THE FIRST COMMANDMENT (Part 1)
Exodus 20:1-3
February 15, 1995
The 10 Commandments are formulated by God and not invented by Moses.
They are divine commandments and not human suggestions.
They were very clearly given. Not just by God declaring them audibly with thunder, lightning, trumpet sound and mountain is smoke..... but He made His command very clear by writing them Himself with His finger in tables of stone.
It shows God's will not only for the Jews but for all men throughout generations. In fact, not only for those during and after the time of Moses but also for those before him (Because of Romans 2:15,16, showing that when God gave the 10 Commandments to Moses it was only a formal writing down of what has already been in the hearts of all men since their birth).
It is for Christians today [James 2:12]
All moral and spiritual education starts here. Remove it from education and all order in society will eventually breakdown.
Illustration:
America's New 10 Commandments Today
Need for Re-Education
Evangelical churches should be re-educated on the Basics as the ancient Christians did when they catechized their church members. The Christians leaders made so many commentaries on the 10 Commandments, the Apostle's Creed, and the Lord's Prayer. When I was in elementary, we were required to memorize the 10 Commandments and the Apostle's Creed. Today, so many evangelical Christians do not know it.
Someone said:
"Today, where there is obsession to "Rights", the 10 Commandments calls us to discover our obligations to God, to our neighbor and to our society."
The Divisions:
1. As Christ has summarized the whole bible into 2 commands (Matthew 22:37-40) so the 10 Commandments can be generally divided into 2 main parts:
a) Man's obligations to His Creator [first 4)
b) Man's obligation to his fellowmen (last 6)
2. According to Deutoronomy 4:13 it is divided into 10 commands. This is why it is called "The Decalogue". As to the question of what is really the first, second etc. commandment, Jews, Catholics and Protestants are not in agreement.
a) Jews. 1st Commandment [Exodus 20:1,2]
2nd Commandment [Exodus 20:3-6, Combining the commands against idolatry and false form of worship)
b) Roman Catholics and Lutherans, following the custom of Augustine combine the first and second commandment as one and divided the last commandment into 2.
c) The Greek Orthodox Church, Protestant Reformers and most modern Bible students follow the division accepted by Josephus, Philo and Origen. (1st commandment v.3, 2nd commandment vv 4-6)
I think that the best division would be that which takes the last view. Because,;
1) The parallel Decalogue in Deutoronomy 5:6-21 takes for granted that covetousness is one commandment, the fact that it rearranges it. {Exodus 20:17, c.f. Deutoronomy 5:21]
2) Whenever Paul mentions that last commandment, he simply mentions, "Do not covet" without dividing it into 2 commands, "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife and then your neighbor's goods."
Note: Why do I take time to mention that, because it will be important as we come to the 2nd Commandment.
Illustration:
Here is how the Barna Report, an annual publication that gives information to Christians on contemporary religious trends in America, summarizes the 10 Commandments;
1. Do not worship gods other than the God described in the Bible.
2. You should not have any idols.
3. Do not swear or misuse God's name.
4. Do not work on the day of worship.
5. Honor your parents.
6. Do not commit murder.
7. Do not commit adultery.
8. Do not steal.
9. Do not lie.
10. Do not be jealous of the things other people have
General Comments:
Some general comments about this fist commandment.
1) Notice that it is first connected to man's obligation to God, his creator.
The bible opens with the passage on God:
"In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth."
In John 17:3, Christ says the eternal life consists in knowing God and Jesus Christ whom He sent.
Paul says that man's first sin that brings God's wrath is his ungodliness, in Romans. God's plan of salvation. However righteous or moral a man is if he is not rightly related to God, he is condemned.
2nd Thessalonians 1:8,9:
"He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power...."
2) Although the command has positive implications, it is first negatively stated. In fact 8 out of ten of the commandments are stated negatively. But the emphasis of the negative reminds us of our sinful nature. It is a reminder that we cannot just teach and preach on positive themes. Rebellious people are described in the bible as people who only want to hear pleasant things.
God's psychology:
Isaiah 30:9-11,;
"These are rebellious people.... Children unwilling to listen to the Lord's instruction. They say to the prophets, ‘Tell us pleasant things.... And stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel.'"
Negative and More Obvious Application
Today, We look at the negative and more obvious applications:
The command is
"you shall not worship gods other than the God described in the bible."
A. This includes not worshipping all false gods mentioned in the bible [1st Corinthians 8:4-6]
1. The Prologue, the Israelites at the foot of Mt. Sinai understood that very clearly to mean the Egyptian gods which were shown by God to be no gods at all. [Exodus 12:12 - Some had already been judged in the first 9 plagues.]
2. Old Testament mentioned several local gods [Judges 2:11]
"served the Baals"
Baalpeor - lord of Mt. Peor
Baalzebub - god of the Philistine city
3. Female gods [Judges 2:13 Ashtoreths like Ashtoreth and Asherah.]
This can apply to the local saints of Filipinos in barangays, barrios, etc.
4. Queen of Heaven [Jeremiah 7:18; 44:16-18]
Do not follow even if it seems to have blessed you materially [Deutoronomy 13:1-5]
5. Isaiah 65:11 gods of Fortune (suwerte) and Destiny (Kapalaran). Those who are controlled by superstitious beliefs. Fung Sui, Palaspas, firecrackers.
6. Isaiah 47:13 Astrologers and stargazers who make predictions month by month. Horoscope, Astrology.
7. Forms of occult [Deutoronomy 18:9-12, Acts 19:19]
8. Military might, intelligence and own strength. Daniel 4:30,;
"Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty.'"
9. Money, created things, another Jesus. God and Mammon.
B. The Command also includes, "You shall have no gods, in addition, to me. Syncretistic Religion. [2nd Kings 17:24-41]
Some say that they are worshipping the true God, but they have Santo Nino, Mary, St. Joseph, Sacred Heart, Buddha, Green Frog, Crystals, Pyramid, Anting-anting, oracion, etc. Kulang na lang, "To the unknown god."
C. The command includes not giving creatures the status or reverence that is only for God. [Acts 12:22,23]
1. The command is violated whenever people worship God's creatures, even if Theologians who try to safeguard this command say,
"Latria" is worship God alone
"Dulia" is to the saints
"Hyperdulia" is to Mary.
Example;
When a person says, "Jesus, Mary & Joseph, have mercy on us!"
2. The command is violated when we give honor to human beings beyond the ordinary respect to be given to parents, civil authorities, or Church authorities when we do the customary tokens of respect like "Mano" or "kiss" or "nadding" like the Koreans or Japanese, or standing in the presence of an aged person.
Acts 3:12
But if we begin even to stare at any person as if by his own power or godliness,he has made a miracle or worthy of special reverence, then it is idolatry.
Peter in Acts 10:25,26
Peter not perfect, Galatians 2:11
Paul, Acts 14:11-15
Even angels Revelation 19:10, 22:8,9
Even Mary
Luke 1:46 shows she needed a Savior
Luke 11:27,28 - removes worship
Matthew 11:11 - Mary is blessed among women but some are better than her.
The biblical account shows her to be imperfect like any human being
Luke 2:48,49 - Christ corrected her. "My Father's house"
John 2:4 - mild rebuke
Mark 3:21, 31-35 - she thought Jesus was crazy.
3. Every time we pray to anyone other than God we violate the command because Prayer is Worship.
God is the only true object of prayer because only He is Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent.
Questions:
1. What about apparitions? [2nd Corinthians 11:2-5, 14]
2. What about the prayers offered to them that were answered? [Deutoronomy 13:2-4, Jeremiah 444:17, Matthew 5:45, 2nd Thessalonians 2:19-12]
The Accusation
Roman 1:21, To whom did you give thanks? Who did you glorify?
To summarize:
The first command is:
Do not worship gods other than the God described in the Bible.
The Negative and obvious implications are:
1. Don't worship false gods.
2. Don't combine worship of true God with false gods.
3. Don't make God's creatures, sinner or saint, powerful, all knowing, not included in sinners saved by grace. Do not prayer to them.
4. Don't worship God and also add the worship and reverence to this creatures.
God will not allow anyone, before or in addition to Him. His requirement is absolute allegiance and worship of only the One true God of the Bible.
To most of us here, the implications are perhaps easy to obey. But others don't. May God open the eyes of many of our countrymen who do not see their disobedience of Scripture.
