Riches

1. Prov. 23:5 – don’t set your eyes on riches
• Our eyes are not to be on riches… material things… bank rolls…
• They are only fleeting—they are just for this life which is a vapor.
• They fly away—fleeting…
• Even if you obtain them, they are not forever… they could be stolen… lost… worn out…
• We tend to set our eyes on the things that our hearts lust after… thus, if we keep our heart with all diligence, material things will not be as appealing.

2. Josh. 7:21 – I saw, I coveted, I took—like Eve.
• If we set our eyes on “things”—we will covet them in our hearts.
• When we keep on looking… we strengthen our inner desire for them… we are practicing covetousness.
• If we allow that kind of coveting to go on inside—eventually, we will be tempted to take it to the next level—and go for it… do whatever we have to do to get it… even if it takes us out of God’s will.

The world and the things in the world…

1. Mt. 4:8-9 – things we see can entice us to forsake the pursuit of the knowledge of God.
• Jesus was given a vision of all the glories of the nations—and was tempted to worship the devil in exchange for it all.
• All too often obtaining the things of this world have a hook attached. How many fathers have taken their families out of a good local church in order to take a better paying job—where they do not have a good church. There is a hook involved!
• When our eyes are upon the things of the world, there is always a hook. Friendship with the world is enmity with God. You cannot serve God and mammon.

3. Gen. 19:26 – Lot’s wife LOOKED back at her world and was judged.
• Here is another example of a person whose heart was attached to the world. She did not keep her heart with all diligence.
• As a result, her eyes were on the things of the world—and God judged her for it.
• She wasn’t looking straight ahead.

4. I John 2:16 – the lust of the eyes is NOT of the Father…
• When our eyes lust after the material things of the world, the source of that desire is NOT the Father.
• There is nothing wrong with owning possessions or making purchases.
• What John forbids here is the wandering of the eyes and the covetousness that causes the eyes to wander.
• We are living in a prosperous country in prosperous times. As Christians we need to be extra careful about the lust of the eyes…
• When our eyes are on the things of the world, it can cause our spiritual vision to become dim.

5. Ecc. 6:9 – Two possible ways to understand “the sight of the eyes.”

a. It refers to that which we have already and are able to see.
• Thus, the passage means be content with the things you have and can see now, rather than the things your eyes are wandering to see but you do not possess.

b. It could refer to the ability to see.
• Thus, eyesight is better than lusting after that which the eye sees.
• Be thankful you can see—rather than coveting the things you see.
• A blind multimillionaire would trade all his wealth for sight! What good is a pile of gold if you can’t even see it?

The strange woman

1. Prov. 6:25-26 – do not look with a lustful gaze upon a woman.
• The eye gate is a direct channel to the heart.
• Looking with the eye can cause lusting in the heart.

2. Matt. 5:28-29 – adultery can be committed in the heart merely by looking. God takes the use of our eyes seriously.

3. Job 31:1 – Job’s covenant not to look upon a maid.
• II Sam.11:2 – David did not have such a covenant.
• Do we dare to make a covenant with our eyes? This speaks of a heart commitment to purity and holiness.
• The click of a mouse can bring up any kind of image imaginable on our computer screen.
• We too should make a covenant with our eyes—that we will NOT look at anything on the computer—or TV screen that is of a sexual nature.
• Will you make that commitment? God will honor that resolve.

Wine

1. Prov. 23:31-33 – don’t look upon the wine when it is red
• vs. 33 – looking at wine will cause us to covet it and eventually take it—like Achan and Eve.
• Vs. 33 – Drinking wine can cause us to lust in our mind and heart and say perverse things.
• Don’t even look at it…

Wicked things

1. Ps. 101:3 – I will set no wicked thing before my eyes.
• David has determined NOT to set… appoint… place wicked things or wicked people before him.
» As King, David must have had 1001 temptations that most men never face!
» Some kings would have the most beautiful women in the kingdom dance before them. Not David!
» Some kings would arrange drunken parties and orgies. Not David!
» Some kings placed sons of Belial, worthless, evil men before them to extract more taxes from the people and to acquire more wealth… often unscrupulously. Not David!
» Some kings had great statues and images made of themselves for vain glory. Not David!
» David determined that he would NOT set evil things before him.
• For the believer today, we too are told to “Make no provision for the flesh”!
» An obvious application here is the TV and videos, magazines, books!
» Have you resolved before the Lord that you will put no wicked thing before your eyes?

2. Mt. 6:22-23 – an evil eye fills the body with darkness
• Jesus states that if our eye gate takes in darkness… our whole body—our heart—our whole life—will be filled with darkness!
• A single eye is good (single minded dedication to Christ)
• Anything other than a single eye is evil = an eye that wanders away from Christ and spiritual things.
• In this context, the eyes had wandered to mammon (vs.24)

3. Isa. 33:15-16 – he that shuts his eyes from beholding evil will dwell on high!
• vs.15c – he shuts his eyes from seeing evil—he looks the other way…
• This man will be blessed of God! (vs.16)
• He will see the king in his beauty too! He will enter the Kingdom and see the King—for his behavior is an indication that he is one of God’s redeemed!

Vanity

1. Ps.119:37 – turn my eyes away from beholding vanity
• vs. 36 – he is concerned about the covetousness he observes in his heart.
• That is the vanity mentioned in vs. 37 – it is vain—useless—a waste of time to have a heart attached to things.
• There are 1001 other vain things that our eyes might be beholding…
• This world is full of vain pursuits!
• We too should pray that God would enable us to turn away our eyes from vanity… pray for a heart that loves God and treasures things above…