COVETOUSNESS *** To be Covetous 1. Excessively and culpably desirous; avaricious; greedy *** COVETOUSNESS ABHORRED BY GOD PSA 10:3 For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire, and bless the covetous, whom the Lord abhorrs. AVOID THOSE GUILTY OF COVETOUSNESS 1CO 5:11 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. BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS LUK 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses. COVETOUSNESS, A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE SLOTHFUL PRO 21:26 He covets greedily all the day long: but the righteous gives and spars not. COVETOUSNESS, A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE WICKED PRO 1:29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: COVETOUSNESS COMES FROM THE HEART MAR 7:22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: MAR 7:23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. COVETOUSNESS COMMENDED BY THE WICKED ALONE PSA 10:3 For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire, and bless the covetous, whom the Lord abhors. COVETOUSNESS ENGROSSES THE HEART EZE 33:31 And they come unto you as the people cometh, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear you words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goes after their covetousness. 2PE 2:14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: COVETOUSNESS EXCLUDES FROM HEAVEN 1CO 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. EPH 5:5 For this you know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of The Messiah and of God. COVETOUSNESS FORBIDDEN EXO 20:17 You will not covet you neighbor's house, you will not covet you neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is you neighbor's. COVETOUSNESS HATED BY SAINTS EXO 18:21 Moreover you will 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: ACT 20:33 I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. COVETOUSNESS IS IDOLOTRY EPH 5:5 For this you know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of The Messiah and of God. COL 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: IS NEVER SATISFIED ECC 5:10 He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loves abundance with increase: this is also vanity. HAB 2:5 Yes also, because he transgresses by wine, he is a proud man, neither keeps at home, who enlarge his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathers unto him all nations, and heaps unto him all people: COVETOUSNESS IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL 1TI 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. COVETOUSNESS IS VANITY PSA 39:6 Surely every man walks in a vain show: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heaps up riches, and knows not who shall gather them. ECC 4:8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labor; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labor, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. COVETOUSNESS IS INCONSISTENT IN MINISTERS 1TI 3:3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; COVETOUSNESS IS INCONSISTENT IN SAINTS EPH 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as become saints; HEB 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. COVETOUSNESS LEADS TO DEPARTURE FROM FAITH 1TI 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. COVETOUSNESS LEADS TO DOMESTIC AFFLICTION PRO 15:27 He that is greedy of gain troubles his own house; but he that hats gifts shall live. COVETOUSNESS LEADS TO FOOLISH AND HURTFUL LUSTS 1TI 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. COVETOUSNESS LEADS TO INJUSTICE AND OPPRESSION PRO 28:20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that makes haste to be rich shall not be innocent. MIC 2:2 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. COVETOUSNESS LEADS TO LYING 2KI 5:22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments. 2KI 5:23 And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him. 2KI 5:24 And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed. 2KI 5:25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comes thou, Gehazi? And he said, you servant went no whither. COVETOUSNESS LEADS TO MISERY 1TI 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. COVETOUSNESS LEADS TO MURDER PRO 1:18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privatly for their own lives. PRO 1:19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which takes away the life of the owners thereof. COVETOUSNESS LEADS TO POVERTY PRO 28:22 He that has to be rich hath an evil eye, and considers not that poverty shall come upon him. COVETOUSNESS LEADS TO THEFT JOS 7:21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. PRAY AGAINST COVETOUSNESS PSA 119:36 Incline my heart unto you testimonies, and not to covetousness. PUNISHMENT OF COVETOUSNESS JOB 20:15 He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly. ISA 57:17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on forwardly in the way of his heart. JER 22:17 But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for you covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it. JER 22:18 Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory! JER 22:19 He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem. MIC 2:2 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. MIC 2:3 Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil, from which you shall not remove your necks; neither shall you go haughtily: for this time is evil. REWARD OF THOSE WHO HATE COVETOUSNESS PRO 28:16 The prince that wants understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hats covetousness shall prolong his days. COVETOUSNESS SHALL ABOUND IN THE LAST DAYS 2TI 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 2PE 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privately shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2PE 2:2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 2PE 2:3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingers not, and their damnation slumbers not. WOE DENOUNCED AGAINST COVETOUSNESS ISA 5:8 Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth! HAB 2:9 Woe to him that covets an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!