The 10 Commandments: “No Other Gods”

Intro:

The commands reflect God’s character. God gave us His commands to show us who He is.

The commands reveal our condition. When we’ve been changed by the love grace and mercy of Christ Jesus we will desire to obey them. If we don’t desire to obey the commands of God, then we have a heart or sin issue that needs to be addressed. In that way the commands show us who we are.

God’s commands are relational as well. They are about our relationship with God and our relationships with others. That’s why loving God and loving others are the two greatest commands. If we love God, we will show it by obeying His commands. If we love others, we will show it by treating them in a way that aligns with the commands of God.

Exodus 20:1–17 (NASB)

1 Then God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 5 “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. 7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. 8 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11 “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. 12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you. 13 “You shall not murder. 14 “You shall not commit adultery. 15 “You shall not steal. 16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

The First Commandment:

Exodus 20:2–3 (NASB)

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.

Deuteronomy 5:6–7 (NASB)

6 ‘I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 7 ‘You shall have no other gods before Me.

What makes something a god with a little “g”?

A god is an object of worship. There are many false gods found in the religions of the world. As Christians, we know to avoid these and that’s the basic understanding and application of the command.

Deuteronomy 6:13–15 (NASB)

13 “You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name. 14 “You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, 15 for the Lord your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the Lord your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.

But that’s not the only application nor the majority application. The overwhelming majority of the time we violate this commandment, not with some false god of another religion, but with some common thing in this world that we don’t see as a god. Anything we love more, serve more, or choose over God and the things of God is a false god.

Fear and worry will often point to a false god.

What we spend our time on will show us what god we serve.

What we spend our money on will show us what god we serve.

What we invest in emotionally can show us what god we serve.

So on the surface, this might be a command we think we have squared away, but the reality is, this is a command we all struggle to obey on a daily basis.

Let’s take a long look at the F.I.R.S.T. Commandment:

It is a Fundamental command.

It is the starting point.It comes first for a reason. No other command matters if the first one isn’t being kept. In fact, nothing else matters at all, if there is no God!

It is basic, simple, and straight to the point. It is the foundation for everything else.

Like fundamentals in sports…

We have to be Intentional if we are going to obey this command.

Deuteronomy 30:19–20 (NASB)

19 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, 20 by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

Joshua 24:15 (NASB)

15 “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Isaiah 55:6 (NASB)

6 Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.

Jesus said it this way:

Matthew 6:33 (NASB)

33 “…seek first His kingdom and His righteousness…

In contrast…

Psalm 10:4 (NASB)

4 The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

Seeking and serving God INTENTIONALLY is part of obeying the first commandment.

It is a Rational Command

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Exodus 7:17 (NASB)

17 ‘Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord…

Romans 1:18–20 (NASB)

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Psalm 19:1 (NASB)

1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

Job 12:7–9 (NASB)

7 “But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. 8 “Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; And let the fish of the sea declare to you. 9 “Who among all these does not know That the hand of the Lord has done this,

Psalm 14:1 (NASB)

1 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God”…

It is a Substantial Command

It covers everything and everyone!

Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 (NASB)

13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. 14 For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

Isaiah 45:5–6 (NASB)

5 “I am the Lord, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God. I will gird you, though you have not known Me; 6 That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other…

Proverbs 3:5–6 (NASB)

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him…

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NASB)

31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Colossians 3:17 (NASB)

17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Mark 2:28 (NASB)

28 “So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

For God to be first in our lives, we must allow Him to dictate what we do with our lives. We make Him Savior and LORD…

It is a Transformational Command

God will change your life through it.

Acts 4:12 (NASB)

12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Romans 6:4 (NASB)

4 …we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

In Closing:

So, how are we doing? Do we have gods before the one true God?

What are they? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you identify them.

What are you going to do about it? Ask God to help you break from them.

Memory Verse of the Week:

Isaiah 45:6 (NASB)

6 That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun That there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other…