We all know that discipline of unrighteous members should be carried out within the body of Christ.  There are certain things that a man may do which not only make him repugnant to God but also would corrupt the body of Christ, the church.

Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person (1 Cor. 5:10-13).

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 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 (Eph. 5:3-5).

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away (2 Tim. 3:1-5).

Examples from scripture show how covetousness affects the work and ultimately the destiny of specific men and women.  We have studied these accounts to find out how we compare and how we can avoid being caught up in the same traps.

EXAMPLES WE HAVE STUDIED

1. Eve, in desiring the forbidden fruit
2. Lot, in choosing the plain of the Jordan
3. Laban
   • In giving Rebekah to be Isaac’s wife
   • In deceiving Jacob when he served him seven years for Rachel
   • In deceiving Jacob in his wages
4. Esau
   • Coveted food
   • Gave away his birthright
5. Pharaoh and the Egyptians
   • Coveted slaves (human bodies to serve them)
   • Coveted their property during the famine
6. Ahab covets the vineyard of Naboth
7. Gehazi, the servant of Elisha coveted clothing and money (2 Kings 5)
8. Ahaz in coveting an altar of a heathen (conquered) nation (2 Kings 16:9-20)
   • Required Urijah to build one like it before the temple in Jerusalem
   • Worshipped at the new altar every evening
9. Balaam, in loving the wages of unrighteousness
10. Achan, in hiding the treasure
11. Eli’s sons, in taking the flesh of the sacrifice, and Samuel’s sons, in taking bribes
12. Saul, in sparing, Agag and the booty
13. David coveted Bathsheba

DIFFERENT WORDS USED FOR COVETOUSNESS:

OT:2530 chamad (khaw-mad’); a primitive root; to delight in: KJV – beauty, greatly beloved, covet, delectable thing, (X great) delight, desire, goodly, lust, (be) pleasant (thing), precious (thing).

OT:183 ‘avah (aw-vaw’); a primitive root; to wish for: KJV – covet, (greatly) desire, be desirous, long, lust (after).

NT:1937 epithumeo (ep-ee-thoo-meh’-o); from NT:1909 and NT:2372; to set the heart upon, i.e. long for (rightfully or otherwise):KJV – covet, desire, would fain, lust (after).

NT:2206 zeloo (dzay-lo’-o) or zeleuo (dzay-loo’-o); from NT:2205; to have warmth of feeling for or against: KJV – affect, covet (earnestly), (have) desire, (move with) envy, be jealous over, (be) zealous (-ly affect)

GREEK DICTIONARY DEFINITION:

pleonexia (pleh-on-ex-ee’-ah); from NT:4123; avarice, i.e. (by implication) fraudulency, extortion: covetous (-ness) practices, greediness.

beauty, greatly beloved, covet, delectable thing, (X great) delight, desire, goodly, lust, (be) pleasant (thing), precious (thing).

ENGLISH DICTIONARY DEFINITION:

cov•et “k€-v€t verb [ME coveiten, fr. OF coveitier, fr. coveitié desire, modif. of L cupiditat-, cupiditas, fr. cupidus desirous, fr. cupere to desire] (14c)

verb transitive

1 : to wish for enviously

2 : to desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably

verb intransitive

: to feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another

: to wish for enviously

: to desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably

verb intransitive: to feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another syn see desire

cov•et•ous  adjective

1 : marked by inordinate desire for wealth or possessions or for another’s possessions

2 : having a craving for possession <covetous of power>

Synonyms

covetous, greedy, acquisitive, grasping, avaricious mean having or showing a strong desire for esp. material possessions.

covetous implies inordinate desire often for another’s possessions <covetous of his brother’s country estate>.

greedy stresses lack of restraint and often of discrimination in desire <greedy for status symbols>.

acquisitive implies both eagerness to possess and ability to acquire and keep <an eagerly acquisitive mind>.

grasping adds to covetous and greedy an implication of selfishness and often suggests unfair or ruthless means <a hard grasping trader who cheated the natives>.

avaricious implies obsessive acquisitiveness esp. of money and strongly suggests stinginess <an avaricious miser>.