“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: immorality, impurity . . . and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col. 3:5 RSV).
“Be not deceived: neither fornicators . . . nor thieves nor covetous . . . shall inherit the kingdom of God” (I Cor. 6:910).
Exactly what is meant by covetousness ? Why is it condemned so strongly? And why is it called idolatry?
Here is a case where Young’s or Strong’s concordance comes to our aid. They show us that several different Hebrew and Greek words are rendered “Covet” in our English version. If we look at the meaning of each one, we quickly get the basic idea behind the word.
Avah—”to wish for”, Deut. 5:21; Prov. 21:26
Chamad—”to delight in”, Exodus 20:17; Josh. 7:21.
Epithumeo—”to set one’s heart on, long for”, Rom. 7:7; 13:9.
Pleonektes—”desiring more, eager for gain”, I Cor. 5:10; 6:10.
Philarguros—”fond of money”, Luke 16:14; II Tim. 3:2
The basic meaning is to strongly desire something especially money or material possessions. Note carefully that the word is not referring to fulfilling the desire but to the desire itself. Thus rich or poor can be covetous, even though the latter may be completely unsuccessful in satisfying his longing for more.
The seriousness of this attitude of mind lies in two factors. First, it is the root of so many other forms of sin. For example, Achan coveted good clothing, gold and silver so he flaunted the command of God in order to obtain it (Josh. 7:19, 21). Judas Iscariot loved money so he betrayed his master for a paltry sum (John 12:6; Matt. 26:15). Certain believers desired to be rich and consequently departed from the faith (I Tim. 6:9, 10). The pattern is a clear one and is repeated in the life of any person. The love of money is the root of nothing but evil for no man can serve both God and mammon (Matt. 6:24).
The second reason covetousness is condemned so strongly is this: giving our enthusiasm, our hearts, our selves to the seeking of material things is worshipping another god. God wants us to love Him with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength, and all our mind (Luke 10:27). To set our hearts primarily on something else (whether it be our home, financial investment, a boat, or whatever) is idolatry as far as He is concerned. For of Him are all things, and to Him must be directed all of our being.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One