In Exodus 20 God is giving the Ten Commandments. Verse 3 says "You shall have no other gods before me." That one is something most people know, even those who rarely darken the doorway of a church. But as I kept reading and got to verse 23, I discovered a gem that while I've read it, I never really stopped to ponder it.
"Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold."No other gods before is not enough...there are to be no other gods alongside either. The Israelites did this very thing over and over again throughout the Old Testament. 2 Kings 17:41 records:
"Even while these people were worshipping the Lord, they were serving their idols."They worshipped the Lord AND they served idols. Not that different from many of us, including me. This thought put a new spin on it for me. Not only do I need to discern if there is something before God but also if there is anything alongside of God. Why?
Well, several reasons really but here's a couple. First, Exodus 20:5 tells us God is a jealous God. Rightfully so because here's the second reason: He died for my sins so I can have eternal life. I think given that sacrifice, the least I can do is make Him the priority in my life.
2 comments:
Julie,
I like to meditate on Psalm 16, specifically verse 2
"I said to the Lord, you are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."
This has helped me when I find myself clinging to someone or something too much. Blessings,
Sharon - thanks for the reference. The Psalms are among my favorite scriptures and chapter 16 is good one (is there a bad?).
Thanks for the encouragement!
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