You Shall Have No Other Gods

”You Shall Have No Other Gods” (Exodus 20:3 )

Introduction: Last week we were looking at the first two parts of the covenant treaty which the Lord made with His people Israel. We saw from this that the Lord is the God who made you, and the One who has entered into a gracious covenant with you, therefore, you owe Him absolute obedience. This is a good check on where your heart is at. Do you like the sound of those words, ”absolute obedience?” When you think of it in terms of serving some earthly tyrant, it doesn’t sound too appealing, does it? But when it is used to speak of the service you owe to the One who created you, you should count it the best of privileges. Because He made you, you owe Him all obedience. But not only has He created you, He also graciously delivered you from the tyranny of the devil and from your sin. If you were bound to serve the Lord because He made you and owns you, how much more should you serve Him because of the great love with which He has loved you? If His love has really filled your heart, you will want to serve Him with all that you are and have. But remember, He has not left it up to your own understanding as to how He want you to love and obey Him. He gives to you His commandments. And it is to those commandments that we now turn. For those of you who are married here this evening, do you remember when you entered into that marriage covenant with your spouse? Do you remember the love and the excitement of what it was that you were about to do? You both were dressed in the finest clothes. You looked perhaps better than you ever had before. And you were excited about entering that marriage covenant for life. You had spent a great deal of time cultivating your relationship with each other. You had spent much time in prayer seeking to know whether or not this was the one whom the Lord had given to you to be your spouse for life. And then, having come to that settled assurance that you could better serve the Lord together than apart from one another, you stood before the minister and in the presence of many witnesses and took upon yourselves the obligations of the marriage covenant before God to love and cherish one another for the rest of your lives, to the exclusion of anyone else. It was a wonderful time; it was a time to rejoice in the goodness of God for giving you to each other, and for giving you the love and commitment that was necessary to see it through to the end. The beauty of marriage is one of the main ways that the Lord uses to picture His relationship with His people. The Old Covenant church was the bride of Yahweh, and the New Covenant church is the bride of Christ. The prophet Isaiah wrote, ”FOR AS A YOUNG MAN MARRIES A VIRGIN, SO YOUR SONS WILL MARRY YOU; AND AS THE BRIDEGROOM REJOICES OVER THE BRIDE, SO YOUR GOD WILL REJOICE OVER YOU” (62:51. And the apostle John, in Revelation 19: 7, wrote, ”LET US REJOICE AND BE GLAD AND GIVE THE GLORY TO HIM, FOR THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB HAS COME AND HIS BRIDE HAS MADE HERSELF READY.” One of the reasons that marriage is used to illustrate our relationship with the Lord is because we have entered into a covenant with Him, a covenant which is very much like the marriage covenant, a covenant in which we commit ourselves to have the true God as our only God, and He commits Himself to love and us provide for us. As in marriage, so it is here, you are betrothed to one spouse, and you must be faithful to Him. And this is precisely what the first commandment tells us. And what I want you to see this evening is, God commands you to take H i m as your God, and to have no other. A s we have seen i n the previous weeks, there are certain things which

2

this commandment requires of us, and certain things which it forbids us. This evening, we will want to look at what it requires of us.

I.

To Start With, I Would Like To Make a Few Brief Observations About the Commandment Itself. A. First It Tells Us that It Is Sinful to Have Any Other God in Place of the True God. 1 . That is the plain meaning of the verse. 2. It reads literally, ”YOU SHALL NOT HAVE OTHER GODS OVER AGAINST ME,” or ”IN DEFIANCE OF ME.” 3 . All the other Gods are false gods, and to have any other god, especially a false god, as over against the true God, would be the greatest affront to Him. a. That would be like committing adultery with one other than your spouse. It would greatly violate your marriage covenant and deal a shattering blow to your spouse. b. Or perhaps more accurately, it would be like dressing a manikin up to look like your spouse, and then loving it as you ought to love your spouse. How do you suppose that would make him or her feel? c. In the same way, having any other god as your God, is abhorrent in the sight of God. It is the breaking of your covenant vows with Him. B.

Second, That Taking Another God It Is Always Forbidden to Us. 1 . The words in the original language express a strong prohibition. In essence it reads, ”YOU SHALL NEVER HAVE OTHER GODS BEFORE ME.” It is not only forbidden to you now, but forever. a. When you stood at the altar and promised to take your spouse as your husband or wife and to love him or her alone, it was not only for then, but for the rest of your lives together. b. The same is true with respect to God. When you entered into covenant with Him, you covenanted to take Him as the true God, as your God, then, and for the rest of eternity. c. To take to yourself another god is never permitted even for a moment. d. You are to love Him as your God throughout all time. 2.

This is true of the other prohibitions as well. When they forbid something, that something must never be done, except for those rare occasions we saw a few weeks ago.

C. And Third, That We Must Always Remember that God Sees Everything that We Do, Which Should Give Us the Incentive to Obey Him. 1 . God does not leave us with the bare command without something to encourage us to obedience or to dissuade us from disobedience. He knows that we are creatures of motivation, and that we need to be motivated. 2. Here again, a look at the original language opens up the meaning. a. It reads literally, ”YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE MY FACE.

”

You must which is c. There is will not d. When you b.

always remember that God’s presence is everywhere, to say that He is everywhere. no place where you can go and do anything where He see you. sin anywhere on earth, it is as much before the

3

face of God as if you went before His throne and committed the indecent act there. He sees it; He knows that you did it more fully than you yourself know. As a matter of fact, He knew fully and perfectly what you were going to do even before you did it, even in eternity before He made you. It was and is an eternal thought in the mind of God. e. But knowing that God sees you should be an incentive for you to remain faithful to Him. f. There are, for instance, certain things that you would not be tempted to do if anyone at all could see you. The presence of other people would give you the necessary restraints. g. There are things you would not be tempted to do only if there were certain people watching you, people who knew you, people who knew that you were acting against your convictions. h. If this is true of you when other people are watching you, how much more should you be dissuaded from sin knowing that God is with you wherever you go? i. You may say that you already know this. If this is the case, why then do you continue to sin in thought word and action, knowing that God can scrutinize not only your actions, but also your motives? j. I’ 11 tell you why. The sin which indwells you, as well as the devil, is constantly seeking to blind you to this fact. The result is that you sin willingly and blindly. And when the Lord brings you to your senses, you heart is struck by your sin, and you repent. k. But this is just to remind you that that incentive is there. God sees you all the time. He sees your heart. He knows even now what is going on inside of it. So make sure that you live every day, every moment, in His presence. 11. Having Now Seen These Observations on This Commandment, Secondly, I Want You to See What It Is that This Commandment Requires of You. To Borrow the Shorter Catechism Definition, ”The first commandment requires us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify Him accordingly” (S.C. 46). A. It Requires You First to Know and Confess Him to Be the Only True God and Your God. 1 . You are to know that Yahweh is alone the true God. a. The Lord said to His covenant people through the prophet Isaiah, ”’YOU ARE MY WITNESSES,’ DECLARES THE LORD, ’AND MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN, IN ORDER THAT YOU MAY KNOW AND BELIEVE ME, AND UNDERSTAND THAT I AM HE. BEFORE ME THERE WAS NO COD FORMED, AND THERE WILL BE NONE AFTER ME. I, EVEN I, AND THE LORD; AND THERE IS NO SAVIOR BESIDES ME. IT IS I WHO HAVE DECLARED AND SAVED AND PROCLAIMED, AND THERE WAS NO STRANGE COD AMONG YOU; SO YOU ARE MY WITNESSES,’ DECLARES THE LORD, ’AND I AM Gon” (43:10-12). b. The God of Scripture alone is the true God. There cannot be two infinite Gods. There cannot be two eternals. There is only one God. All of the other gods are false. 2.

And you are also exhorted to know this God and to confess Him to be your God. a. David said to his son, ”AS FOR YOU, MY SON SOLOMON, KNOW THE m n OF YOUR FATHER, AND SERVE HIM WITH A WHOLE HEART AND A

4

WILLING MIND; FOR THE LORD SEARCHES ALL HEARTS, AND UNDERSTANDS EVERY INTENT OF THE THOUGHTS. IF YOU SEEK HIM, HE WILL LET YOU FIND HIM; BUT IF YOU FORSAKE HIM, HE WILL REJECT YOU FOREVER” ( 1 Chr. 28:9). b. Do you believe that He is the only true God? Is He your God? Do you confess Him as such and seek to live in such a way that He would would be pleased for you to call Him your God? Then listen to the words of Moses as he exhorted the Old Covenant community of God to follow the Lord, and take these words into your hearts. ”THIS DAY THE LORD YOUR GOD COMMANDS YOU TO DO THESE STATUTES AND ORDINANCES. YOU SHALL THEREFORE BE CAREFUL TO no THEM WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL. YOU HAVE TODAY DECLARED THE LORD TO BE YOUR GOD, AND THAT YOU WOULD WALK IN HIS WAYS AND KEEP HIS STATUTES, HIS COMMANDMENTS AND HIS ORDINANCES, AND LISTEN TO HIS VOICE. AND THE LORD HAS TODAY DECLARED YOU TO BE HIS PEOPLE, A TREASURED POSSESSION, AS HE PROMISED YOU, AND THAT YOU SHOULD KEEP ALL HIS COMMANDMENTS; AND THAT HE SHALL SET YOU HIGH ABOVE ALL NATIONS WHICH HE HAS MADE, FOR PRAISE, FAME, AND HONOR; AND THAT YOU SHALL BE A CONSECRATED PEOPLE TO THE LORD YOUR GOD, AS HE HAS SPOKEN” (Deu. 26: 16-19). c. If you have known the Lord, and confessed Him before men, He has taken you to be His treasured possession. B.

But Secondly, the First Commandment Also Requires of You that You Worship and Glorify Him in the Way that Is Worthy of Him. 1 . Since He is God, the true God, and your God, there can be no question that He alone is the One you must worship and glorify. It is the only proper response that you can give to the infinitely glorious God of all Creation. 2. Because the whole Bible was given for the purpose of showing us how to glorify and honor Him, it would be impossible for me to show you all the possible ways tonight. But what I would like to give you are several of the ways in which God commands you to glorify Him. Each of these could be a sermon in itself, but what I will do is give you the principle and then read a verse or two of Scripture where that principle is found. a. First, by thinking and meditating upon Him. (i) The prophet Malachi wrote, ”THEN THOSE WHO FEARED THE LORD SPOKE TO ONE ANOTHER, AND THE LORD GAVE ATTENTION AND HEARD IT, AND A BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE WAS WRITTEN BEFORE HIM FOR THOSE WHO FEAR THE LORD, AND WHO [THOUGHT UPON HIS NAME]” (3:16, [KJV]). (ii) David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, wrote, ”WHEN I REMEMBER THEE ON MY BED, I MEDITATE ON THEE IN THE NIGHT WATCHES, FOR THOU HAST BEEN MY HELP, m n IN THE SHADOW OF THY WINGS I SING FOR JOY” (Ps. 63:6-7). Second, by highly esteeming Him. The psalmist wrote, ”FOR THY RIGHTEOUSNESS, o GOD, REACHES TO THE HEAVEN, THOU WHO HAST DONE GREAT THINGS; O GOD, WHO IS LIKE THEE?” (Ps. 71:19). c. Third, by honoring Him. The Lord said through Malachi the prophet, ”A SON HONORS HIS FATHER, AND A SERVANT HIS MASTER. THEN IF I AM A FATHER, WHERE IS MY HONOR? m n IF I AM A MASTER, WHERE IS MY RESPECT? SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS TO YOU, O PRIESTS WHO DESPISE MY NAME” (1:6).

b.

5

d. Fourth, by choosing Him to be your God. Joshua said, "AND IF IT IS DISAGREEABLE IN YOUR SIGHT TO SERVE THE LORD, CHOOSE FOR YOURSELVES TODAY WHO YOU WILL SERVE: WHETHER THE GODS WHICH YOUR FATHERS SERVED WHICH WERE BEYOND THE RIVER, OR THE GODS OF THE AMORITES IN WHOSE LAND YOU ARE LIVING; BUT FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD" (Josh. 24:15). e. Fifth, by loving and desiring Him. Moses wrote, "AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL AND WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT." And the psalmist wrote, "WHOM HAVE I IN HEAVEN BUT THEE? AND BESIDES THEE, I DESIRE NOTHING ON EARTH. MY FLESH AND MY HEART MAY FAIL, BUT GOD IS THE STRENGTH OF MY HEART AND MY PORTION FOREVER" (Deu. 6:5; Ps. 73:25-26). f. Sixth, by fearing Him. Isaiah said, "IT IS THE LORD OF HOSTS WHOM YOU SHOULD REGARD AS HOLY. AND HE SHALL BE YOUR FEAR, AND HE SHALL BE YOUR DREAD" (8:13). Seventh, by believing in Him. "AND WHEN ISRAEL SAW THE GREAT POWER WHICH THE LORD HAD USED AGAINST THE EGYPTIANS, THE PEOPLE FEARED THE LORD, AND THEY BELIEVED IN THE LORD AND IN HIS SERVANT MOSES" (EX. 14:31). h. Eighth, by trusting Him. "TRUST IN THE LORD FOREVER, FOR IN GOD THE LORD, WE HAVE AN EVERLASTING ROCK" (Isa. 26:4). i. Ninth, by hoping in His lovingkindness. " 0 ISRAEL, HOPE IN THE LORD; FOR WITH THE LORD THERE IS LOVINGKINDNESS, AND WITH HIM IS ABUNDANT REDEMPTION" (Ps. 130:7). j. Tenth, by delighting in Him. "DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD; AND HE WILL GIVE YOU THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART" (Ps. 37:4). k. Eleventh, by rejoicing in Him. "BE GLAD IN THE LORD AND REJOICE YOU RIGHTEOUS ONES, AND SHOUT FOR JOY ALL YOU WHO ARE UPRIGHT IN HEART" (Ps. 32: 11 ). 1. Twelfth, by being zealous for Him. In Romans 12, we read, "BE DEVOTED TO ONE ANOTHER IN BROTHERLY LOVE; GIVE PREFERENCE TO ONE ANOTHER IN HONOR; NOT LAGGING BEHIND IN DILIGENCE, FERVENT IN SPIRIT, SERVING THE LORD." And in Numbers 25, we see an example, "PHINEHAS THE SON OF ELEAZAR, THE SON OF AARON THE PRIEST, HAS TURNED AWAY MY WRATH FROM THE SONS OF ISRAEL, IN THAT HE WAS JEALOUS WITH MY JEALOUSY AMONG THEM, SO THAT I DID NOT DESTROY THE SONS OF ISRAEL IN MY JEALOUSY" (Rom. 12:10-11; Num. 25:ll). m. Thirteenth, by calling upon Him and giving Him all praise and thanksgiving. "BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION WITH THANKSGIVING LET YOUR REQUESTS BE MADE KNOWN TO GOD" (Phil. 4:6). n. Fourteenth, by giving Him all obedience and submitting yourself entirely to Him. In Jeremiah, we read, "BUT THIS IS WHAT I COMMANDED THEM, SAYING, 'OBEY MY VOICE, AND I WILL BE YOUR mn, AND YOU WILL BE MY PEOPLE; AND YOU WILL WALK IN ALL THE WAY WHICH I COMMAND YOU, THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU." And in James, "SUBMIT THEREFORE TO GOD. RESIST THE DEVIL AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU" (Jer. 7:23; James 4:7). Fifteenth, by being careful in all that you do to please Him. "AND WHATEVER WE ASK WE RECEIVE FROM HIM, BECAUSE WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS AND DO THE THINGS THAT ARE PLEASING IN HIS SIGHT" ( I John 3:22). Sixteenth, by feeling sorrow when He is offended by you or others. The psalmist writes, "MY EYES SHED STREAMS OF WATER,

6

q.

r.

BECAUSE THEY no NOT KEEP THY LAW” (PS. iig:i36). And lastly, by walking humbly with Him. ”HE HAS TOLD YOU, 0 MAN, WHAT IS Goon; AND WHAT noEs THE LORD REQUIRE OF YOU BUT TO DO JUSTICE, TO LOVE KINDNESS, AND TO WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD?” (Micah 6 : 8 ) . People of God, is the God of the Bible the true God? Have you taken Him to be your God? Then confess Him as your God by living a life which honors His name. Study His word; know His will. But most of all, adorn your profession with a life which brings glory and honor to Him. He is worthy of your affections; He is worthy of your whole-hearted devotion. Won’t you give yourself entirely to Him? Won’t you make your life like fragrant incense in His presence? Then give yourself wholly to His worship and His glory, for this is what the Lord requires of you. Amen.