The Big Ten: No Other Gods


The Ten Commandments: Exodus 20:1-17
20 And 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. 

Last week we started a new series on the Ten Commandments. We recognize the Ten Commandments as the basis for Jewish and Christian laws, but also as the baseline for Christian behavior. The first five tell how to interact with God, while the last five tell how to interact with one another. The introduction reminded us who gives us the Ten Commandments — that they come from Yahweh, our God, the all-powerful God who relates to His creation as Father to son. 

And it because of who God is that the first commandment can be: You shall have no other gods before me. It is important to know who this God is — Yahweh, I am who I am, or “I will be who I will be.” God is the God who is. 

Our God is Elohim, Sovereign God of power and might.
Our God is Abba, our Father.
Our God is El Elyon, God most high, God above all gods.
Our God is El Roi, the God who sees.
Our God is El Shaddai, God Almighty.
Our God is Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides.
Our God is Jehovah Nissi, the Lord is my banner, my leader.
Our God is Jehovah Rapha, the Lord our Healer.
Our God is Jehovah Shalom, the Lord our Peace.

The question becomes, if our God is all of this, why would anyone even want to have any gods before Him? But then again, the people of Israel were constantly being tempted by other gods, and we are no different. 

When we are sick, what do we do? We go to church and ask for prayer. But what happens when God doesn’t answer that prayer right away? We wait a day, then we go to the traditional healer. 

Or, an ancestor shows up in a dream and tells us he is cold and hungry and needs a sacrifice. What do we do? You see, we often say, “Zambia is a Christian nation,’ but when we struggle, we immediately consult other gods. 

In Deuteronomy 6:13-15, we read the following command: Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land.

Our God will not coexist in our lives with other gods. Our God is a holy God, set apart, completely different. And He cannot and will not share His rightful glory with another. 

You could think of it this way: how much manure would you allow in your relish? If you allow any, then it’s not fit for eating. And God’s holiness will allow no others to take his rightful place. 

When Michael, Sylvester, and I were in South Africa for our Work 4 a Living training, we were talking about a worldview that only includes room for one God. During this discussion, one of the students remarked that “the Methodists allow traditional beliefs alongside the Christian God.” Everyone looked at me, knowing that I’m a Methodist pastor. But the reality is the Bible is clear. Listen to Deuteronomy 13:1-4.

If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere.

Can you love your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind, and follow after another at the same time? 

In this culture, there are enough men who take multiple wives. Does any woman actually like this practice? But imagine a woman taking multiple husbands. What man wants to participate in this? And God is greater than any human, and God’s holiness demands worship of Him alone. It was Jesus who said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” in John 14:6. 

Know that there is only one God, and it is only by worshiping Him alone that we will receive all the benefits thereof. 

We worship Elohim, and we receive his power. We worship Abba, and we receive sonship from our Father. We worship El Elyon, and we worship the God above all gods. We worship El Roi, and we are seen. We worship El Shaddai, the Almighty; if he is for us, who can be against us? We worship Jehovah Jireh, and he provides for us. We worship Jehovah Nissi, and we are lead in paths of righteousness. We worship Jehovah Rapha, and we receive healing. And we worship Jehovah Shalom, and we receive peace and wholeness.

Comments

Big Mama said…
WOW!! And what did you respond when they all looked at you? That would be scary!
July 25, 2018 at 12:56 PM
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