The First Commandment – Part 1

Good day to each of you this day as I do hope you are refreshed in the Lord.

As we begin this lesson, turn to Psalms 118:24—KJV—This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Please keep this verse always in mind each day for God hath given us life to live daily and as a wise man said, it is better to be six feet above than six feet below.

Please turn to Exodus 20:3—KJV—Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Now the word of God goes into greater detail about the above verse. Turn to Deuteronomy 5: 7- 10—KJV—Thou shalt have none other gods before me. Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me. And keep my commandments.

Now turn to Deuteronomy 6: 13,14—KJV—Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. Ye shalt not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you.

Now turn to Leviticus 26 as God lays out what will happen when we, as his people, keep his commandments and what will happen when we break his commandments. You must agree that God has provided a road map for Christians who follow his commandments, laws and statutes for he will bless them.

Folks, this is the first commandment from God that sets the tone for the rest of the commandments—So what is a commandment? According to Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language—n. (ME & OFr. Commandment), 1. A command; order; mandate; precept; law. 2. Any of the Ten Commandments, laws described in the Bible as given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai: Ex. 20: 2-17, Deut. 5: 6—21.

I have turned to the Wycliffe Bible Commentary and wish to share the following: On page 69, 3. The First Commandment. This is more than just a proclamation of monotheism. It prohibits worshipping or honoring anything before God, in thought or word or deed, “that in all things he might have preeminence” (Col 1:18). Furthermore, the Wycliffe Bible Commentary says on page 68 — The Law was not given as a means of salvation. It was given to a people already saved (Exodus 19:4 20:2) in order to instruct them in the will of the Lord so that they might fulfill God’s purpose for them as “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6) The revelation was given “ not to give but to guide life” ( P. Fairbairn, The Revelation of Law in Scripture, p. 274).

Wow! This is a lot of information.  As part of my research, I utilize the Digest of the Divine Law by Howard Rand and will quote him on page 52—The very first commandment, after the willingness of the people to become His Kingdom had been accepted by God, defines their relationship to him. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Ferrar Fenton renders this, “Thou shall be no other God to you, except Myself.”

Let’s stop here since this is a great amount of information and feed upon the word of God.

We will continue this on the next lesson in more detail.

May God Bless You each day.

Jeff