The Ten Commandments are some of the first things that come to mind when people think about the Bible. They are the foundation of God’s law. The Ten Commandments are supposed to serve as the primary source of all laws in our country. If you visit the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., you will notice that at the top of the building on the Eastern side is a group of figures. In the middle of those figures is Moses holding the tablets that had the Ten Commandments on them.

While the Ten Commandments are recognized by many as laws that are given by God, not as many as you would think could tell you what they are. There was an alarming survey ^[1] http://www.reuters.com/article/us-bible-commandments/americans-know-big-macs-better-than-ten-commandments-idUSN1223894020071012 that was released in 2007 that showed more Americans knew the ingredients of a Big Mac than the Ten Commandments. 

• 80% knew about the “two all-beef patties” while less than 60% knew “you shall not murder.” 
• 62% knew that the Big Mac had a pickle while only 45% could recall “Honor your father and mother.”

It is no secret that our society is becoming more biblically illiterate. With more people knowing the ingredients of a McDonald’s sandwich than the foundation from which all law comes, is it any wonder that our culture is in the shape that it is? 

Here at FBC Fulton, we desire to do everything in our power to help our community to know what the Bible says. We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, inerrant and infallible. It is the special revelation that God has given to us so that we can know Him and His desires. 

Much more than rules

When we say that the Ten Commandments are the foundation of God’s law, some hear that and think that is all that it is… a bunch of guidelines. Notice that the Bible does not call them the Ten Suggestions. They are the Ten Commandments. 

Our culture today does not like to be told what it can and cannot do. Rules are seen by many as something to be broken… something that hinders one from fully experiencing all that life has to offer. 

Some will insist that Christianity is not about rules but a relationship. As Jen Wilkin stated in her book on the Ten Commandments, 

“We are saved into special relationship with God, and thereby into special relationship with other believers. Christianity is about relationship with God and others, and because this statement is true, Christianity is also unapologetically about rules, for rules show us how to live in those relationships.” ^[2] Excerpt From: Jen Wilkin. “Ten Words to Live By.” Apple Books.Jen Wilkin

You see, without rules, our hopes of any healthy relationship vanish quickly. Jesus did not pit rules against relationships. In fact, He said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

It is because we want our relationships – both with God and other people – to be all that they are supposed to be that we are going to dive in and examine what God is telling us through the Ten Commandments. 

Then God spoke all these words:

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. Do not have other gods besides me.

Exodus 20:1-3 (CSB)

God had written His laws on the hearts of mankind. These laws were given to us to show us what God expected of His people. A big problem happened when sin entered: everything got messed up. There was a need for revival or at least a reminder of these commands.

Before God chose to give these commandments from which our laws today come from, He wanted to make sure that the people knew exactly who it was that was giving them.

A History Reminder

The Israelites had just been freed from slavery in Egypt. When God had called Moses to lead this expedition of freedom, He gave Moses a sign.

[God] answered, “I will certainly be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I am the one who sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain.” (Exodus 3:12)

The very place where the burning bush took place would be the place where God would bring His people to and deliver the Ten Commandments. As the Israelites prepared to enter into the Promised Land, God wanted to make sure that His people knew what He expected of them. These were the words that they should live by. 

Commandment #1: The Object of Our Worship

In Exodus 20:3, God shares the first commandment that we are to have no other gods besides Him. This commandment flows from an understanding of who God is and what He has done for us. In verse 2, God reminded the Israelites that it was He who saw their desperate need… it was He that rescued them when no one else could or even would. He was the only God worthy of our worship.

We live in a similar type of society that the Israelites came from. It was a very pluralistic society. As you look around our community, it resembles the Athens that is found in Acts 17. In first-century Athens, the people were a very “religious” type of people. They had fashioned altars and made gods out of just about anything and everything. It doesn’t take much to see the same thing happening all around us.

When God speaks about having no other gods besides Him, He is not saying that it is okay to have other gods in our lives. Some people believe that as long as these gods line up behind Jesus, then everything will be okay. 

What other gods could be fighting for position in our lives? It is interesting that throughout the Old Testament, you see two false gods repeatedly mentioned.

• Baal – a god seen to control the weather and brought financial success. People would do whatever they could to ensure that they were financially blessed. Does that sound familiar? How many people today in our culture are selling their souls and doing unthinkable things just to get ahead financially?
• Ashtoreth – a goddess seen to be over romance, reproduction, and war. Do you see the influence of sex and power in our day? Of course, you do. It seems to be everywhere. 

While these gods may go by different names today, we can see clearly that they are very present. While they may promise happiness, they are tools that Satan uses to pull us away from the One true God and His plan for our lives.

Jesus had something to say about having multiple gods present in our lives: 

“No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24)

Idolatry

When a person fails to keep this first commandment of having no other gods besides the One true God, it is known as idolatry. The Bible has a lot to say about idolatry.

• We are to flee from idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14)
• Idolatry keep us from inheriting eternal life (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
• Idolatry is a mark of the old life that Jesus redeems us from (1 Peter 4:3)

Conclusion

Many look at the Ten Commandments (and much of the Bible) as just a bunch of rules. Rules that are keeping us from the fun stuff – the things that we want to do. We don’t like rules many times. They seem restrictive and enslaving. Maturity tells us a different story. Maturity tells us that rules are there not to kill our joy but to bring about more freedom. 

I do not allow my children to play out in the middle of the street near our house. I don’t care how much they want to. I don’t care that they want to investigate what today’s roadkill is. It is not because I want to squash their joy. It is because I love and care for them. It is because I want them to experience something much greater than that. 

God’s intention is not to be a “kill-joy”. Jesus came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). God wants us to recognize that though many things around us will promise fulfillment and happiness – they look good and many flock to them, what we are looking for can only come through God. He is the One that saw our great need – how we were enslaved to our sin and condemned to an eternity in hell. He is the One that actually did something about it by sending His Son to come and be our atoning sacrifice. He is the One that will be bluntly honest with you about the truth. He is the One that calls out to you. He is the One that has prepared a place for you to be with Him forever. He alone is God. 

The main point behind the first commandment is to recognize that there is only One true God. He is not to be the one at the top of our list. He is to be the entire list. As we begin to focus in on that truth, we may be realizing through the work of the Holy Spirit that there are some idols in our lives. Maybe there are some things that we’ve allowed to settle in, and they have more control of our lives than they should. They may not have removed God from the picture entirely, but they are enthroned alongside Him today. 

If that is you, I would say to you today that you need to confess the fact that you’ve allowed these things to have an improper place in your life. You need to ask the One true God to forgive you for that and for Him to put those things in their proper place. We cannot serve two masters, and God will not share His throne with anyone or anything. It may be that these idols are keeping you from doing what God is wanting to do in your life. Are you going to let these false gods rob you of experiencing the greatness of the One true God?

God said, “Do not have any gods besides Me.” Jesus would remind of us this when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). 

It is time that God’s people recognize God’s rightful place as the One true God and to worship and serve Him with all that we are. For it is when we do this that we find abundant life.