The First Commandment – The Intent of the First Commandment

The First Commandment

The Intent of the First Commandment (2)

Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7

“…You shall have no other gods before me.”

First, the commandment begins with the negative particle “Not.” The commandments of God are phrased in terms meant to negate our natural, sinful tendencies.

In our natural, unsaved condition, human beings tend to attribute their wellbeing to all manner of things, circumstances, and other people. They turn from the knowledge of God, which He makes known to them in the creation, to worship and serve created things, as though these were the source of their wellbeing (Rom. 1:18ff). Therefore, people attend to such things, circumstances, and relationships with a devotion and determination by means of which, in their own best efforts, they intend to provide for their maximum wellbeing. Rather than trust God and rest in Him, they attribute to unreliable sources, together with their own strength and wiles, the responsibility for providing the blessings God promises and God alone can provide.

Hence, emphatically at the beginning of this and all the commandments, God puts His people on notice that being His people requires that they resist all sinful tendencies to rely on any creatures, together with their own efforts, in order to realize the blessings He alone can give.

This series of In the Gates we present a detailed explanation of the Law of God, beginning with the Ten Commandments, and working through the statutes and rules that accompany each commandment. For a practical guide to the role of God’s Law in the practice of ethics, get The Ground for Christian Ethics by going to www.MyParuchia.com and click on our Book Store.

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.