| (Copyright 06-02-24) by Gary C. Miller (Pocahontas, Arkansas) |
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| The “Silent” Sin Seldom Discussed, that will Keep us Out of the Kingdom If you listed sins that block a person from entering Yahweh’s Kingdom, it would likely include obvious capital crimes such as murder, extortion, profaning Yahweh’s name and breaking Sabbaths. But maybe left off that list, is one we may not suspect belongs there. Yahweh’s tally includes that one, a major sin, and another one it causes. There is a reason why neither is talked about much; or at least not enough. THE MASTER DECEPTION How does this major sin and its “sidekick” stay “hidden” when in fact they are in plain sight…if we know what to look for? A clever ploy keeps them undercover. So, what is that master deception? Simply this, just never mention them. Ignore them. Never discuss them. Talk about everything but those truths; what can be called “The Deception of Silence.” HERE ARE THOSE TWO PARTNERS IN CRIME Those two “silent” partner sins are coveting and the love of money. Notice how these are connected: “For the love of money is A root of all evil: which while some coveted after, have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (I Tim. 6:10). Coveting money is A root of evil! Coveting is the real culprit and its target here is money [silver]. That is why Paul uses “A root”, because love of money is just one result of covetousness. This word translated “love of money or money loving” is translated “covetous” in Lk. 16:14 and 2 Tim. 3:2 [KJV]; “lovers of money” [RSV]. Luke’s record tells a lot about the Pharisees; one of their main problems. And Paul’s advice to Timothy is a real head’s-up of why perilous times will come in the last days: love of money, avarice: coveting! Lexicons often list “avarice” with love of money.1 So what is it? Avarice is “an insatiable greed for riches; inordinate, miserly desire to gain and hoard wealth.”3 Remember avarice is a sin…coveting riches; A root of all evils, and wealth can mean lots of things…. not just money. Why The Silence? Would we not expect to see warnings about sins affecting our eternal destiny, like coveting and love of money, on the Internet 24-7, and heard from pulpits around the world? Of course, but they are not as often as we might think. That seems odd at first, but then you realize the popular prosperity gospel focuses on riches: “God wants you to be rich.” Coveting riches and wealth become the religious mantra so often that consciences become callused; no guilt feelings about it. Confessing it, of course, goes against our human nature, and the greater the sin, the harder we try to hide it. Just like Adam and Eve tried hiding their sins, carnal human nature tries covering up its own covetous love of money and things. In our materialistic culture of getting more, and making good money, we may be drawn in to think the way others do “…supposing that gain is godliness…” (I Tim. 6:5; gain = acquisition, furnishings…)4. But there is hope in this struggle if we successfully heed Paul’s advice, “But you, O man of Yahweh, flee these things; and follow after righteousness…” (I Tim. 6:11). When coveting appears, run the other way. Yahshua put it in proper perspective with a caution and a basic life truth: “…Take heed and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consists not in the abundance of things which he possesses.” (Lk. 12:15). COVETING New Testament (23 times) Coveting (Sec 4123) and covetousness (Sec 4124) in the New Testament means one who is a “more haver” [Concordant NT]; “one eager to have more; greedy for gain, greedy desire to have more”2;translated “greediness” in Eph. 4:19. Besides lexical definitions, the Bible tells us, “…covetousness…is idolatry.” (Col. 3:5). And knowing that idolatry is sin (Ex. 20:4,5), covetousness is so severe that “…no… covetous man…has any inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and of Yahweh….” (Eph. 5:5; I Cor. 6:10). Missing in normal conversation, who might have guessed coveting is as evil as idolatry, thievery, adultery, extortion, (I Cor. 5:9,10)? Paul follows with this caution: “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things comes the wrath of Yahweh upon the children of disobedience.” (Eph. 5:8). When discussing what we say, Yahshua informs us: “…out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts… murders…covetousness…pride… these evil things.” (Mk. 7:21-23). There it is again. Known by the Company You Keep Since we are influenced by our friends, we are instructed, “…not to company…with the covetous or extortioners, or with idolaters…not…to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be…covetous or idolater, or railer…” (I Cor. 5:9-11; also 2 Thess. 3:14). And notice: “…with such an one no not to eat. “ (v. 11). Shocking. “…have no fellowship with the…works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” (Eph. 5:11). So, we use these standards, without compromise, when choosing our friends. Subtility of Covetousness The love of money is the root of innumerable evils, but coveting in general is often more difficult to see and admit. Subtle and pervasive it applies to anything. We must constantly check for that point where we may be stepping over the line to coveting, greedy for excess, having too much; well beyond enough, to unjustified, or wasteful. Like eating, not out of hunger, but comfort-eating, or out of habit. Or getting so many “wants” they soon lose any real meaning and are tossed aside with little desire or time to take care of them. The Most Common Has Many Branches But by far the most common and difficult to shake, is the consuming “busy-ness” of “…the cares of this world…and lusts of other things…” (Mk.4:19). The “…cares and riches and pleasures of this life…” (Lk. 8:14; 21:34) draw us in different directions, to never being satisfied, constantly wanting, or surrounding ourselves with more. The real question becomes, “Do we own things, or do they own us?” (Lk.12:15). One can covet [lust for] riches, revenge, power (Mk. 10:42), the limelight (Matt. 23:6), drawing away disciples from the church [Acts 20:30], food, approval, clothes, to equal or surpass others [sports; Gal. 5:20]. The list is endless. The pages of history are filled with every imaginable human misery, all from coveting: too much, too often, not enough, ruthless ambition, seeking ways to take advantage of others.5 Old Testament (16 times) The Old Testament too makes the case. The Hebrew word translated covetousness (Sec. 1215) refers to: greedy getter, robber, unjust gain, profit; BDB, p. 130). And a major prophet lays it out plainly that it is a sin: “For the iniquity of covetousness I [Yahweh] was wroth…” (Isa. 56:17). It even affects longevity: “…he that hates covetousness shall prolong his days.” (Prv. 28:16). And Yahweh says in choosing rulers “… you shall provide…able men, such as fear Elohim, men of truth, hating covetousness…to be rulers…and let them judge the people…” (Ex. 18:21-22). Rulers can do a lot of good or if they covet, do a lot of evil. King David understood the dangers, “Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to covetousness. “ (Psa. 119:36). Jeremiah gave Yahweh’s assessment of that day…and ours: “For from the least of them even to the greatest…every one is given to covetousness.” (Jer. 6:13)6. What an accurate description of this era of big government, big religion, big tech, and out-of-control egos. Getters, Not Givers Covetous people are not Givers. They are Getters. It is not surprising, then that a covetous person will invariably be stingy, tight, as Proverbs tells us “The stingy person [miserly, very covetous] hastens after riches …” (Prv. 28:22-24; Prv. 23:6-8; RSV). “Hastens after riches”, not hastens to give and help others. Solomon advised (like Paul; I Cor. 5:11), “Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy.” (Prv. 23:6-8; RSV). Is the food tainted by one of that character…maybe makes it unclean (Mk. 7:21; defile = unclean)? Cares and Deceitfulness of Riches The grip of coveting riches can blind us to the fact that, “…you cannot serve Yahweh and mammon (Matt. 6:24: Sec. 3126: “riches”; “treasure”). Serving riches deceives a person to believe riches mean holiness (again, I Tim. 6:5); causing one to think they are better than others; “holier than thou” (Isa. 65:5). In the struggle to overcome these pulls, we must push forward, growing in grace and Yahshua’s knowledge (2 Pet. 3:18), whose truth makes us free and productive. “He…that received seed among the thorns is he that hears the word; but the care of this world, and deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.” (Matt. 13:22). We do not want to be one of those unfruitful. When all is said and done, we cannot avoid the reality we must eventually face is, “…what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:26). There is nothing, except, thankfully, Yahshua’s sacrifice. What is Most Important to Us? A wealthy, successful, young man once asked Yahshua what he must do to inherit eternal life. When he learned his giving to the poor was seriously lacking, and that he must go sell all his goods and distribute to the poor, he went away sorrowful. Why? He had great possessions (Matt. 19:21-22). Yahshua observing the man’s reaction, said, “…verily I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 19:23). Repeating, “And again I say to you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Yahweh.” (v. 24). “For strait [difficult] is the gate and narrow is the way, which leads to life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt. 7:14). Unrepentant covetousness makes that gate and way to life impossible to find. Who would have thought? REFERENCES Love of money is given as “fond of silver; avarice” (Sec. 5365 which is from 5366, a combination of 5384: “dear friend” and 696: “silver”; “love of money, avarice”; Thayer’s Gr.-Eng. Lexicon of the NT; p. 653; “fond of money, avarice, miserliness, avaricious”: Bauer-Arndt-Gingrich, Gr.-Eng. Lexicon of the NT; p. 866; “fond of money, literally “money loving”: Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of OT and NT Words, p. 136). Thayer’s Gr-Eng, NT Lexicon, p. 516; Vines’s Complete Word Study NT, p. 136. Random House Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language. “gain” (Sec 4200) see Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and Thayer’s Gr.-Eng. Lexicon of the NT, p. 531. Coveting: Mk. 7:22; Lk. 12:15; Rom. 1:29: 2 Cor.9:5; Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5; 1 Thes.2:5; Heb. 13:5. Covetousness: see also Psa. 10:3; Jer. 8:10; Ezk. 33:31; Hab. 2:9. NOTES Matt. 13:22: He also that received seed among the thorns is he that hears the word; but the care of this world, and deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. Matt. 6:31: …take no anxious thought, saying what shall we eat? …or wherewithal shall we be clothed v. 32: For after all these things do the Gentiles seek… v. 33: But seek you first the kingdom of Yahweh, and His righteousness, and ALL these things will be added to you. and place such OT: Sec. 1214: greedy (Prv. 1:11, “If sinners entice you, consent not…v. 18: they lay wait for their own blood…v. 19 COVETOUSNESS (Sec. 1215 from root 1214: “cut of, break off, gain by violence…GREEDY GETTER, robber; BDB, p. 130. SCRIPTURES: Ex. 28:21; Ps. 119:36; Pr. 28:15; Isa. 57:17: Jer. 6:13;8;10;22;17;51;13; Ezk. 33:31; Hab. 2:9) 1215: gain made by violence, unjust gain, PROFIT; more generally unjust gain; BDB. p. 130 ) Gesenius p. 134: (1). rapine [rap’n: to plunder, gain by violent taking of another’s property], prey (on); (2). unjust gain whatever, whether acquired from bribes or by other frauds.; (3). ANY GAIN;“. Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters (stubborness is as iniquity and idolatry: ??? ), nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind (homosexuals: NAS), Nor thieves (have robbed me in tithes and offerings) nor COVETOUS, nor drunkards, or reviler, nor extortioners, shall inherit the Kings of Yahweh.. (Eph. 5:3-5,11). MORE-HAVER: Concordant NT; COVETOUS Sec 4123: one eager to have more; greedy for gain; 4124: greedy desire to have more, covetousness, avarice; translated “GREEDINESS” in Eph. 4:19), COVETOUS (Sec 4123: one eager to have more; greedy of gain:; Thayer, p. 516; VINE’S CWStud NT;, p. 136); GREEDY OF GAIN (. So are the ways of everyone that is greedy of gain Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting v. 5: For this you know that no whoremonger (pimp), nor unclean person, nor COVETOUS man, who is an idolater, HAS ANY INHERITANCE IN THE KINGDOM OF THE MESSIAH AND OF YAHWEH.” v. 11: And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. COVETOUSNESS (Sec. 4124: “Greedy desire to have more, covetousness, avarice; (Mk. 7:22; Lk. 12:15; Rom. 1:29: 2 Cor.9:5; Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5; 1 Thes.2:5; Heb. 13:5; 2 Pet. 2:3,14. Col. 3:5: “…covetousness [“more having’; Con. NT] which is idolatry.” I Sam. 15:23: “For rebellion is as the sin or witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry… I COR. 5:9, 10: “…not to company with fornicators…or with the COVETOUS or extortioners, or with idolaters… v. 11: Not to keep company if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or COVETOUS or idolater, or railer I COR. 6:9, 10: Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of Yahweh Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters (stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry: ??? ), nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind (homosexuals: NAS), Nor thieves (have robbed me in tithes and offerings) nor COVETOUS, nor drunkards, or reviler, nor extortioners, shall inherit the Kings of Yahweh.. [hp10,11: COVETOUS (4123) MAN ;6:9,10) DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES: MAMMON: MATT. 6:24: cannot serve Yahweh and mammon (3126: “riches”; “treasure”) MATT. 16: 26: For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and loses his own soul. or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” MATT. 19:23: “…verily I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. v.24: And again I say to you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Yahweh Matt. 13:22: He also that received seed among the thorns is he that hears the word; but the cares of this world, and deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. Matt. 6:31: …take no anxious thought, saying what shall we eat? …or wherewithal shall we be clothed v. 32: For after all these things do the Gentiles seek… v. 33: But seek you first the kingdom of Yahweh, and His righteousness, and ALL these things will be added to you. What brings evil? TIM. 6:5: Perverse disputings men of corrupt minds, destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw yourself. v.6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.” GAIN (4200): “a. acquistion, gain; b. a source of gain; (Thayer, p. 531); MORE-HAVER… (SEC): furnishing, procuring; money-getting; acquisition (Sec 4200; Thayer, p. 531) I Tim. 6:10-14 v. 10: “For the LOVE OF MONEY is A root of ALL evil: which while some COVETED after, have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. v. 11: But you, O man of Yahweh, FLEE THESE THINGS; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and meekness. v. 12: Fight the good fight of faith,, lay hold on eternal life v.13: I charge you in the sight of Yahweh,…and Messiah Yahshua…(v.14) that you keep this commandment (v. 14) v. 16: Who only has immortality…… v. 17: …trust not in uncertain riches DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES: MAMMON: MATT. 6:24: cannot serve Yahweh and mammon (3126: “riches”; “treasure”) MATT. 16: 26: For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and loses his own soul. or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” MATT. 19:23: “…verily I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. v.24: And again I say to you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Yahweh Matt. 13:22: He also that received seed among the thorns is he that hears the word; but the care of this world, and deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. Matt. 6:31: …take no anxious thought, saying what shall we eat? …or wherewithal shall we be clothed v. 32: For after all these things do the Gentiles seek… v. 33: But seek you first the kingdom of Yahweh, and His righteousness, and ALL these things will be added to you. EPH. 5:3-5,11: But fornication, all uncleanness, or COVETOUSNESS (MORE-HAVER: Concordant NT; COVETOUSSec 4123: one eager to have more; greedy for gain; 4124: greedy desire to have more, covetousness, avarice; translated “GREEDINESS” in Eph. 4:19), Let it not be once named among you as becomes saints; COVETOUS (Sec 4123: one eager to have more; greedy of gain:; Thayer, p. 516; VINE’S CWStud NT;, p. 136); GREEDY OF GAIN (So are the ways of everyone that is greedy of gain Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting v. 5: For this you know that no whoremonger (pimp), nor unclean person, nor COVETOUS man, who is an idolater, HAS ANY INHERITANCE IN THE KINGDOM OF THE MESSIAH AND OF YAHWEH.” v. 11: And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. COVETOUSNESS (Sec. 4124: “Greedy desire to have more, covetousness, avarice; (Mk. 7:22; Lk. 12:15; Rom. 1:29: 2 Cor.9:5; Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5; 1 Thes.2:5; Heb. 13:5; 2 Pet. 2:3,14. Col. 3:5: “…covetousness [“more having’; Con. NT] which is idolatry.” I Sam. 15:23: “For rebellion is as the sin or witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry… I COR. 5:9, 10: “…not to company with fornicators…or with the COVETOUS or extorioners, or with idolaters… v. 11: Not to keep company if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or COVETOUS or idolater, or railer I COR. 6:9, 10: Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of Yahweh Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters (stubborness is as iniquity and idolatry: ??? ), nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind (homosexuals: NAS), Nor thieves (have robbed me in tithes and offerings) nor COVETOUS, nor drunkards, or reviler, nor extortioners, shall inherit the Kings of Yahweh.. [hp10,11: COVETOUS (4123) MAN ;6:9,10) OLD TESTAMENT: OT: Sec. 1214: greedy (Prv. 1:11, “If sinners entice you, consent not… v. 18: they lay wait for their own blood…v. 19 COVETOUSNESS (Sec. 1215 from root 1214: “cut off, break off, gain by violence…GREEDY GETTER, robber; BDB, p. 130; SCRIPTURES: Ex. 28:21; Ps. 119:36; Pr. 28:15; Isa. 57:17: Jer. 6:13;8;10;22;17;51;13; Ezk. 33:31; Hab. 2:9) ISA. 56:17: “For the iniquity of covetousness I [Yahweh] was wroth…” 1215: gain made by violence, unjust gain, PROFIT; more generally unjust gain; BDB. p. 130) Gesenius p. 134: (1). rapine [rap’n: to plunder, gain by violent taking of another’s property], prey (on); (2). unjust gain whatever, whether acquired from bribes or by other frauds.; (3). ANY GAIN ;“. ——————————————————————————————————- See Gary C. Miller’s other articles at: Miller, Gary C. – Church of God, Bismarck (church-of-god-bismarck.org) Reprinted with permission from: International Congregation of Yahweh http://www.icyahweh.org/ ——————————————————————————————————- |
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