have no other gods before God

the roadmap to national restoration 2014 apr 04
learning righteousness and wickedness from the ten commandments 2012 nov 19

God will do three things — hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land — after His people do three things — humble themselves and pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways (2 Chr 7:14). The cooperation of atheists and the ungodly is not required. We are examining the summary of Torah, God’s definition of righteousness and wickedness, in the Ten Commandments, in order to understand what He considers wicked about our ways, from which He is waiting for us to turn.

The Ten Commandments are given in Deu 5. The First Commandment, Have no other gods before YHVH, is explained in Deu 6:4-11:25.

Following is the summary of what Deu 6:4-11:25 teaches ‘have no other gods before YHVH’ means. Please follow the links for the fascinating in-depth analysis. But the real reason for the in-depth analysis, is so that we can recognize any wicked way among us, in falling short, and repent of it! As His people do so, He will hear us from heaven, will forgive us these sins, and will heal our land!

The chapters leading up to Deu 5 recounts the history of Israel since leaving Egypt, and in it we find an amazing truth: Israel by faith put the blood of the Passover Lamb on their doorposts and were saved from the Angel of Death by it, and were miraculously delivered from Egypt in the power of the Spirit – and even went through the Red Sea in a type of baptism – and yet of that entire generation, not one of them save Caleb and Joshua entered the Promise. The saved generation who were in covenant with YHVH, feared the giants rather than YHVH – and did not enter in because of unbelief (Heb 3:19) – and that unbelief is the same as idolatry!

When we believe not YHVH or His Word, we have set other gods before Him! In fact, He thundered His Word and His commandments from the midst of the fire on Mount Sinai, so that Israel would know that YHVH is God and there is no other.

That YHVH alone is God, and beside Him there is no other, is in fact THE Commandment, the First Commandment. First and foremost, obedience to the First Commandment springs from the root of belief in the truth of the Words of YHVH. This is why the enemy has marshaled so much fire power against the truth of God’s Word, especially the foundation of God’s Word, Genesis and Torah, so strongly in these past 200 years. If he can destroy the foundation of belief, he can cause massive defection from worshiping YHVH alone as God.

However, God does not want automatons who merely worship Him as God because He is God or it is right. He is looking for circumcised hearts which love Him wholly! This love can only come from the understanding with awe, that YHVH has indeed first set His love upon us, who of all others, are unlovely! His desire is a relationship born out of that love! Thus the covenant keeping on both sides is from a heart of consuming love for the other party.

True love is marked by a few characteristics. Those who love Him with their whole heart, will also seek to obey Him in all His commandments (Joh 14:15) as the expression of that love. They will remember that YHVH gave us His commandments out of love, to benefit those who keep them with blessings. However, commandment- keeping does not replace faith, but faith is the root that produces the fruit of obedience. The root of disobedience and rebellion, is unbelief – belief in the truth of a word other than YHVH’s. This unbelief is the same as rejecting God as God, and elevating other gods before Him. In fact, YHVH reveals that the main way His people worship Him only, is not through worship and praise, lifting up their hands, prayer, or even Bible study, but through obeying His commandments and keeping them ever safeguarded in their hearts circumcised to love Him wholly!

The explanation of the first commandment forms its own amazing chiastic structure, with an unusual central axis, which provides an awesome picture of what it means to worship YHVH only, and live – not by bread alone, but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of YHVH!

The studies on ‘worship YHVH only’ linked in this explanation:

the explanation of the first commandment 2012 aug 11
the history of israel in the wilderness is a failure to worship YHVH only (deu 1:1-2:1) 2009 aug 22
the saved generation did not enter their promise (deu 2:2-30) 2009 aug 29
fearing giants rather than YHVH (deu 2:31-3:22) 2009 sep 05
unbelief, the root of idolatry (deu 3:23-4:24) 2009 sep 12
that israel may know who is God (deu 4:25-49) 2009 sep 19
relationship, not religion (deu 5:1-6:3) 2009 sep 26
the first commandment is the greatest commandment (deu 6:4-9) 2009 oct 18
because YHVH loves His people (deu 6:4-7:11) 2012 nov 26
because His people love YHVH (deu 7:12-26) 2012 nov 27
remembering YHVH to our benefit (deu 8:1-20) 2012 nov 28
the role of unbelief (deu 9:1-29) 2012 nov 29
rejecting God (deu 10:1-11) 2012 dec 02
the father’s love (deu 10:12-20) 2010 apr 12
the love and obedience link (deu 10:12-11:25) 2012 dec 04
worship YHVH only chiastic structure (deu 6:4-11:25) 2012 dec 05
why are the anakim the central axis of worship YHVH only? (deu 9:1-2) 2012 dec 05
not by bread alone (deu 8:3) 2012 dec 06