The Sin of Greed
Learn about the pitfalls of a heart filled with greed.
THE word covetousness is mentioned throughout both the Old and New Testaments. It is an archaic word used to express an intense desire to possess something; to lust after; greed. I will use the words greed, covet, lust, and desire interchangeably to bring clarity to this text. David referred to the word in a positive light in Psalms 42 and 63. He speaks passionately of his soul longing, thirsting, and desiring the presence of God.
Conversely, the soul can long for things that lead to death. For example, Esau coveted his brother’s lentils and sold his birthright in exchange for a meal. As a result, little good is said about Esau. Eve saw that the fruit was good to the eyes and pleasant to eat, and she coveted that which was forbidden, ate it, and then gave it to her husband. As a result, all of humanity plunged into spiritual separation from our Creator.
Before Israel went into Babylonian captivity, the spirit of greed permeated the nation, even among the clergy. “For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely” (Jeremiah 8:15). With greed come treachery, deceit, lies, cruelty, connivance, and some of the lowest forms of human expression known to man.
Six other men in the Scriptures were guilty of the sin of covetousness or greed. Balaam, the mad prophet, coveted the huge bounty offered him by King Balak to curse Israel. Slain under Joshua’s leadership, this once-genuine Gentile prophet died a warlock. Out of disobedience, Achan took items from Jericho, which caused Israel a great military loss, and he perished along with his entire family (Joshua 7). Gehazi lied to Naaman, who had been healed of leprosy, to retrieve the generous offering that his mentor, Elisha, refused, and he became a leper himself (II Kings 5). The rich young ruler missed his opportunity to gain both earthly and heavenly riches in addition to eternal life by holding on to that which the Lord demanded that he give away (Matthew 19:16-30). Demas, who possessed a secret love for this world, forsook Apostle Paul in the thick of ministry. Was he next in line to receive the mantle? (Typically, covetousness (lust) is the sin that pulls backsliders back into the world.) Finally, yet most significantly, the Lord’s treasurer, Judas Iscariot, abandoned his discipleship and betrayed the Lord for 30 pieces of silver.
Each of these Bible characters (and there are others) missed the glory of God by lusting after that which was tainted, sacred, or forbidden. Hence, this issue of lusting for things is no flimsy matter. When Moses cried for help in the wilderness, the Lord gave this criterion: “Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens” (Exodus 18:21). This group of men, who would later become elders, were to hate covetousness. Hate is a powerful emotion! We are to hate the essence of greed and unlawful desires and nail them to the cross, lest we find ourselves pursuing a temporal, earthly glory while forfeiting an eternal one. Let us take the admonishment of St. Luke 12:15 seriously. “And he said unto them, ‘Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.’”
These thoughts are taken from “13 Ways to the Glory” by Apostle Toni Pugh. Available on amazon.com in audio, ebook, paperback and hardback. Available for FREE with Kindle Unlimited.
Originally Posted: June 3, 2023
