Before we preach on the commandments themselves we need to consider why God gave Israel these commandments. It has been stated by many that of all the documents that have ever been written not one has been more important than the TEN COMMANDMENTS.
The commandments were not imposed on Israel by some evil dictator, but instead were given by a loving God Who intended to make them the constitution of the universe.
Make no mistake about it, the TEN COMMANDMENTS are commandments from almighty God Himself.
Many folks have the attitude about obeying the commandments like they do about a multiple choice test. They select the ones they think best suits them and disregard all the rest. It would seem that humans have a natural resistance when it comes to obeying commands.
Illus: When the law was passed that everyone had to wear seat belts, people complained. Why? Was it because they thought it was a bad law? No. It was because people do not like being told “Thou must buckle up” every time they get into their cars. We humans have always had a tendency to rebel against commandments, even when we knew they were for our good.
Any time there is a commandment, or a law, there is the implication that you have a choice, to obey or disobey. If there was no choice in the matter there would be no need for a commandment. We humans can disobey the commandments of God, but we have to always remember, this action will always have a negative outcome. For example, God set up laws in the physical world that must be obeyed or else we pay dearly.
Illus: The scientist understands that there are certain chemicals that you do not mix in the laboratory. If the law is broken about these chemicals that scientist may just go flying through the ceiling of his lab.
A person may object to the law of gravity and say to himself, “No one is going to tell me what to do,” and decide he is going to prove his point by jumping off the state capitol. He has that choice, but he has no choice when he meets the concrete below.
When God gave the ten commandments He was leading the children of Israel into the promised land. God, like our forefathers, recognized that a country cannot exist without moral laws to guide the people. These laws were given to Israel by the true and living God Who had delivered them from slavery. Then, as they began to form a new nation, He told them how He wanted the new nation to be governed. Those laws were given to show mankind what God expects of any society.
Notice the first commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." If we are going to be talking about God, we need to ask ourselves just what or who God is.
To different people God is different things. Some people think God:
• Is like medicine: you don't need Him when you are feeling well.
• Some people think of God as a heavenly Father on Sunday, while they live like orphans the rest of the week.
• Some people think of God as an inadequate Creator - He is unable to run the universe so He created those people to be His consultants. People like this are always trying to make amendments to His commandments.
First, we must establish the fact that God is not the product of a man. In fact the opposite is true.
Illus: Alan F. Johnson said, 'He is the infinite person who is responsible for the creation, operation, and the principles of the universe in which we live. “
WHY DID GOD GIVE THIS COMMANDMENT? “Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
I. GOD HAS AWESOME POWER.
Ephesians 3:20 says of God that He is, ".,.able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think... "
God delivered the Nation of Israel from one of the most powerful armies in the world at that time, but Pharaoh was no match for the powerful God that Israel served. Israel had been in bondage in Egypt four hundred and thirty years. During that time the people were greatly abused and they cried out to the God of Abraham deliverance.
Illus: If you will use your imagination you can picture a little of how it must have been. After being worked like oxen, and beaten like animal from before dawn until after dusk every day, each day when they finally collapsed at home to rest they cried out to God. They prayed that soon would deliver them from their evil taskmaster and make them a nation.
They were asking no easy favor. In fact, to get what they wanted was almost impossible. Pharaoh was the most powerful man o earth. He had at his disposal the most powerful army in world. Israel was praying that God would deliver them from bondage of the Egyptians. Can God answer such a prayer? There were some there who were weak in faith and felt they were asking the impossible, but there were others who felt like God almighty was the only hope they had.
Did you know that if you can THINK IT, God can DO IT!
God is, "... able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think That covers a lot of territory!
That reminds me of the story of the little boys whose imaginations went wild when they began to talk about their dads.
• One little boy said, “Have you ever seen the grand canyon? My dad operates the earth moving equipment that dug that hole!”
• The second little boy said, “Have you ever seen the dead sea? My dad is a boxer, he killed it.”
• Third little boy said, “Have you ever seen Niagara Falls? My dad is a plumber and he can stop that nasty leak!”
Our heavenly Father, that we serve, can do things that you and I are not even capable of THINKING or ASKING.
Illus: One preacher of a new work came to his church one day and discovered that someone had stolen his church sign. When he first noticed it was gone he was upset. Then he began praying that God would make whoever had stolen it bring it back. This went on for several weeks. One day, he drove around the comer and what did he see? Someone had returned his church sign and had even put it back up just like it had been before.
Not long after he told a pastor friend about the church sign, he discovered someone had stolen table saw. He liked that saw so much that one time he sold it and missed it so much he prayed the Lord would move on the man’s heart to sell it back to him. Well, when it was stolen, this pastor remembered what his friend had told him about how God had answered his prayers about his church sign, so he began to pray God would make the thief return his saw. Several days later, evidently the person was so convicted that he returned the saw. Those pastors never knew who stole their things, but they know God brought such conviction that the thieves had to return the goods.
The God we serve is able to do above anything that we could ever ask for or even think of.
The people of Israel prayed to the GOD OF POWER, not to the dead gods of Egypt. And the powerful God of heaven delivered them from the most powerful dictator and army of that day and time!
Should not this God of all power, the God Who delivered Israel from bondage, have the right to say, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me"?
Illus: After all God had done for Israel, if they had entered into the promised land and served the gods of Egypt would have been like a man eating at one restaurant and paying for the food at another.
So, God gave this first commandment. God delivered them, then He commanded them not to place any other gods before Him.
II. GOD HAS A PURPOSE.
Exodus 20:2, I am the Lord My God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house bondage."
God reminded them He was the One who had brought them out of slavery and had it not been for Him they would have still been there.
NOW WE MIGHT ASK WHY HE BROUGHT THEM OUT?
Well, He had something in mind. He wanted to make them a nation that would be an EXAMPLE to all other nations of how they were supposed to GOVERN their lives and show them there is ONLY ONE GOD and He alone is worthy of worship, praise, and service.
ISRAEL COULD NEVER TESTIFY TO THE UNGODLY OF A TRUE AND LIVING GOD IF THEY DID NOT SERVE HIM.
Illus: Often the Israelites were like many today who are supposed to be an example to a lost world.
That is, they would be all zealous and on fire for God for a period of time, then they would slide over and serve the gods of this world.
We read of many times that God became angry with Israel because of the rotten example they were setting before their lost neighbors. He punished them severely for this.
God's purpose was to make Israel an example of a people who would live for Him, and of His blessing them when they lived for Him, so that other nations could see and would serve Him too.
God has set it up that examples be used to learn from, GOOD lessons and BAD.
Even animals follow examples.
Illus: A kitten was abandoned by its mother before it learned some of the basic things most cats know. It was adopted by a family who nursed it along, but they were at a loss as to how to teach it some of the things it should know, so they put it with an adult cat they had. As the kitten observed the older cat in its every day functions it immediately followed her example.
Children follow examples. Often the examples parents set are the examples they follow so it is important these examples are good.
Someone has said, “It is extremely difficult for a child to live right if he or she has not ever seen it done.”
Every mother and father needs to understand that one day their children will follow their example instead of their advice.
How it must break the heart of God to have a plan for every child, and then have the parents neglect going to church, Bible study, and prayer. Here He has placed that child there for them to teach, but the child grows up without really knowing God in a personal way. All they know, if they know anything about Him at all, is that He comes last.
Illus: A father died! Before his death on many occasions he was invited to attend church. Each time in the presence of his children he stated he was busy that week end and would not be able to come. After his death the same preacher who had invited him to attend church, gave that same invitation to his now grown son. The son immediately gave the same excuses his dad gave.
God's purpose in delivering the people of Israel from Egyptian bondage was to have an example for other nations to follow.
This is one reason God said, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
They could not possibly fulfill God's purpose as a nation if they had other gods before the true and living God.
Also, we can not possibly fulfill God's purpose for us if we have other gods before the true and living God.
GOD HAS AWESOME POWER, GOD HAS A PURPOSE, but also-
III. GOD HAS A PLAN.
Illus: Alan F. Johnson, in his book, God Speaks To An X-Rated Ssociety said, “Not only is He able to formulate a purpose…He is also able to retrieve what is lost, to recreate what is broken, and to renew lives that are ruined. He is able to rescue men from their sins, shortcomings and failures, and to bring them to Himself.”
Israel was a poor, helpless, hopeless nation in slavery.
God's plan was to bring them from bondage into freedom, from darkness into the light.
The most mighty power on earth (Pharaoh) was threatening to oppress them until they were completely wiped out, but God had other plans and He redeemed them to be His very own.
Notice God commanded them, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
The fact that He commanded them implies that He did not make, or force, them.
Illus: He could have made every man He created a robot that would move and do only what He made them do, but He did not do that!
He gave commandments and we have a choice. Israel had a choice, to obey, or disobey. God's plan was to redeem them and make them His very own, but He left the choice in their hands, and He does the same for us. It is up to us not to let the devil deceive us.
Illus: Once there was a man, of whom it was said:
• He wore his raincoat when it rained.
• He brushed his teeth twice a day... with a nationally known toothpaste.
• The doctors examined him twice a year.
• He slept with the window open to get plenty of fresh air.
• He stuck to a diet with plenty of fresh vegetables.
• He relinquished his tonsils and traded in several worn out glands.
• He golfed - but never more more 18 holes at a time.
• He got at least eight hours of sleep every night.
• He never smoked, drank or lost his temper.
• He did his '”daily dozen" daily. He was all set to five to be a hundred.
• The funeral service will be tomorrow.
• He's survived by eight physicians and three specialists, two gymnasiums and numerous manufacturers of health foods and antiseptics.
He took care of everything in life, but forgot to take care of meeting God.
A skeleton of a woman was found on the hot sands of the Mojave Desert. Before she died she had written a note which read: "I am exhausted and must have water! I do not believe I can last much longer!'
She died of thirst and exposure just two miles from Surpise Springs where water flowed in abundance.
Listen, If I was not a Christian I would rather die as a heathen, than die and go to hell as a person who has heard over and over again how much the Lord loved me and wanted to save me.
For many people the horror of hell will be in their knowing they had sat in a Bible-preaching, Bible-believing church, and could have been saved.
Illus: A story was aired of a man that had a lottery ticket that was worth millions and he swapped it off to a for a riding lawn mower. He let it be known he felt like the biggest fool that has ever lived.
Conclusion/Summary:
Some of you here today need to be saved but you are thinking that you can not do that today because you still want to serve the gods of sports, sex, popularity, wealth, etc.
I can assure you of this, when you stand before the Lord Jesus and realize that you are doomed for eternity you are going to feel like the biggest fool that ever lived to know you were so close, you walked to heaven's gate, but went to an eternal hell!
Jesus came to redeem you and He said, " Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
This is a commandment, either you will obey it, or disobey it!
I. GOD HAS AWESOME POWER.
II. GOD HAS A PURPOSE.
III. GOD HAS A PLAN.
