Exodus 20:3, “You shall have no other gods before me.”
This week and next week on MBC Youth Daily Devotionals, we will examine the “Ten Commandments.” Now, if you grew up in the Church, then you probably grew up memorizing the Ten Commandments in Sunday School, or you learned about them when you walked through the book of Exodus or the stories of the Bible in general. And if you didn’t grow up in the Church, then, in one way or another, you’ve probably heard about the Ten Commandments. Whether you’ve heard and studied them or not, this will be an excellent opportunity for you as a young believer to grow in your love for God’s Word, to delight in His Law, and to practice faithful obedience to His Will!
The first half of the Ten Commandments deals with God and His relationship to us and our relationship to Him. The second half deals with the result of God’s relationship with us and our relationship with Him and how that is displayed and played out in our relationship with one another.
The First of the Ten Commandments is, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Sounds easy enough, right? Well, at first glance, it can be easy to miss grammatically, but the commandment does not give any wiggle room because it commands that the people of God, Christians, should never have any other gods before the One True God, Yahweh (the covenant name of God revealed in Exodus 3:13-14). This commandment is NOT promoting or saying that there are “other gods” like Zeus or Thor (both of which are made up and not real), but what it is saying is that (1) Yahweh is the One True God; (2) Yahweh is the only God to be praised, worshipped and prioritized; and (3) all other “gods” are false gods and should not be praised, worshiped or prioritized. So, what does that mean? Well, first, it provides the assurance. Assurance that you are serving, trusting, and hoping in the One TRUE, REAL, and ONLY God. Second, it makes clear what you are to do as a child of God and follower of Jesus Christ. You are to serve, praise, worship, and prioritize God. You do that by placing Him first in your life and showcasing that through your life by remembering that you are Christian, an image bearer, a follower of Jesus Christ, and a citizen of the Kingdom of God first and last. Third, you can be encouraged, young believer. Encouraged by the fact that “all other gods” can be ignored, put away, and done away with because your solid foundation, your hope, joy, love, purpose, and salvation are found in the One True God. You need no one else but Christ alone, who saves and loves you. Today, think about what it means to put away “all other gods” and to only praise, worship, and prioritize the one true God. Today, take time to praise God! Today, share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and explain why He is to be praised and worshiped.
Bible through the Year: Genesis 27-28; Romans 11