Exodus 20 v. 1 - 3 Intro:- The First Commandment
1. Declares God's Power -
v. 2 "I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage."
based on:-
(a) Creation - Psalm 19 v. 1 " The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork."
(b) Redemption - Exodus 20 v. 2 "I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." Exodus - story of redemption -
1 Corinthians 6 v. 19 & 20 "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
(c) Provision - v. 2 "I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." Exodus 13 v. 21 & 22 "And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people."
2. Reveals God's Purpose - v. 3 "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
Matt 6v33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
3. Recognises Man's Potential "Thou shalt" - Man has the:-
potential to choose, power to choose and prerogative to chose
Note its:-
CONTEXT in the light of:-
(a) Who God is - "I am the Lord"
(b) What God's done - "thy God" - i.e. by his will, his word, his work - v. 2 "brought thee out"
(c) What God's doing
CONTENT v. 2 "I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." We must:-
(a) Know God as God - 1 Chronicles 28 v. 9 "And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever."
John 17 v 3 "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."
(b) Acknowledge God as God - Deuteronomy 26 v 17 "Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice:"
Proverbs 3 v. 5 & 6 "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." i.e. His:-
Uniqueness - Deuteronomy 6 v. 4 & 5 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."
Omnipresence - Matthew 28 v. 20 "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
Omnipotence - Matthew 28 v. 18 "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."
Omniscience - John 16 v. 30 "Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God."
Eternity - John 17 v. 5 "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."
Immutability - Hebrews 13 v. 8 "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
Personality - Exodus 20 v. 3 "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." -
Know him:- initially, increasingly, intimately, eternally
(c) Worship God as God - Malachi 1 v. 6 "A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?"
i.e. internally and externally Matt ch 6 v 10 "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."
(d) Serve God as God - v. 3 "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
CONTEMPT OF:-
(a) Atheism - in thought - Psalm 14 v. 1 " The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good." - even devils believe - James 2 v 19 "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble."
in revelation - God of Bible - Eph 2 v. 12 "That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:"
in practise - in works - Titus 1 v. 16 "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
in life Psalm 36 v 1 "The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes."
(b) Ignorance - Titus 2 v. 15 "These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee." i.e. ignorance of God - Hosea 4 v. 1 "Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land." 4 v 6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children."
2 Thessalonians 1 v. 8 "In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:"
Misunderstanding God - Acts 17 v. 28 & 29 "For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device."
Neglecting God - Isaiah 44 v. 3 "For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:" v. 5 "One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel."
Rejecting God - Ecclestiastes 5 v. 6 "Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?"
by:- Self-seeking - Philippians 2 v. 21 "For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's."
Self-love - 2 Timothy 3 v. 2 "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,"
Self-pleasing Rom 15 v 1 "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves."
Self-confidence Proverbs 3 v 5 "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." - Jeremiah 17 v. 5 "Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD."
Self-conceit Proverbs 26 v 12 "Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him."
Self-righteousness - Isaiah 58 v 3 "Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours."
(c) Idolatry - v. 3 "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." - either outward or inward
(a) Outward as heathen - Job 31 v. 26 & 27 "If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness; And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:"
(b) As Roman Catholics - worship - saints, angels, bread, cross, relics of saints
(b) Inward - mind, will and heart - i.e. to
(1) Love something more than God - Matthew 10 v. 37 "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." - before me - i.e.
(1) Instead of me - substitute God (2) In front of me - snub God (3) In addition to me - smother God
(2) Desire something more than God - Philippians 4 v. 6 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."
(3) Delight in something more than God - Luke 10 v. 20 "Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven."
(4) Mourne something more than Offending God - 2 Corinthians 7 v. 10 "For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death."
(5) More zealous of something more than God
(6) Fear something more than God - Proverbs 29 v. 25 "The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe."
(7) Trust in something more than in God - Jeremiah 17 v. 5 "Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD."
What is the first commandment?
The first commandment is "thou shalt have no other gods before me."
What does the first commandment teach?
The first commandment teaches that we are to worship God only.
