First Commandment

Exodus 20:1–3 KJV 1900

1 And God spake all these words, saying, 2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Introduction

Part of the “First Table,” which comes from

Exodus 31:18 “18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.”

This is very common in illustrations and depictions of Moses. You have seen the giant figure carrying two giant stone tables.

The common idea is that this is a referenced to two divisions of the commandments, called the First Table and the Second Table.

Historically, this is not the best example.

Does not actually refer to this division:

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Division

In Hittite treaties, the two tablets were duplicates of the treaty or covenant, one for the suzerain king and the other for the vassal king (see Nelson, Deuteronomy, 66; Stuart, Exodus, 656). This view would then envision two identical tablets, both placed in the ark, signifying the suzerain king’s presence among his vassal people.

The two tables, then, are the two copies of the law that showed Israel that God was their king who saved them and who thus required their obedience.

Does this mean we ignore the traditional distinction? Not at all.

The Ten Words have two divisions, based on Christ.

Matthew 22:34–40 KJV 1900

34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Jesus here is merely quoting two OT texts

Deuteronomy 6:5“5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” Dt.6.5—Part of the Shma, the summary of all of Israel’s beliefs and duties before God.

Leviticus 19:18 “18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.” Lev.19.18—Summary of laws regarding holiness towards others.

These together summarize all of the Ten Words. Key for us is how to view all of these commandments as merely applications of those principles.

Also key that all of the commandments have, historical, been seen as having 3 avenues of application:

Political—what is good for us as a society?

Penitential—what is wrong with me as a sinner?

Personal—what is my duty as a saint?

This will help us to govern exactly how I will try to apply these commandments as we go through our lessons.

Requirements in the First Commandment

Know God

We must have the content of the Character of who God is

Exodus 20:3 (KJV 1900)

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

There is an assumption here that the Israelites are well aware of the “me.” Of who is speaking to them.

If you are are to obey this commandment, it is your duty to learn about God, His Son, and His Spirit.

I know that many of you immediately went, “Now listen. I am not a nerd. That’s just not my thing.”

God calls you to learn about Him. By the way, you need this for your spiritual life.

Why do I insist that all Christians should search the Scriptures and learn as much as they can about this God who is dealing with them? It is because their faith will only spring up naturally and joyfully as they find that our God is trustworthy and fully able to perform every promise He has made.

Jeremiah 32:17, 27; John 5:36–40; Romans 4:19–21; 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24

Jesus, Our Man in Glory, 83.

A. W. Tozer

To obey the first commandment, you must know God.

Acknowledge God

Exodus 20:3 (KJV 1900)

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

This commandment is directed to a specific people. The Israelites were called by their God to perform an action.

Before they could do that, they must have a will that is willing to obey.

We must bow and submit to God as our Triune God. Obedience requires bowing.

Worship God

We must give to God the worth that is due to Him, seeking him as our source of joy, happiness, hope, comfort.

The Westminster Confession of Faith: Edinburgh Edition (The Larger Catechism)

to worship and glorify him accordingly, by thinking, meditating, remembering, highly esteeming, honouring, adoring, choosing, loving, desiring, fearing of him; believing him; trusting, hoping, delighting, rejoicing in him; being zealous for him; calling upon him, giving all praise and thanks, and yielding all obedience and submission to him with the whole man; being careful in all things to please him, and sorrowful when in any thing he is offended; and walking humbly with him.

This is all-encompassing. It means that, when you are eating your favorite medium rare steak at texas roadhouse, you thank God for giving it to us.

It means that, when you area able to squeeze in a seven minute power nap right before the kids come home from school, you thank God for allowing it.

When you plan our families future, you aim to make sure you are teaching and discipling them wherever you go.

This command is not about have a quiet time: it is about seeing God in every area of life.

Fear God

Exodus 20:3 (KJV 1900)

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

This is our warning.

God sees us. God know us.

God has saved us, yes, and God calls us to obedience.

Deuteronomy 12:29–32“29 When the Lord thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; 30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31 Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. 32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.”

Consequences of violation: 1 Samuel 8:11–18“11 And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. 12 And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. 13 And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. 14 And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. 15 And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. 16 And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. 17 He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. 18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day.”

This commandment requires us to know, acknowledge, worship, and fear our God.