Exodus - Part 24 - Exodus 20:3-6

We are beginning our deep dive into the Ten Commandments exploring exactly what they meant then and what they mean now. The first three have to do with who God is, how we are to worship God, and the respect and reverence we ought to have for Him.

These are not frivolous laws, of which there are many today. These are more like a parent teaching a child how they can wisely live their life. They are like a fence around a yard to create the best possible environment for the child to grow, have fun, and experience joy. God gave us these laws because He loves us like a parent loves their child. God wants to see us succeed and not suffer.

The first commandment is, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” This is the most important commandment. The Israelites came out of a culture that worshipped many gods. They tried to stay on the good side of their deities so that they could receive divine favors. Their relationship with the one true God would be completely different. God is directing them toward the fact that there is only One God and that their focus should be solely on Him. He is not one out of many. Following His laws was not a way to gain His favor, but rather to have a deep meaningful relationship.

Jesus echoes this in the Book of Matthew and Luke. He said to love the Lord your God with all your soul, mind, and strength. Jesus is the fulfillment of the commandments in the Old Testament. Through Jesus we have direct access to that deeper relationship with God. He is Emmanuel, God With Us.

This leads us to the second commandment, which is not making a carved image of anything on the earth and worshipping it as a god. It also says God is a jealous God, which is an interesting characteristic since we often hear that jealousy is a sin. The word used for jealous here is more like an intense, fierce love because He wants what is best for us. He desires an exclusive relationship with us.

The Israelites came out of a culture of idol worship, and generations had been taught this practice. This commandment taught the Israelites how to appropriately worship God and how to teach their children to do the same. Children will live out what they have been taught and how they have been raised. That was true then and it is still true now. The actions of previous generations can bring either destruction or blessing on the current generation.

The first commandment teaches us to not worship false gods. The second commandment teaches us not to worship the One True God in a false way. Idols are still all around us in the form of technology, social media, the news, and anything else that takes our focus away from God. God desires an exclusive relationship with us. That is a beautiful thing! These commandments are just as relevant today as they were back in the times of Exodus.