God’s chosen people – His congregation – had lived their entire lives in Egypt.
Egyptian religions satisfied the human need to worship by supplying multiple gods. Every facet of their lives was regulated by a diety. Attention to the details of worship demanded by each god brought order and control to the society.
Disregard for a god would bring a punishment of some kind – a misfortune, a disaster, a sickness.
Now, these hundreds of thousands of people were beginning new lives – with one God.
It was necessary for God to break the habits of worship that they knew.
But, their habits held a strong control over them.
You can see how powerful their habits were by their rebellion with the golden calf worship – while Moses was on the mountain with God.
Superstitious people are easy to fool and control.
It’s easy for us feel a sense of security as we proclaim that we, today, are educated, informed, and immune to superstitions.
While it may be true that we are more enlightened than the people of a thousand years ago, we are still prone to fill our worship needs with counterfeits.
I suspect that we have more things, ideas, and values that can take up residence in our Worship Center or Sanctuary, than did the Egyptians.
In addition, today we are bombarded with stimulating ways to spend our time.
Twenty-four hours per day with hundreds of TV channels devoted to special interests.
On-line, multi-user, streaming games that are designed to be addictive.
God begins His Law with a command that prepares us for the Life He has to offer.
“Just Me!”
Kind of like a marriage.
That’s what my then-girlfriend asked of me. “Forsaking all others...”
Just me. I am to be enough for you.”
God, the Creator, explained it this way, “No man can serve two masters.”
He knows us intimately. He knows how He structured the brain, the emotions, and the need for worship.
Someone has explained it this way…
In our center of being is a God-shaped place for Him to occupy. We get to choose who will be our god. When we place God in that Worship Sanctuary, it transforms our lives until we become like Him.
If we choose to place anything else in the Sanctuary, we will become like the enemy of God, Satan.
Here’s a test. Only you will know the immediate thoughts that you have. No attempts to guilt you will be made.
Do you -
Have at least one time each day scheduled for prayer, Bible study, and your Sabbath School lesson?
Is this appointmentmore important than anything else? Guarded against any interfering attraction, because it is an appoinment with God?
“Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.”
No gods in my life that are more important than God.
“...No other gods - “ in My presence. That covers all of the universe.
No other gods period.
Job, money, things money can buy, popularity/fame…
Everything that interferes with the love affair between me and God is an “other god before Me.”
Enoch had to escape to solitude with God to renew his Worship Relationship, because the evangelism he did in the cities near him depleted his spiritual strength.
It is doubtful that today we can get ready for Heaven with less preparation than was needed by Enoch.
No other God. It’s the right choice.
Comments & Questions
You can email me directly with comments or questions.
REldonRoberts@gmail.com
