The First Commandment and Mammon – Part 1

Good Day to each of you reading this lesson on the First Commandment.

I hope each of you can bear the weather, the snow and the cold in the western hemisphere. Take time to thank the Lord for the seasons and the weather instead of complaining of too much of this and too little of that. Thank you, God, for not allowing man to control the weather.

Here’s evidence of Job who questioned God—Turn to Job 38 & 39—Take the time to read both chapters and read them slowly so you can ingest the full meaning and how God is.

Let me urge each of you who knows someone who is not a Christian but is an agnostic or atheist and have them to explain Job 38 & 39. This is the greatness of God and shows that you and I are pieces of sand on a very large beach.

Each time when I become haughty or full of myself, then I turn to the book of Job and I read Job 38—42 to show how great God is and I am to glorify him and continually thank him for ALL THINGS.

My closing thought on the above paragraphs, Don’t Skim these chapters—read them and put yourself in Job’s shoes and have the Holy Spirit shed light into you.

I look forward to hearing from you on these chapters and May God Bless you and give you light in the darkness of this world.

Let’s turn to Mark 12:28-30 (KJV) And one of the Scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him which is the first commandment of all. And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength: This is the first commandment.

So, who are the scribes? This scribe was a Pharisee as he approved of Jesus answer to the Sadducees. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary adds the following to help us—Jesus doesn’t go to the traditions of the scribes for his reply, BUT TO THE WRITTEN LAW, to Deuteronomy 6: 4,5 (KJV) Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

The quotation is taken from the LXX, with the addition of the words and with all thy mind. The mind and the heart are really one and the same in Hebrew thought. The words, Hear O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord, from the creed known as the “Shema” and recited daily by devout Jews. It asserts the distinctive principle of Hebrew faith, that God is one. The meaning of this command to love the Lord is that he is to be loved with all man’s powers and capabilities. This is the foundation and the summary of man’s total duty to God.

I am not a Jew but and Israelite and will use the creed also– So what is the difference between an Israelite and Jew? I have a good friend who wrote on that very subject—WHO ARE THE ISRAELITES, WHO ARE THE JEWS?  I urge to go the website: www.associationcovenantpeople.org and ask for the article.

Let me do a simple difference between a Jew and Israelite—Let’s use the United States today as an example—I would say all legal citizens of Florida are Americans (Agreed), certainly not all Americans are Floridians (agreed). Why? There are 49 other states of which they could be citizens.

I will tackle the subject of the difference between a Jew and Israelite in a future lesson, so please stay tuned.

The Bible is so wonderful since it tackles every issue, every point and is very clear and concise.

Is there a judgment for disobedience? I don’t want to put the cart before the horse since we want to know what mammon is and what other gods we may serve or worship, but let’s answer the above question.

Deuteronomy 8:19,20: (KJV) And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall perish. As the nations which the Lord destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God.

The Bible does not change, but empires, lands and countries come and go as history does repeat itself. Moses declared back in his time to the Israelites that judgements would be upon them if they disobeyed God’s commandments.

Are our countries any different? Do you think God is going to place judgements against our lands? Will we, as a people be excluded from being disobedient?

God is placing judgements against our lands because we are a stiff necked, know it all, it’s about me, put God in a corner in the closet people. Let’s throw his commandments and put our laws into effect because we know better. We know more than God and we are smarter—Just look around and tell me, better with the laws, commandments and statutes of God or with man’s laws? This all comes down to blessings and curses—Which would wish to have- The blessings or the curses?

Now for the remedy and this is God’s way—The perfect way– 2 Chronicles 7:14– If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land.

We must humble ourselves, pray for deliverance and be willing and desire to restore God’s laws. God MUST be Supreme in each of our lives and as a nation.

Then, as it says in Deuteronmy 28, we would receive the blessings and not the curses.

In closing, our next lesson will be on the word mammon and the significance to the First Commandment. Each lesson given is always to God’s glory and may he be glorified always.

Thank you for taking the time to read and may God be supreme in your life for there can be no divided allegiance.

Jeff