"THE FIRST COMMANDMENT" (An Article by Christian Henry) ~ 5/22/25

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3

The first commandment concerns the object of our worship, which is God and Him only, because He is the one actual divine Creator of the universe. The Egyptians, and other neighboring nations, had many gods that were creatures of their own design; strange gods and new gods as well. This command came first at Mt. Sinai to keep the people from going astray. Since they serve the God of Israel, they must entirely cleave to Him and not be for anyone else; either of their own invention or borrowed from their new neighbors. This was the sin they were most in danger of now that the world was so overspread with polytheism. The rest of the world was ready and willing to bow to any other god.

The sin against this commandment which we are most in danger of today is giving the glory and honor due to God alone to any other creature or feeling. Pride makes a god of oneself, covetousness makes a god of money, and sensuality makes a god of desires. Whatever is esteemed or loved, feared or served, delighted in or depended on, more than God, that (whatever it is) we do, in effect, make a god of. When one is in church or trying to read the Bible but is distracted, they are shirking the first commandment - even if it’s something small. If we’re not giving God the time He’s due, it’s an indictment of our priorities.

The first commandment includes a precept which is the foundation of the other nine (which is why it is first) in 5 parts: that we take the Lord for our God, acknowledge that He is God, accept Him as ours, adore Him with admiration and humble reverence, and set our affections entirely upon Him. We cannot have any other God; if we do, He will certainly know it. There is none besides Him but what is before Him. Idolaters covet secrecy, but God will always uncover the truth. The disregard of this command is very provoking to God - it is a sin that dares Him to His face, which He cannot and will not overlook. Psalm 44:20, 21 says: “If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god; Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.”

This is the first command and, as I said, is opposed to the polytheism of the Egyptians, from whom Israel had just fled, and whose gods some of them might have taken a liking to and committed idolatry with. It also warned against serving the gods of Canaan, into whose land they were going, and to prevent their joining with them in the worship. This law was given to be of standing to us and the ancient people in all generations, for there is but one living and true God.

He is the former and maker of all things, and as such is to be had, owned, acknowledged, served, and worshipped. All others have only the name and are not by nature gods; they are not real, but fictitious deities.

God will have no rivals or competitors, and even if He is worshipped but others are worshipped with Him, if others are set before Him and worshipped along with Him, or it is pretended He is worshipped in them, He will not tolerate it. The phrase “before me” may be rendered "against me," meaning in opposition to Him, against His will, or contrary to the obedience due to Him.

Make no mistake: this law absolutely does not oppose the doctrine of the trinity of persons in the Godhead, since though the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, there are not three Gods - but three Persons. These three are one God.