) and that Song is also given to
the 144,000 (Rev. 14:3). Until that time, these
two Songs form the basis of the elect in the
baptism of Messiah (cf. Deut. 31:1-30).
God foresaw all that was to befall the nation.
We are commanded to read the law at the end
of every seventh year of the cycle during the
Feast of Tabernacles or Booths so that the
people do not forget or lose sight of the law or
the fear of their God.
One problem concerning the law of God is that
people attempt to implement only part of it,
discarding the things which are inconvenient or
with which they do not agree. For example, the
Sabbath system was eliminated from the early
days of the Church on the pretext that Christ
had changed the Sabbath to Sunday when not
one shred of evidence supports such a
contention. The entire system of God’s
Calendar was done away in order to placate
pagans and implement their own holy day
systems. The laws governing finance were
Law and the Tenth Commandment
subverted by the wealthy in order to make
slaves of the people and exploit them, in
contravention of the law. The adulterous and
ascetic priests watered down the laws to allow
their own adultery. Israel was completely taken
over by false systems; it is now in captivity to
sin – that is, acting contrary to the laws of God
– and does not even understand the fact. The
entire planet is being destroyed by false
religion, and the law of God is nowhere
implemented or taught. At the instigation of the
Roman Church, the last relatives (the
desposyni) of the Messiah were all killed
systematically, following their call for the
reintroduction of the law to Christianity. These
profound events were foretold in one of the
earliest prophecies given through Moses.
Where possible, this Song of Moses may be
cantillated in the original Hebrew in the
seventh year at the Reading of the Law, and
then explained. The Song of Moses is found in
Deuteronomy 32:1-52 (see also the paper Law
and the First Commandment (No. 253)).
.
The Wilderness of Zin (or Sin) pictures the
desolation of the false system of worship
identified by the keeping of Sunday, the
festival of Ishtar or Easter, and worship of a
triune deity. We have been in that wilderness
continually over the last two thousand years.
Soon Messiah will return to deal with Israel
and the nations. We will then be placed in our
inheritance, both inside and outside of Israel.
There will be a new Exodus, and the first one will
no longer be brought to mind.
Isaiah 66:1-24 Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is my
throne and the earth is my footstool; what is the
house which you would build for me, and what is the
place of my rest? 2 All these things my hand has
made, and so all these things are mine, says the
LORD. But this is the man to whom I will look, he
that is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at
my word. 3 "He who slaughters an ox is like him
who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, like him
who breaks a dog's neck; he who presents a cereal
offering, like him who offers swine's blood; he who
makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like him
who blesses an idol. These have chosen their own
ways, and their soul delights in their abominations; 4
I also will choose affliction for them, and bring their
fears upon them; because, when I called, no one
answered, when I spoke they did not listen; but they
did what was evil in my eyes, and chose that in
Page 11
which I did not delight." 5 Hear the word of the
LORD, you who tremble at his word: "Your brethren
who hate you and cast you out for my name's sake
have said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, that we may
see your joy'; but it is they who shall be put to
shame. 6 "Hark, an uproar from the city! A voice
from the temple! The voice of the LORD, rendering
recompense to his enemies! 7 "Before she was in
labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her
she was delivered of a son. 8 Who has heard such a
thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be
born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in
one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she
brought forth her sons. 9 Shall I bring to the birth and
not cause to bring forth? says the LORD; shall I,
who cause to bring forth, shut the womb? says your
God. 10 "Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her,
all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you
who mourn over her; 11 that you may suck and be
satisfied with her consoling breasts; that you may
drink deeply with delight from the abundance of her
glory." 12 For thus says the LORD: "Behold, I will
extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth
of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you
shall suck, you shall be carried upon her hip, and
dandled upon her knees. 13 As one whom his mother
comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be
comforted in Jerusalem. 14 You shall see, and your
heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the
grass; and it shall be known that the hand of the
LORD is with his servants, and his indignation is
against his enemies. 15 "For behold, the LORD will
come in fire, and his chariots like the stormwind, to
render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames
of fire. 16 For by fire will the LORD execute
judgment, and by his sword, upon all flesh; and
those slain by the LORD shall be many. 17 "Those
who sanctify and purify themselves to go into the
gardens, following one in the midst, eating swine's
flesh and the abomination and mice, shall come to an
end together, says the LORD. 18 "For I know their
works and their thoughts, and I am coming to gather
all nations and tongues; and they shall come and
shall see my glory, 19 and I will set a sign among
them. And from them I will send survivors to the
nations, to Tarshish, Put, and Lud, who draw the
bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off,
that have not heard my fame or seen my glory; and
they shall declare my glory among the nations. 20
And they shall bring all your brethren from all the
nations as an offering to the LORD, upon horses,
and in chariots, and in litters, and upon mules, and
upon dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem,
says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their
cereal offering in a clean vessel to the house of the
LORD. 21 And some of them also I will take for
priests and for Levites, says the LORD. 22 "For as
the new heavens and the new earth which I will
make shall remain before me, says the LORD; so
shall your descendants and your name remain. 23
From new moon to new moon, and from sabbath to
sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me,
says the LORD. 24 "And they shall go forth and look
Page 12
on the dead bodies of the men that have rebelled
against me; for their worm shall not die, their fire
shall not be quenched, and they shall be an
abhorrence to all flesh." (RSV)
The Lord will establish His system, and His
Sabbaths and New Moons, and all people will
keep His Feasts. All nations will send their
representatives to these Feasts in Jerusalem or
they will receive no rain in due season; they
will also be given the plagues of Egypt.
Zechariah 14:16-21 Then every one that survives of
all the nations that have come against Jerusalem
shall go up year after year to worship the King, the
LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of booths. 17
And if any of the families of the earth do not go up
to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of
hosts, there will be no rain upon them. 18 And if the
family of Egypt do not go up and present
themselves, then upon them shall come the plague
with which the LORD afflicts the nations that do not
go up to keep the feast of booths. 19 This shall be the
punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the
nations that do not go up to keep the feast of booths.
20
And on that day there shall be inscribed on the
bells of the horses, "Holy to the LORD." And the
pots in the house of the LORD shall be as the bowls
before the altar; 21 and every pot in Jerusalem and
Judah shall be sacred to the LORD of hosts, so that
all who sacrifice may come and take of them and
boil the flesh of the sacrifice in them. And there
shall no longer be a trader in the house of the LORD
of hosts on that day. (RSV)
The sacrifice will be re-established at
Jerusalem, but it will only be the morning
sacrifice. We will already have been given
eternal life and the First Resurrection –
represented by the evening sacrifice – will be
past. Obedience will be given to the laws of
God and Messiah or the nations will die by
starvation. We will explain the Law and the
Testimony, and all nations will know the way
of God for a thousand years. Then the rest of
the dead will be resurrected and corrected in
the judgment of correction or crisis.
Revelation 20:4-15 Then I saw thrones, and seated
on them were those to whom judgment was
committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had
been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for
the word of God, and who had not worshiped the
beast or its image and had not received its mark on
their foreheads or their hands. They came to life, and
reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 The rest of
the dead did not come to life until the thousand years
were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed
and holy is he who shares in the first resurrection!
Over such the second death has no power, but they
shall be priests of God and of Christ, and they shall
reign with him a thousand years. 7 And when the
Law and the Tenth Commandment
thousand years are ended, Satan will be loosed from
his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations
which are at the four corners of the earth, that is,
Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their
number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they
marched up over the broad earth and surrounded the
camp of the saints and the beloved city; but fire
came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and
the devil who had deceived them was thrown into
the lake of fire and sulphur where the beast and the
false prophet were, and they will be tormented day
and night for ever and ever. 11 Then I saw a great
white throne and him who sat upon it; from his
presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was
found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and
small, standing before the throne, and books were
opened. Also another book was opened, which is the
book of life. And the dead were judged by what was
written in the books, by what they had done. 13 And
the sea gave up the dead in it, Death and Hades gave
up the dead in them, and all were judged by what
they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were
thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death,
the lake of fire; 15 and if any one's name was not
found written in the book of life, he was thrown into
the lake of fire. (RSV)
This is the end of the Law and the Prophets: all
men should reach salvation and see God.
Moses and the prophets were until Messiah
(Deut. 34), and the Law was then written in the
hearts of the elect. Each was tried under
persecution, and drawn out over forty Jubilees,
represented by the forty years in the wilderness
or the last forty years of Moses’ life.
Messiah was with Israel in the wilderness, then
and now.
1Corinthians 10:1-24 I want you to know, brethren,
that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all
passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into
Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the
same supernatural food 4 and all drank the same
supernatural drink. For they drank from the
supernatural Rock which followed them, and the
Rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless with most of them
God was not pleased; for they were overthrown in
the wilderness. 6 Now these things are warnings for
us, not to desire evil as they did. 7 Do not be
idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, "The
people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to
dance." 8 We must not indulge in immorality as
some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in
a single day. 9 We must not put the Lord to the test,
as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents;
10
nor grumble, as some of them did and were
destroyed by the Destroyer. 11 Now these things
happened to them as a warning, but they were
written down for our instruction, upon whom the end
of the ages has come. 12 Therefore let any one who
thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No
Law and the Tenth Commandment
temptation has overtaken you that is not common to
man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be
tempted beyond your strength, but with the
temptation will also provide the way of escape, that
you may be able to endure it. 14 Therefore, my
beloved, shun the worship of idols. 15 I speak as to
sensible men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The
cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a
participation in the blood of Christ? The bread
which we break, is it not a participation in the body
of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are
many are one body, for we all partake of the one
bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel; are not those
who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar? 19 What
do I imply then? That food offered to idols is
anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply
that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and
not to God. I do not want you to be partners with
demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and
the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table
of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Shall we
provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than
he? 23 "All things are lawful," but not all things are
helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things
build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the
good of his neighbor. (RSV)
We are to seek God’s help always, and we are
to treat others as we wish to be treated.
Matthew 7:7-12 "Ask, and it will be given you;
seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened
to you. 8 For every one who asks receives, and he
who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be
opened. 9 Or what man of you, if his son asks him
for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for
a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who
are evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will your Father who is in
heaven give good things to those who ask him! 12 So
whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so
to them; for this is the law and the prophets. (RSV)
The end of the whole Law is this:
You shall love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your might and with
all your spirit, and you shall love your
neighbour as yourself. On these precepts
hang all the Law and the Prophets. AMEN.
Page 13