NO OTHER GOD BEFORE ME

NO OTHER GOD BEFORE ME—PART 1

The first commandment of the Ten Commandments is easily the most important commandment.  That’s why God put it first in line.  If we follow the first commandment with full hearts, everything else falls wonderfully into place.

From the New American Standard: “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)

You mean we have a choice?  In some ways, yes.  But in one important way, not at all.  When only one God exists, and His name is the all-encompassing I AM, how can we have a choice?

Suppose, however, we had a choice.  What would we look for as we interviewed the god we would potentially choose?  The obvious first characteristic would be perfection.  That eliminates all the Roman, Norse, and Greek gods.  Zeus is reduced to being a good name for a cat or a dog or a 1975 Vega. 

Secondly, he must be infinitely empowered in all aspects of his existence.  Why would we follow a god who is only 95% god?  If he’s not in control of every aspect of the universe, why be interested in him?  Or her?  Or it?  By definition, the word ‘god’ indicates someone who personifies absolute power over all. 

Next, there can only be one.  Some scholars say there are 66 Norse gods, 41 Greek gods, and 67 Roman gods.  How does that work exactly?  Do all the gods get together at year end for a “Most Valuable God” banquet?   Or “Most Improved God?”  Or “Most Likely To Succeed God?”

Suppose you lived in Norway and worshiped the Norse god Odin.  Then you moved to Greece.  Greece is Zeus’ dominion.  Undoubtedly, you would upset Zeus if you came into his territory and started worshipping a god from another realm.  If you then move to Rome, then you upset Jupiter.  Pretty much anywhere you go, the local god gets emotional if you persist in worshipping Odin.

Far more practical for there to be just one god.  But which one is the true god?  You’re getting a headache, huh.  With all these gods, it’s like trying to buy the perfect pair of shoes. 

However, we now realize we need a perfect, all-powerful god who is the only one. 

One of a god’s main responsibilities is to rule over the afterlife in order to bestow either a good eternal life or a horrible eternal life.  A heaven or a hell, simply put.  Therefore, we must address that issue. 

Do we really want to follow a god who waits until we die to tell us whether we’ve made heaven or hell?  Wouldn’t we want a heads up before we died?  Imagine standing before a god, visibly shaken to our core, because we don’t know if he will give us a ‘thumbs up’ or a ‘thumbs down.’

All kinds of questions blister our minds: Did I serve him enough?  Did I do everything right? Does he love me enough to allow me to enter into his paradise?  Does he love me at all?  

Therefore, we want a perfect, all-powerful one god who tells us BEFORE WE DIE whether we will enjoy eternal life or suffer horribly forever. 

Only one God fits our requirements.  He is the triune God, the God of the Israelites and of all Believers in Christ.  He offers the peace of knowing our eternal destination before we die.  He offers the joy of salvation in this lifetime rather than us ‘rolling the dice’ as we cower in front of Him at our arrival into the next life.

He’s the God who lived on earth as a human for 33 years.  He’s the God who sacrificed Himself on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven and so that we could enter into His rest for all of time.  He’s absolutely the only God who ever died and then lived again.    

He’s the only God who loved you so much He desired to have a deep, deep relationship with you.  Check it out and see for yourself. 

“Don’t have any other God besides me.” In light of all this, it’s an easy decision isn’t it?  Except it’s not.

Zeus and company make up the fictional gods.  But there are other ‘gods’ which can rule over our lives.  That’s a discussion for another time. Meanwhile, hopefully, we see Jesus’ words, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light,” becoming truth when we move into the shade and shelter of the one true God.  Then we ourselves proclaim, “I will worship no other God.  He alone is my God.”  The following pump of the fist signals the beginning of a life of rest and peace.