Covetousness has often moved men to violence that they might not have otherwise been inclined to do. For instance, wicked king Ahab had a strong desire to obtain a vineyard belonging to Naboth (1 Kings 21:1-4). When Naboth refused to sell the vineyard, Ahab returned to his house to mourn. When Jezebel saw her husband’s grief, she created a plan to take the vineyard by force (1 Kings 21:5-16). This principle is not limited to Ahab and Jezebel but has unfortunately been the historical motive for many acts of violence. When men cannot fulfil the lusts of their flesh in a righteous manner, they simply resort to other means which often includes violence.
The hypocrite lives for the present by seeking his reward from the praise of man (Matthew 6:2). He finds his greatest joy only when men shower him with the praise he so desperately seeks. According to scripture, this joy is only temporary. As soon as the hypocrite does something to gain the praise of man, he becomes jealous as he sees others accomplish greater feats. When the hypocrite loses man’s attention and praise, he becomes distraught and seeks more aggressive ways to win men’s lost admiration. Only those ignorant of God’s ways would want to live such a horrible existence! This life yields no lasting peace or joy which is the very outcome offered by God for those who live for Him and love Him. For the hypocrite, nothing remains constant. His standard is always changing and bar ever raising while the faithful Christian joyfully seeks to please the never-changing God (Malachi 3:6).
