THE FIRST COMMANDMENT Ex. 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. In the midst of certain high-profile political resignations, this week has also featured two news reports regarding evangelicals. US Pastor Terry Jones has been barred from entering the UK. He is the pastor of a small church in Florida who came to public attention concerning a plan he had in September 2010 to burn Korans. I think it is fair to say our view of him has been flavoured by the abject media coverage. Then, we also had Peter (70) and Hazel (66) Bull brought to court and fined for not allowing a homosexual pair to share the same room in their Bed & Breakfast guest house. I ve been listening to news reports, discussions and debates about these issues and it is so blatantly obvious how anything evangelical is like a red rag to a bull. We can see how far removed our Christian and Biblical faith is from society today and the depths to which their respect and understanding of true religion has degenerated. If you hold faithfully to the Word, you are out of sync and you are treated with scorn. Everyone else, - it seems, - can have their say! Some of the speakers in the interviews were so vitriolic in their comments, and they could not hide their caustic comments. We are becoming a monster with our old Bible and our old-fashioned outdated rules. One of the people being interviewed referred sarcastically to those who have the audacity to think they have a personal relationship with God! However, do not be discouraged! Instead, be encouraged because it is yet another of many signs that Jesus Christ is coming back soon; Paul wrote to encourage Timothy, II Tim. 3:13 evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of. To what was Paul referring? v.15 that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. The fundamental teachings for the people of Israel were, of course, the Ten Commandments, given to Moses. These Ten Commandments, - part of the Law, - reveal the righteousness of God and the manner by which He commands His people to obey. He does not simply commend it to them, He commands it! In ancient times, though, it was so very different idol worship was everywhere. Every civilisation had a god or a plethora of gods. It is another proof mankind has an inherent part of the human consciousness that needs to believe in a higher power, - we know there is God.
It is not natural not to believe. Everyone is born knowing there is something spiritual beyond themselves, but when this awareness is resisted and disputed they choose not to believe, and the Bible explains it is the consequence of the fallen and depraved will. Some of the children in school tell their teacher, I don t believe in God because my daddy says there is none and that child is part of another generation actively continuing to refuse to believe. The Hebrews had no bother believing in God. Since the days of Abraham faith in Jehovah had been stabilizer of the nation. However, they had spent four hundred years as captives in a country that legitimised and promoted idolatry, the worship of many gods. This, of course, had an effect on them, as we see by Achan s theft of a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight (Josh. 7:21), hidden his tent. We see it also when the people twisted Aaron, Ex. 32:1 Up, make us gods, which shall go before us. (It was one of a number of occasions they harked back to the gods of Egypt.) Aaron knew he should not have listened to them, and he knew he had a responsibility to uphold the Law God had recently given them but it was far easier to capitulate, rather than to take a firm stand. There are similarly many today who know the difference between right and wrong, what is of God and what is not, but for the sake of expediency, convenience and popularity they pragmatically arrange their faith to accommodate the spirit of the age. Our study today, though, is straightforward. It is not multi-religious or polytheistic. It is not at all compliant with the spirit of the age, and for this reason it attracts such descriptions as bigoted, inflexible, narrow-minded and archaic but, what choice do we have if we believe the Word of God is pure and perfect?! David said, Ps. 12:2 They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak. 4 Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us? In v.8 he wrote, The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted. And then, - with the confidence of God, - he wrote, v.6 The words of the LORD are pure words... 7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. The words of the LORD are pure words At the inception of the new nation, the Lord instructs Moses and the people, Ex. 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. There is no two ways of interpreting this first commandment, it is plain. The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, What is required in the first commandment? The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly. the sum total of all God expected from His people. 2
Notice, the mark and seal of divine approval Moses places at the beginning of this chapter, v.1 God spake all these words, saying There is no room for discussion here. This is not an issue open for debate. This is God s inspired, infallible and inerrant Word! This was not the words of Moses, an old man going on in years who wanted to make his mark on history. No, the Word of God plainly explains, v.1 God spake all these words. Then, next we have God s signature, v.2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. God was reminding them He was the reason they were no longer in captivity, - they were now free, and yet they were obligated to Him as His people, Dt. 7:6 thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. We dare not move too quickly here. It is important to understand these fundamental issues One day, Moses was walking in the wilderness of Sinai and his attention was caught by a bush burning. It was nothing new or strange, - such was the severe heat of the desert it was not uncommon. However, it kept burning. He went over to investigate, and he heard a voice literally commanding Him, Ex. 3:5 Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. The voice then identified, v.6 I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Moses knew immediately Who this was speaking to Him! The Lord explained to him He knew about Israel s predicament in Egypt, v.7 [I] have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 3 The Lord then told Moses He was sending him as His spokesman, v.14 God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. I AM THAT I AM This is God s Name the Supreme, eternal, Sovereign God.
4 This was not imagination or no idol of man s making, - this was true God of true God! And this Lord Jehovah, the supreme Object of worship, is v.2 the LORD thy God, Dt. 28:58 that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY God. He is the God, - the only God, - of His people! His command is so clear, - it cannot be misunderstood or have a double meaning and we need to take care and notice that first word, - Thou You, - it is a second person singular it means you as an individual. The Lord here is not speaking to the nation collectively, He is speaking to each person separately and individually. He addresses each and every one of them, for He was responsible for bringing each and every one of them out of Egypt and each and every one of them individually had a personal responsibility to Him! God does not take well to being ignored, and these people learned that lesson the hard way. Previously He had said to Abraham, Gen. 17:1 I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect and this was Jehovah s standard for Israel that would come from the lineage of Abraham! Yes, God s standards are high they measure all the way up to His Glory. They are impossible to achieve, apart from, - through grace, - the saving and atoning work of Christ on the cross. This is a personal command from God to the individual, Ex. 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods. I have taken you away freed you from that. You have been saved out of Egypt. I have freed you from the cloud of idolatry hanging over that land. I AM your God and Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Conduct yourself, God was saying, in the realization I go before thee and I am with thee. You and I do not have idols in our homes. Some homes do have little statues of the Buddha, Hindu families have shrines in a particular place in their home, Roman Catholicism has pictures of Mary or of the saints but such idolatry is forbidden among the true people of God Jn. 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Being Who He is God does not permit any rival to His Name. Anything put in His place is a substitute god, and He does not allow it amongst His people. We are seeing today, in so-called western society, gods that pose more of a threat that at any time anywhere in the world previously. Idols have been created out of all kinds of lifestyles, money, famous personalities and lavish possessions, - to name but a few, - and sadly many in the Church are salivating with envy! We grope about for excuses as to how we can introduce them when God plainly says, Ex. 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.
5 Instead of to the Word of God, many turn to well-known speakers who manipulate God s Word for their own gain, - for fame and fortune - Paul describes it, I Tim. 1:6 some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling. God says, No! Let the world follow them but the Lord did not set you apart to follow them the Lord did not set His Sovereign choice and unconditional love upon many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou (Dt. 7:1) but, instead He made it so perfectly clear to His own people, v.6 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth God s own particular choice! We are not a people constantly under the cloud of His judgment waiting for when He finds fault with us so He can take great delight dealing harshly with us! He loves us not just corporately, as in the Body of Christ, but He also loves us individually. When Jesus died on the cross He died for me, and He died for you, believer He took upon Himself every one of my sins and He took upon Himself every one of your sins. He did not die on the cross to represent me, - He died on the cross for me! And when God says, Ex. 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before Me I know He lifted me out of Egypt and I need to examine myself constantly and to take every care nothing comes between me and my God! I must examine if He is God of my time if He oversees and superintends every moment of my day and that I am not wasting the time He gives me. I must examine what time I give to Him in my week. Am I justified, - can I make excuses, - when I say I don t have the time to read His Word or to come before Him in prayer or to meet with His people at every available opportunity? He says to me, Ex. 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before Me Is He finding us obedient, regarding our time? I must also examine what I am doing with my money. Does 5% belong to Him, or is it 10%? Do you know that neither is the right answer? The right answer is Lk. 15:31 all that I have is thine. We could consider a list of how we ought to examine ourselves in the light of this first commandment, but basically it comes down to this know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (I Cor. 6:19).
How then do we actively pursue obedience to this first commandment? Surely, - by reason of our salvation in Christ, - we must give Him total dedication. Does someone who professes to know Christ reply quietly within their own heart, No, I cannot afford to dedicate totally to Him I need to have some time for myself, my family, my work, my interests? However, is the true child of God justified in making such a statement?! You know, the world and all its attractions is not the greatest danger to the Christian, the greatest danger is the constant battling going on inside us, Rom. 7:19 the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Believer, if you examine yourself honestly and you confess you are not dedicated totally to the Saviour, as once you were, leave those fields where you are feeding the swine (Lk. 15:15), for you will never be happy and content in the Christian faith until you get out of the muck and filth that surrounds the swill the world feeds from, and you come again to the Father. He says to you again today, Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. It takes total dedication, and it also requires careful diligence. He warns, Dt. 6:12 beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage Col. 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ II Pet. 3:17 beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. On each side of the path we walk with the Saviour there are attractions that so seductively appeal to us. Remember when we were small, and out in the countryside, we would reach up and pick the berries as far as we were concerned, all berries were tasty and to be eaten but no, some of them are be poisonous and can make you sick, and so it is there are many attractions along the way that would try to entice us away from God. Many of them seem innocent and harmless, but even in Christian circles we need to be careful today as, - more than ever, because he knows his time is short and getting shorter, - Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light (II Cor. 11:14). Sadly, many of the Israelites did not heed the warnings and many of them were later seduced away from the faith they had been enlightened by God s Law, they had tasted of the heavenly gift, they had been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, they had tasted, the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come (Heb. 6:4,5) but the truth of God had not penetrated their souls. 6
7 Something else too, some people believe that to obey the commandments is sufficient to be saved, in other words, it s your works that guarantee you a place in Heaven. But good works are not sufficient, besides, none of us could keep in entirety the whole counsel of God, least of all this first commandment, because the moment you believe your salvation depends upon how you can keep the commandments is the moment you put yourself in the place of God and say, I don t need Jesus to save me; I can do enough to save myself that is the moment you immediately contradict and deny the Word of God that says, Thou shalt have no other gods before Me you are making a god out of yourself, whether you mean to or not. The place of God in your life must be the place nothing else shares, - whether it is yourself, another person or another thing. Believer and unbeliever, study the word idolatry throughout Scripture and every time it is speaking of something that takes the place of God innocently or openly. Where is the object of our greatest desires to whom does our faith belong, and where is its source? The psalmist, led under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote the beautiful words, 118:28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. 29 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. I trust you confidently know not what, but Who is your God, - as you stand before Him at this very moment He can see it is not self, nor finance, nor fame, nor pleasure nor friends but that in the closing quiet moments of our study of this first commandment, you can truthfully declare a hearty Amen as God reminds His people of the old truth from His Word, Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.