The Lord Our God

Last Saturday I woke up early with this text burning on my mind. I began to think about all the things that try to vie for God’s place in my heart. I asked myself, ‘Do I have another god beside the Lord my God?’ So I committed to meditate on this text until everything else faded into the background and Yahweh alone held preeminence in my life.

Do you have another god? When God gave this command, it was to strip Israel of Egypt’s gods and to guard them from the gods of Canaan. This morning, we must let this same word search our hearts for these three reasons.

I. God alone deserves our worship.

Worship means to have reverence and adoration for a deity. But God prohibits other gods. In Hebrew, our text literally reads “You shall have no other gods before My face.” In other words, “I am to be your only God.” There are to be no other gods in my presence. Its not permissible to have other gods even if He ranks first.

A. He deserves Our Worship because He alone is God.

God is like the sun. The sun isn’t the brightest star in our solar system, its the only star in our solar system. (Is. 44:6). In Egypt God broke the idea of other gods, defeating each Egyptian god one by one through the plagues, proving that Yahweh alone is God and deserves our worship!

B. He deserves our worship because He is creator.

Through the power of His words He created this beautiful world we live and ordered all that's in it. It like, when an artist paints a masterpiece, we don’t praise the canvas or the paint — we praise the artist who imagined it and created it. How much more, then, should we worship God who created the heavens, the earth, and everything in them.” Rev. 4:11.

C. He deserves our worship because we bear His image.

God created us in His own image (Gen. 1:26-27) not the image if anything He created! Creation shows God’s glory, yes (Ps. 19:1) but only mankind bears His image. Like a sculptor, who makes a vase, it reflects his skill, but if he sculpts a self-portrait, it carries his very image. In the same way, creation reflects God’s power and beauty — but only humanity bears His image. That’s what gives us value and dignity. We worship Him alone because He made us in His image and nothing else.

D. He deserves our worship because He is Holy.

God is holy (Is. 6:3)— utterly set apart, without equal, without rival (Ex. 15:11). “Put the brightest flashlight you can find next to the sun. The flashlight may look powerful in the dark, but when the sun rises, it disappears into nothing. That’s what it’s like to compare anything else to God. He has no equal, no rival — His holiness outshines everything.”

You shall have no other gods before me because He alone is worthy of worship!

II. God alone directs are lives

God is the creator and ruler of the universe and He loves us and cares deeply about each of us. So much that He directs of our lives. God does not leave us to wander blindly through this cruel and dark world. Just as He led Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Num. 9:23) so He leads us still today. It may not look the same, but His guidance is just as real.

The thought of God’s sovereignty isn’t very popular today. Deep down we want to believe we are in total control of our lives. But in His sovereign will, God has given us the freedom to choose — and yet our choices never negate His sovereignty. We can choose, but it’s God’s prerogative to overrule. Years ago I met a man named Art Hoyt who wanted to disciple me. He offered to meet weekly to teach me how to memorize Scripture and meditate on it so I could live in obedience. At the time, I didn’t agree with his theology (God is in total control), so I turned him down. But that Monday morning as I headed out of town, my car seemed to turn itself toward the place where Art was. When I walked in, he smiled and quoted Proverbs 16:9 ‘The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.’ I had made my plans, but God had overruled.”

But, God calls for willful obedience to His Word, this is the primary way He directs us today (Ps. 119:105). This world is dark, and at times His will seems hard to discern, but His Word lights the way. It’s like driving at night — without headlights you’re guessing, swerving, and in danger. But when the lights come on, the road is clear. Praise God for the light of His Word that gives us divine direction.

We have an advantage ancient Israel could only hope for: the Holy Spirit lives in us (Christians) and He guides us into truth (John 16:13). We must slow down and make space to listen — not for new words, but for His gentle leading as The Holy Spirit applies God’s Word to our hearts.

Thou shalt have no other gods before me, He alone directs are lives.

III. God alone delivers our souls

God is the God of Salvation (Is. 43:11-13). He alone delivers us from sin and saves our weary souls. He delivered Israel from the bondage of Egypt giving us a clear picture of salvation by grace through faith. During the 10th plague the Passover Lamb was slain and its blood was applied to the door post of those who trusted God and the death angel passed overed their homes saving the life of their first born. Through this plague Israel was released from bondage. At Sinai God established the Law and the Sacrificial system which calls for a substitutionary sacrifice, which means the life of one for another.

ILL: On the stern and rockbound New England coast there lived a little brother and sister who frequently played among the rocks along the shore. One day they discovered a natural formation in the rocks above them that resembled a cross. After that, they took great delight in filling the crevices that shaped the cross with dry grass and sticks and setting it on fore to see the beautiful display it made. As the years passed, the girl remained at the old homestead, but the boy went away to seek his fortune. One stormy winter night he returned on a visit to the old home, and he told his sister he had seen signals from a ship in distress out at sea.

Neither of them knew of any way to help the distressed sailors, but then the sister remembered the old cross in the rocks. She gathered a large armful of wood and kindling and hastened to the spot. She filled the crevices as on earlier days, and then set it on fire. In a short time, the light of the blaze was shinning through the storm. One of the sailors - who had been cheering his comrads and urging them not to give up - cried out. “The cross! See the light from yonder cross! It will guide us to safety!” They manned the lifeboats and pulled toward the lighted cross. They found the faithful girl, who had remained out in the storm and cold to feed the fire, lying on the shore, frozen to death, she had given her life to direct direct them to the cross. Today I direct you to the cross on which Jesus died! God come in the flesh, the second person of God, the giver of the Law came to die on a wooden cross so that we can be saved. He is our substitution and what took place all those years ago, as Israel was delivered from Egypt and as the Law was given, points to Him, God alone who saves.

Thou shalt have no other gods besides me because God alone delivers our souls.

Con: Lets take a test: What do you spend the most time thinking about? What do you spend the most time doing? What do you spend most of your money on? There is your God. Today, let’s etch this text deep into our hearts, fix our eyes fully on Him, and follow His leading — then He will truly be our God.