Re:Verse passage – Exodus 20:3 (day five)
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
God begins His commandments with a clear demonstration of His vast wisdom and knowledge of the human race in at least a couple of ways. The first commandment serves as a foundation for the other nine. Before learning and understanding all that God demands in a covenant relationship, we must first know who He is, and who we are in this relationship to Him. Once this is settled, we can begin to discover the priorities and structure God expects in our lives. Second, this first commandment also addresses the Egyptian influence that has shaped the hearts and practices of the Israelites- polytheism. They have been immersed in the Egyptian culture- one of the most polytheistic civilizations known to man. They were affected from their time in captivity. Note the activity of idol worship when God was delivering the commandments. So the first commandment addresses their greatest weakness and greatest need. The fact that the human race is quickly distracted from pure devotion to God, and will unwisely build our faith and relationship with God on less than a complete and eternally sturdy foundation. We are easily swayed.
Hi Scott, your words caused me to think that as New Testament believers, it’s interesting to look at the first few verses and consider that God did not start out with “If you follow these commandments, then you will have earned your salvation from me.” Instead, He reminds us that first He needs to set us free from the ‘house of slavery’ that would actually keep us from being able to observe His commands. Once he has given us salvation so that we are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to righteousness, then we have true freedom by the power of the Holy Spirit to desire to obey all He asks.