God Speaks
God spoke these words saying, “I am the Lord Your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20-1-3).
Through human history, God has used many different ways to communicate with us. He spoke directly to Abraham. He spoke to Moses directly as well through visions and dreams. He spoke through lightning. He Spoke through a flaming bush that didn’t burn. Ultimately, He has spoken through His written word.
One of the most dramatic moments of God’s desire to connect with man was when He carved stone tablets and gave them to Moses. On these tablets-- the Ten Commandments. God gave clear, powerful, directions to enable Israel to relate to Him.
As a preamble to the first command, God reminds the people of Israel their recent history. Shortly before this moment, God had freed them from slavery in Egypt. He miraculously rescued them when the Egyptian army had them pinned against the sea, and He provided for them every day in the wilderness. Without doubt, God had proven His greatness and grace to them. Nothing could compare to His majesty and His loving-kindness. The first commandments clearly say, “Keep Me at the top.”
It’s easy for us think that we don’t have any problem with idolatry or competing gods in our lives, but let’s take a closer look. All around us, people put success, money, pleasure, and power in the center of their lives. If we’re honest, these things threaten to crowd God out of the center of our own lives. We may not bow before a golden calf, but our minds can easily be preoccupied with gaining more than we have now. Keeping God in the center is an intentional decision and a process.
|
