The First Commandment
"I am The Lord your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me." (Exodus 20:2-3 RSV)
The Creator Is The Only True God
The Creator, the God of Israel, the God of The Holy Bible, made all that exists, including all of the living or lifeless things, or mere ideas (i.e. any political philosophy that one lives by that is contrary to the Word of God, or any science that denies the existence of the Creator of all natural laws of science - see The First Scientist) that humans have made into "gods" - but which in fact are all merely objects created by the Creator.
Only the Creator has the power to be God; looking to anything, or anyone, else for salvation is literally a dead end. This includes anything that is deemed "more important right now" than worship and obedience to the only true God, or worshipping the true God in a manner contrary to His Word (see I Did It My Way...)
Many people, when they read the First Commandment's reference to ancient Egypt feel as though it does not apply to them. They do not appreciate that the "out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage" refers not only to the ancient physical Exodus of God's people, but to how God's people are delivered today from slavery to sin, from bondage to Satan, the "other god of this world" (see Who Still Rules The World Today?). Just as Moses was the deliverer of physical Israelites, so Jesus Christ is the Deliverer of spiritual Israelites:
"they will repent and come to know the Truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will." (2 Timothy 2:25-26 RSV)
"I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin which dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:23-25 RSV)
"The Deliverer will come from Zion [see Who, What or Where Is Zion?], He will banish ungodliness from Jacob"; and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins." (Romans 11:26-27 RSV)
"Other gods" have a contagious worthlessness - those who worship worthless gods become worthless in God's sight:
"Behold, you are nothing, and your work is nought; an abomination is he who chooses you." (Isaiah 41:24 RSV)
"But The Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure His indignation. Thus shall you say to them: "The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens." (Jeremiah 10:10-11 RSV)
Fact Finder: How did Jesus Christ summarize the First Commandment?
Matthew 22:36-38
This Week's Bible Quiz
1. Which of Israel's sons had a name beginning with an R?
2. Which of Israel's sons had a name beginning with an S?
3. Which of Israel's sons had a name beginning with an L?
4. Which 2 of Israel's sons had names beginning with a J?
5. Which of Israel's sons had a name beginning with a D?
6. Which of Israel's sons had a name beginning with an N?
7. Which of Israel's sons had a name beginning with a G?
8. Which of Israel's sons had a name beginning with an A?
9. Which of Israel's sons had a name beginning with an I?
10. Which of Israel's sons had a name beginning with a Z?
11. Which of Israel's sons had a name beginning with a B?
12. What are the names of the 2 of Israel's grandsons who were made into tribes of Israel?
13. What is the name of Israel's only recorded daughter?
For the answers to this March 18 2003 quiz, see the Bible Quiz Answers Page
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