Courtney Gilmore How would you feel if your spouse praised another above you; seemed to think that person could give them something you couldn’t; gave gifts to someone else or more of themselves; had more affection for; talked more with or spent more time with them? Even though they hadn’t been unfaithful to you sexually, you would feel betrayed by these things, right? Whether you’d classify it as adultery or not, if your spouse gave to another what rightfully only belongs to you, you would feel betrayed and it would damage your relationship.
The first two commandments had to do with betrayal, unfaithfulness, and devotion to God.
You shall have no other gods before Me. Do not make for yourself a carved image, any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or on the earth beneath, or in the water below. You shall not bow down to the or serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.
Deuteronomy 5:7-9
These commandments may seem outdated to us because most people don’t worship God along with other gods and we seldom worship carved images these days. But the reason behind these commands certainly pertains to us. God is a jealous God! Just as we don’t want to share our husband with another woman, God doesn’t want to share His top position with any other.
I am the Lord. That is my name. My glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.
Isaiah 42:8
They Have NO Power
Every other nation besides Israel worshipped other gods and most of them had images of them that they prayed to and worshipped. This was such a pointless act because these gods had no power to answer their prayers or even hear them for that matter. Everything worshipped had either been created by God or man. So how can something that we make provide for us something that we can’t provide for ourselves. How can something God made, provide something that He cannot?
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk, and they do not make a sound in their throat.
Psalm 115:4-7
A Mockery
Elijah mocked the Baal worshipers when they prayed to their god to bring down fire on their altar. He told them to yell louder because maybe he was just hard of hearing, or maybe he was in the bathroom, or was sleeping or had gone on a trip. It’s a hilarious exchange! The whole thing is really ridiculous. It’s absolutely useless for them to go to anyone other than God for answers to their prayers.
But do we sometimes do the same thing? What does God think when we call a friend when we are in trouble instead of praying to Him? Does He say to us, “There’s no point. This person has no power,” when we run to others for help with our problems?
Also, how insulting! That is the same as our spouse going to another acting as if they can provide something for them that we cannot. What a betrayal! We show our lack of faith in Him when we go to others before we go to our Father, the Creator of Heaven and Earth.
Know Him
In reminding the people of the Ten Commandments, Moses also reminded them of how much God loved them, what He had done for them out of this love, how powerful He is, and why He deserved their praise, obedience, and love in return.
Did any people ever hear the voice of a god speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and still live? Or has any god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great deeds of terror, all of which the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord is God. There is no other besides him. Out of heaven He let you hear his voice, that He might discipline you. On earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire.
Because He loved your fathers and chose their offspring after them and brought you out of Egypt with His own presence, by His great power, driving out before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is this day, know therefore today, and lay it to your ear, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath. There is no other! Therefore you shall keep His statutes and His commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you.
Deuteronomy 4:33-40
He Is Worthy
For these same reasons, God deserves our love, admiration, praise, obedience, devotion, prayer, worship, service, sacrifice, time, and everything else we have to give. He is the only One able to answer our prayers and He loves us beyond measure!
When someone loves you more than any other, they deserve all your love in return. So, think of how you would feel if you gave everything to the person you love, and they gave everything to another. Then think about your relationship with God. Have you ever praised someone else for something He did? Do you give to everyone else but forget to serve your Lord? Are you willing to sacrifice for others but not for Him? Do you talk to or spend more time with your friends than you do with God? Do you tell them what is happening in your life before you tell Him?
He wants to be our top priority and He deserves to be. He has earned that position. John, the apostle watched a scene play out in heaven where the twenty-four elders fell down, cast their crowns at the throne, and worshipped Him saying,
Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power. For You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created.
Revelation 4:11
He created us and has given us everything we have. Now, we are to give to Him in return.
I appeal to you therefore, brother, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1
Excerpt from Episode 102 “Loving God Above All” on Podcast and YouTube
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