THE DECALOGUE:
A SUMMARY OF GOD'S PRECEPTS FOR GOD'S PEOPLE
The First Commandment:
On Rivalry (Exod 20:3)
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—2005
A SUMMARY OF GOD'S PRECEPTS FOR GOD'S PEOPLE
The First Commandment:
On Rivalry (Exod 20:3)
Dr. Paul Manuel—2005
(There are different divisions of the Commandments in different traditions: In Protestantism (for the most part), v. 2 is the introduction and v. 3 is the first command. In Judaism, vv. 2-3 together are the first command. In Roman Catholicism and Lutheranism, vv. 2-6 are the first command, and v. 17 contains two commands. This study follows the primary Protestant division, recognizing that v. 2 is declarative and v. 3 contains the first imperative.)
If I asked you to list the Ten Commandments, you could probably get most of them. Of course, they are not the only commands in scripture, and it is not always easy to keep these separate from the others.
Well, God wants to make an impression on the Israelites. So, in Exod 20, after a brief preamble and prologue to the covenant in v. 2, God turns immediately to the precepts of the covenant, beginning in v. 3 with a call to loyalty.
This command is a not-so-subtle comment On Rivalry, because it contains the tacit admission that there is competition for the Israelites' devotion. Although He could certainly dismiss them as irrelevant...
On the contrary, He implies here that...
A. The Israelites will encounter other deities...as...
1. They did in Egypt3 (Exod 7-8; 12:12).
Pharaoh's refusal to free Israel was an assertion that Egypt's gods were more powerful than the LORD. At first, their respective representatives met. In...
2. They will in Canaan (Judg 10:6).
In fact, they will encounter a smorgasbord of deities. Unlike Egypt, where the gods represent one nationality, Canaan has residents from several nationalities, each with its own pantheon. In addition to the ever-popular Baal and Ashtoreth, there are "the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the Philistines" (Judg 10:6b).
Furthermore, unlike America, where religion is often considered a private affair...
B. The Canaanites will promote other deities. directly and indirectly.
There is a lesson here on dealing with problems in the church. The principle is that if you see something wrong and fail to address it, if you ignore it or cover it up, you only postpone the inevitable. Most problems do not simply go away on their own. At some point, you, or others, will have to correct the situation, or it will continue to have a debilitating affect.
Recently, we saw an example of a problem finally resolved that had been undermining the ministry of this church for years.15 Are there other issues that may be hindering what we should be doing? I do not mean a perceived slight or difference of opinion but something that prevents our advancing God's agenda.
Before you answer, consider your response, because there are two kinds of people, both of whom are usually in a church.
The problem for Israel is not the Canaanites' methods, because we do the same things. If we are having a special event, particularly if it also involves food (e.g., church picnic, family night), we may invite friends and neighbors. As for the part about marrying the daughters, well... that is how we got three men; they married three of our women. These are time-tested methods of church growth. The problem for Israel is not the Canaanites' methods; it is the Canaanites' motive. Their intent is to entice God's people to worship their gods.
In the late 60s and early 70s, a form of Hinduism became popular in the U.S. Its devotees often appeared on city streets and in airports, wearing saffron robes and selling the movement's magazine, Back to Godhead, or chanting to their god, Krishna. Ex-Beatle George Harrison wrote a song about Krishna entitled, "My Sweet Lord," whose lyrics included the sect's mantra. The ISKC (International Society of Krishna Consciousness) opened several temples across the country, including one in my hometown. Members would invite non-members to Sunday afternoon feasts, serving food dedicated to Krishna, with the intent of winning converts. To my knowledge, there are no Krishna temples in south-central PA, so the chances of your receiving such an invitation are extremely slim.
Nevertheless, you will probably face similar and more insidious temptations. Just as the Israelites encountered other gods who competed for their loyalty, so you will encounter other forces that compete for your loyalty. They may not be gods in the traditional sense but, like gods, they consume your time, your resources, and your attention. You may not even recognize them, at least not right away.
Some aspects of life, like work and family responsibilities, require frequent adjustment to keep them in balance with your devotion to God. Are there other things, though—be they new interests or old habits—that demand and take from you more than they should, whose intent or effect is to turn you from God and cause you to transgress this first command? Consider that carefully, because if you are out of step with the first commandment, being in step with the rest will not be of much use to you.
It may seem strange to us that the Lord does not deny the existence of other gods. He knows, however, that the Israelites' contact with other people will bring them in contact with pagan beliefs that will undermine their faith in Him. Rather than ignore the problem, God deals with it directly, warning the Israelites about what they will face.
As we proceed through our series on the Ten Commandments, I encourage you to memorize this short list of what God expects from His people. It is not a difficult assignment, and you can take comfort in knowing that other groups have attempted to learn them, as well.
Heading this list of ten is a precept On Rivalry, which contains the tacit admission that there is competition for the Israelites' devotion.
The LORD does not deny the existence of other gods. On the contrary, He implies that the Israelites will encounter other deities as they did in Egypt (Exod 7-8; 12:12) and will in Canaan (Judg 10:6).
Despite the similarity of these settings, though, the two situations are quite different.
The Canaanites will promote other deities. directly and indirectly.
While many Israelites let their lust override their loyalty, you must not allow anything to interfere with your devotion to God. Are there other things, though—be they new interests or old habits—that demand and take from you more than they should, whose effect is to turn you from God and cause you to transgress this first command?
God knows that the Israelites' contact with other people will bring them in contact with pagan beliefs that will undermine their faith in Him. So, He does not deny the existence of other gods, but, as we will see this morning...
Whatever they encounter in Canaan...
A SS teacher was about to start a series of lessons on the Ten Commandments with her primary students and wondered how familiar these precepts might already be to the children. "What is the first commandment?" she asked. One student raised her hand and said, "Love the Lord, your God." "That is a command," the teacher replied, "and a very important one, but it's not the first one on this list." The children offered others candidates: "Love your neighbor. Don't lie. Brush your teeth." "These are all good commands," the teacher said, "but what is the first command?" The children were stumped. At this point, the teacher had spent more time than she had planned on the question and was about to move on when one little boy brightened and raised his hand confidently. Heaving a sigh of relief, the teacher said, "Yes, Michael, what's the answer?" "The first commandment...was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple."Actually, the first command was when God told both of them not to eat the fruit,1 but you can tell which part of the story made the most impression on this little boy.
Well, God wants to make an impression on the Israelites. So, in Exod 20, after a brief preamble and prologue to the covenant in v. 2, God turns immediately to the precepts of the covenant, beginning in v. 3 with a call to loyalty.
Exod 20:3 [= Deut 5:7] You shall have no other gods before me.
I. The LORD does not deny the existence of other gods.2
On the contrary, He implies here that...
A. The Israelites will encounter other deities...as...
1. They did in Egypt3 (Exod 7-8; 12:12).
Pharaoh's refusal to free Israel was an assertion that Egypt's gods were more powerful than the LORD. At first, their respective representatives met. In...
Exod 7:10b Aaron threw his staff down... and it became a snake.... 11b . . .the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.
Exod 7:20b [Later, Aaron] raised his staff...and struck the water of the Nile., and all the water was changed into blood.... 22a But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts....
Exod 8:6 So, Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land. 7 But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt. [I'll bet that made them popular.]
Exod 8:17a [T]hen Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, [and] gnats came upon men and animals... .18a But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not.... 19 The magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not listen....The first three plagues (blood, frogs, gnats) evidently affected Egyptians and Israelites alike, perhaps because God wanted to highlight the limit of the magicians' power (to Egyptians and Israelites alike).4 The magicians could duplicate the destruction but could not mitigate it. After exhausting even that ability, effectively eliminating the competition, God targets the remaining plagues against the Egyptians, saying....5
Exod 8:22 ...I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live... so that you will know that I, the LORD, am in this land.Then came the flies, the disease on livestock, boils,6 hail, locusts, and darkness.7 Before launching the final plague, the Lord announces that He is directing it specifically against Egypt's deities8
Exod 12:12 ...I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn... and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt....From the Israelites' perspective, this conflict validated the Lord's supremacy, but it also confirmed the existence of other gods. Moreover, what the people encountered in Egypt...
2. They will in Canaan (Judg 10:6).
In fact, they will encounter a smorgasbord of deities. Unlike Egypt, where the gods represent one nationality, Canaan has residents from several nationalities, each with its own pantheon. In addition to the ever-popular Baal and Ashtoreth, there are "the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the Philistines" (Judg 10:6b).
Furthermore, unlike America, where religion is often considered a private affair...
B. The Canaanites will promote other deities. directly and indirectly.
- They will offer invitations to their feasts9 (Exod 34:15). and...
- They will offer intermarriage with their children (Exod 34:16).
Exod 34:15 Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. 16 And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same.This scenario becomes a problem even before the Israelites enter Canaan.11 Num 25 records an event that occurs several years after they leave Egypt...
Num 25:1 While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, 2 who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. 3 So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the LORD's anger burned against them.
How serious does God regard this matter, and how does He propose to resolve it? Num 25:4 The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the LORD's fierce anger may turn away from Israel." 5 So Moses said to Israel's judges, "Each of you must put to death those of your men who have joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor."The first group consists of tribal leaders (heads of clans) who participated in these pagan rites and who influenced those under them to follow suit.12 The second group consists of judicial leaders who did not participate in this apostasy but who also did not intervene to prevent it.13 Consequently, those who should have stopped the problem are now responsible to solve the problem.14
There is a lesson here on dealing with problems in the church. The principle is that if you see something wrong and fail to address it, if you ignore it or cover it up, you only postpone the inevitable. Most problems do not simply go away on their own. At some point, you, or others, will have to correct the situation, or it will continue to have a debilitating affect.
Recently, we saw an example of a problem finally resolved that had been undermining the ministry of this church for years.15 Are there other issues that may be hindering what we should be doing? I do not mean a perceived slight or difference of opinion but something that prevents our advancing God's agenda.
Before you answer, consider your response, because there are two kinds of people, both of whom are usually in a church.
- The one sits back and complains about the problem.
- The other gets up and contributes to the solution.
Jms 5:9a Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged.If something is wrong, do not just criticize it; find a constructive way to correct it, so the ministry of the church can go forward.
The problem for Israel is not the Canaanites' methods, because we do the same things. If we are having a special event, particularly if it also involves food (e.g., church picnic, family night), we may invite friends and neighbors. As for the part about marrying the daughters, well... that is how we got three men; they married three of our women. These are time-tested methods of church growth. The problem for Israel is not the Canaanites' methods; it is the Canaanites' motive. Their intent is to entice God's people to worship their gods.
In the late 60s and early 70s, a form of Hinduism became popular in the U.S. Its devotees often appeared on city streets and in airports, wearing saffron robes and selling the movement's magazine, Back to Godhead, or chanting to their god, Krishna. Ex-Beatle George Harrison wrote a song about Krishna entitled, "My Sweet Lord," whose lyrics included the sect's mantra. The ISKC (International Society of Krishna Consciousness) opened several temples across the country, including one in my hometown. Members would invite non-members to Sunday afternoon feasts, serving food dedicated to Krishna, with the intent of winning converts. To my knowledge, there are no Krishna temples in south-central PA, so the chances of your receiving such an invitation are extremely slim.
Nevertheless, you will probably face similar and more insidious temptations. Just as the Israelites encountered other gods who competed for their loyalty, so you will encounter other forces that compete for your loyalty. They may not be gods in the traditional sense but, like gods, they consume your time, your resources, and your attention. You may not even recognize them, at least not right away.
Some aspects of life, like work and family responsibilities, require frequent adjustment to keep them in balance with your devotion to God. Are there other things, though—be they new interests or old habits—that demand and take from you more than they should, whose intent or effect is to turn you from God and cause you to transgress this first command? Consider that carefully, because if you are out of step with the first commandment, being in step with the rest will not be of much use to you.
It may seem strange to us that the Lord does not deny the existence of other gods. He knows, however, that the Israelites' contact with other people will bring them in contact with pagan beliefs that will undermine their faith in Him. Rather than ignore the problem, God deals with it directly, warning the Israelites about what they will face.
As we proceed through our series on the Ten Commandments, I encourage you to memorize this short list of what God expects from His people. It is not a difficult assignment, and you can take comfort in knowing that other groups have attempted to learn them, as well.
When the confirmation class finished a unit on the Ten Commandments, the teacher decided to give the students a quiz with just one question: List the Ten Commandments. Not wanting to make it too difficult, she added the phrase, "in any order." Most of the students did fairly well, until she came to Brad's quiz.... His answer was: 3,6,1,8,4,5,9,2,10,7.I hope that you will try to do better. God probably hoped the Israelites would do better, as well, which is why He gave them this summary in the first place.
Heading this list of ten is a precept On Rivalry, which contains the tacit admission that there is competition for the Israelites' devotion.
Exod 20:3 You shall have no other gods before me.
Despite the similarity of these settings, though, the two situations are quite different.
- In Egypt, the gods were the opposition, patrons of the administration that enslaved the Israelites. Because the people were unable to escape their condition, the Lord intervened for them and brought "judgment on all the gods of Egypt" (Exod 12:12b).
- In Canaan, the gods are the competition, vying for the devotion of these new immigrants. Because the Israelites are now able to establish their position militarily, the Lord leaves to them the task of eliminating all the gods of Canaan.
The Canaanites will promote other deities. directly and indirectly.
- They will offer invitations to their feasts (Exod 34:15). and...
- They will offer intermarriage with their children (Exod 34:16).
While many Israelites let their lust override their loyalty, you must not allow anything to interfere with your devotion to God. Are there other things, though—be they new interests or old habits—that demand and take from you more than they should, whose effect is to turn you from God and cause you to transgress this first command?
God knows that the Israelites' contact with other people will bring them in contact with pagan beliefs that will undermine their faith in Him. So, He does not deny the existence of other gods, but, as we will see this morning...
II. The LORD does deny the significance of other gods.18
Whatever they encounter in Canaan...
A. The Israelites must not embrace other deities.
God's people have an exclusive relationship to Him, and He forbids the intrusion of foreign gods. In Israelite worship....
Moreover...
So important is this command that, not only must they not embrace other deities...
B. The Israelites must not permit other deities.
...to operate within the borders of the land.25 Later, God explains that He expects them to implement this zero-tolerance policy with a two-prong approach. Please turn to...26
they are all corrupt. After listing a series of sins in Lev 18 the Israelites must avoid, God says...28
Where is the tolerance in all this violence? Is there no room for diversity in the Lord's economy? How about live and let live? What is wrong with worshiping other gods? ... There are at least three problems, difficulties that arise in paganism but that appear in other contexts as well.
The most important consequence of pagan worship is that...
uniqueness and absolute sovereignty.32
Many deities are just the product of someone's imagination and have no real (or numinous) existence. As Moses describes them, they are "man-made gods... which cannot see or hear or eat or smell" (Deut 4:28).38 Some deities, though, represent actual beings in the supernatural realm. Moses calls them "demons, which are not God" (Deut 32:17a).39 The most improper consequence of pagan worship, when the object is a member of the spirit realm other than the Lord, is that...
Why did God not command the Egyptians to worship Him, why only the Israelites? The plagues were certainly a convincing display of His power, yet He did not capitalize on that display by requiring both peoples to worship Him. The demand was only (and repeatedly): "Let my people go, so that they may worship me" (Exod 7:16; 8:1, 20; 9:1, 13; 10:3). Reinforcing the narrow scope of this expectation, He identifies Himself exclusively (and repeatedly) as "the LORD, the God of the Hebrews" (Exod 3:18; 7:16; 9:1, 13; 10:3; cf. 5:3). Members of the Egyptian royal court seemed to accept the identification without question.[41] (How could they not have denied it, given the alternative?)
Apparently, He wanted there to be no doubt that He is, first and foremost, Israel's God.43 The Lord expressed no concern that the Egyptians were worshiping other gods. His sole interest was for the welfare of the Israelites. Even in this first commandment, the "you" God addresses is Israel. Is that typical? Does God care only that His people get it right? ... One way to make that determination is to see if the Lord condemns other people's worship of false gods and encourages their worship of the true God. We could appeal to the NT and to passages that speak about God's love for the whole world,44 but is there any indication of that in the OT? Does God care that the nations get it right?45
There are actually several places where God's concern for the nations is evident.46 One of the clearest examples is a psalm David composes for the ark's arrival in Jerusalem. Although the focus of this event could easily be its benefit for Israel, the king reaches beyond the borders of Canaan to include the nations. They, too, can and should recognize that the Lord is without rival.47 Listen to these excerpts from...
In the first commandment of this ten-point summary, God wants His people to make Him their utmost priority. Other gods may compete for their attention, but nothing must detract from their devotion to the Lord. So it should be with you. Other things may compete for your attention, but nothing must detract from your devotion to the Lord. Does complete devotion describe your devotion?
God's people have an exclusive relationship to Him, and He forbids the intrusion of foreign gods. In Israelite worship....
...as if God needs a partner.19 Several hundred years later, that is precisely what happens. In Canaanite theology, Baal has a wife named Asherah,20 and people think the Lord should have a wife as well. In fact, they think He should have the same wife. Archaeologists discovered two 8th c. potsherds from Kuntillet Ajrud, an Israelite village in the Negev, with inscriptions that read: "The LORD (of Samaria) and his Asherah," and one shard even has a drawing of this association. A century later, King Manasseh makes that relationship the official policy of the Southern Kingdom.1. They must not associate them with the LORD (Deut 16:21).
2 Kgs 21:7a He took the carved Asherah pole he had made and put it in the temple....This is a clear violation of what God forbade in...
Deut 16:21 Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build to the LORD your God,Baal's consort is not to become God's consort.21 The Israelites must not associate pagan deities with the LORD.
Moreover...
2. They must not substitute them for the LORD.22 (Exod 34:14).That is precisely what will happen just a few weeks after God gives this command at Sinai and after they agree to the terms of the covenant.23 In...
Exod 32:1 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him." ...4 [Aaron] took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt."After this incident, God restates the command, with additional reinforcement in...
Exod 34:14 Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.Five hundred years later, the ruler of the fledgling Northern Kingdom of Israel repeats the sin of his ancestors.
1 Kgs 12:28 [Jeroboam] made two golden calves. He said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, 0 Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt."The calf is a symbol of the storm god Baal, the most popular and persistent deity in Canaan. God knows that when His people enter the land (even while they are still in the wilderness) the competition will be stiff and the temptation will be great, but the Israelites must not substitute pagan deities for the Lord.24
So important is this command that, not only must they not embrace other deities...
B. The Israelites must not permit other deities.
...to operate within the borders of the land.25 Later, God explains that He expects them to implement this zero-tolerance policy with a two-prong approach. Please turn to...26
Deut 7: la When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations.. .2 and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy.... 5 This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire.... 16 You must destroy all the peoples the LORD your God gives over to you. Do not look on them with pity and do not serve their gods, for that will be a snare to you.Step #1 in the Israelites' battle against paganism is that...
1. They must eliminate the devotees (Deut 7:2).Canaan has a variety of residents: Semitic and non-Semitic, indigenous and foreign.27 Who they are and whence they have come is irrelevant, though, because
they are all corrupt. After listing a series of sins in Lev 18 the Israelites must avoid, God says...28
Lev 18:24b . . .this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled.The solution the Lord proposes is quite clear: The Israelites are to do whatever is necessary to ensure that there are no pagan residents in the land, whether that entails expelling them or exterminating them.... Step #2 in the Israelites' battle against paganism is that...
2. They must eliminate the sanctuaries (Deut 7:5).The Israelites will enter land that has a variety of deities, both male and female, that claim to offer a variety of services—from controlling the weather, to predicting the future, to helping in battle, to ensuring fertility.29 All of this is irrelevant, though, because they are all "other gods" (Exod 20:3 = Deut 5:7),30 and their worship entails what is detestable to the Lord: from sexual immorality to child sacrifice.31 Therefore, everything associated with them must go: "their altars... their sacred stones.. .their Asherah poles and... their idols" (Deut 7:5b).
Where is the tolerance in all this violence? Is there no room for diversity in the Lord's economy? How about live and let live? What is wrong with worshiping other gods? ... There are at least three problems, difficulties that arise in paganism but that appear in other contexts as well.
The most important consequence of pagan worship is that...
- It defrauds the Lord, robbing Him of what is rightfully His alone.
uniqueness and absolute sovereignty.32
Deut 4:35b ... the LORD is God; besides him there is no other.... 39 . . . the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.While there are other unusual and powerful entities—in the natural realm and in the supernatural realm—nothing and no one even approaches the LORD. Consequently, when He demands exclusive devotion, He deserves exclusive devotion. So Moses says...33
Deut 6:13a Fear the LORD your God, serve him only.... 14a Do not follow other gods....Pagan deities are not the only things that compete for man's devotion.34 (So, don't think you're off the hook.) Jesus identifies another, when he says...
Matt 6:24 No one can serve two masters.... You cannot serve God and wealth.Those who serve anything other than the Lord, be it other gods or their own greed, deny Him the devotion that is due Him, which is tantamount to theft.35 Hence, the most important consequence of pagan worship is that it defrauds the Lord. The most impairing consequence of pagan worship is that...
- It defiles the worshiper, rendering him unfit for God's kingdom.
Ps 106:38b ... they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan.... 39a They defiled themselves by what they did.... 40 Therefore the LORD was angry with his people and abhorred his inheritance. 41 He handed them over to the nations, and their foes ruled over them.Pagan deities are not the only things that make a person unclean. (You're not off the hook with this one either.) Jesus identifies several others, when he says...
Mark 7:20b What comes out of a man [also] makes him 'unclean'.... [such as] 22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly.These are "the acts of the sinful nature" that will prevent a person from entering "the kingdom of God" (Gal 5:19, 21). Those who indulge their baser tendencies, through idolatry or some other form of iniquity, deprive themselves of God's favor and open themselves to God's wrath.37 Hence, the most impairing consequence of pagan worship is that it defiles the worshiper.
Many deities are just the product of someone's imagination and have no real (or numinous) existence. As Moses describes them, they are "man-made gods... which cannot see or hear or eat or smell" (Deut 4:28).38 Some deities, though, represent actual beings in the supernatural realm. Moses calls them "demons, which are not God" (Deut 32:17a).39 The most improper consequence of pagan worship, when the object is a member of the spirit realm other than the Lord, is that...
- It deifies the devil, giving him more credence than he deserves.
Matt 16:18b ...I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.Even in the short term, it is possible to defeat him, because if you "resist the devil" by "standing firm in the faith," then "he will flee from you" (Jms 4:7b; 1 Pet 5:9a). Those who worship other deities or who ascribe unwarranted power to the "dominion of darkness"41 aid and abet God's enemy in a conflict that will end very badly for Satan and his followers. Hence, the most improper consequence of pagan worship is that it deifies the devil.
Why did God not command the Egyptians to worship Him, why only the Israelites? The plagues were certainly a convincing display of His power, yet He did not capitalize on that display by requiring both peoples to worship Him. The demand was only (and repeatedly): "Let my people go, so that they may worship me" (Exod 7:16; 8:1, 20; 9:1, 13; 10:3). Reinforcing the narrow scope of this expectation, He identifies Himself exclusively (and repeatedly) as "the LORD, the God of the Hebrews" (Exod 3:18; 7:16; 9:1, 13; 10:3; cf. 5:3). Members of the Egyptian royal court seemed to accept the identification without question.[41] (How could they not have denied it, given the alternative?)
Exod 10:7 Pharaoh's officials said to him... "Let the people go, so that they may worship the LORD their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?" 8 Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. "Go, worship the LORD your God," he said....Still, why did God settle for one people when He could have had two?42 The exodus was a perfect opportunity to expand the kingdom, yet God let it slip away. Was He being shortsighted?
Apparently, He wanted there to be no doubt that He is, first and foremost, Israel's God.43 The Lord expressed no concern that the Egyptians were worshiping other gods. His sole interest was for the welfare of the Israelites. Even in this first commandment, the "you" God addresses is Israel. Is that typical? Does God care only that His people get it right? ... One way to make that determination is to see if the Lord condemns other people's worship of false gods and encourages their worship of the true God. We could appeal to the NT and to passages that speak about God's love for the whole world,44 but is there any indication of that in the OT? Does God care that the nations get it right?45
There are actually several places where God's concern for the nations is evident.46 One of the clearest examples is a psalm David composes for the ark's arrival in Jerusalem. Although the focus of this event could easily be its benefit for Israel, the king reaches beyond the borders of Canaan to include the nations. They, too, can and should recognize that the Lord is without rival.47 Listen to these excerpts from...
Ps 96:1b sing to the LORD, all the earth.... 4b he is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.... 7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.... 10 Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns."God directs the first commandment to Israel, but He also cares that gentiles... that you worship only Him. You knew that, of course, but it is good to have the confirmation.
In the first commandment of this ten-point summary, God wants His people to make Him their utmost priority. Other gods may compete for their attention, but nothing must detract from their devotion to the Lord. So it should be with you. Other things may compete for your attention, but nothing must detract from your devotion to the Lord. Does complete devotion describe your devotion?
For the Bibliography and Endnotes see the pdf here
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Relevant and civil comments are welcome. Whether there will be any response depends on whether Dr. Manuel notices them and has the time and inclination to respond or, if not, whether I feel competent to do so.
Jim Skaggs