The First Commandment
Opening song:
Messenger Dox
Call to worship:
pastor zachary mcguire
Matthew 22.34-40
song:
How firm a foundation
Historical reading:
pastor brett eckel
Apostles' Creed
song:
Amazing Grace
Confession & Pardon:
pastor Andrew loginow
song:
Doxology
song:
Something Greater
Sermon:
dr. alex loginow
The First Commandment
Exodus 20.1-3
Introduction
It was on May 4th, 2012 that the Avengers first assembled in the MCU. The MCU was conceived with the first Iron Man film in 2008 and over the course of four years the stories of Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America, and the rest built to the climax of the 2012 Avengers film. The Avengers had no choice but to assemble in 2012 because Loki, who is Thor’s brother and the Norse god of mischief, attempts to subjugate humanity. Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Widow are then in a plane pursuing Loki when Thor descends from the sky. Iron Man flies off to stop Thor and Loki. Cap then puts on a parachute to follow. Black Widow warns, “I’d sit this one out, Cap,” and Captain America responds, “I don’t see how I can.” Black Widow says, “These guys come from legend; they’re basically gods.” And Captain America, with the line of the film, says, “There’s only one God, ma’am, and I’m pretty sure He doesn’t dress like that.”
The monotheism expressed by Captain America is an excellent summary of the first commandment – You shall have no other gods before me. As we begin our 10-week series through the 10 commandments it is not in a vacuum. The Exodus narrative has been leading us to this point. God’s redemption of his people prepares us for God’s revelation to his people.
While we’re all familiar with the 10 Commandments, there is often confusion about how Christians should apply the 10 Commandments. Many United States government buildings had the 10 Commandments displayed until challenges have made their way to the Supreme Court in recent years. American history, culture, and law have been shaped by the 10 Commandments, though many now want nothing to do with them. What do the 10 Commandments mean for us today? How do we think about and apply the 10 Commandments in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ? These are some of the questions we will answer in these 10 weeks.
One more thing before we exposit the 1st Commandment – I want to encourage you as we move through this series, if you’ve never memorized the 10 Commandments, use this series to do so. For multiple millennia the church has used the Apostle’s Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and the 10 Commandments in liturgy and in discipleship. Memorize these three; meditate on them; study them. If you don’t know what to pray, pray through the creed, the Lord’s Prayer, or the 10 Commandments.
Don’t worry about your prayers being extemporaneous. When we pray Scripture we have confidence that everything we’re praying is true and good; lean in to that. Don’t buy the lie that if you aren’t making it up your prayer as you go, it isn’t genuine. That’s a lie from hell. Use this series to make the 10 Commandments a part of your devotional life.
The 1st Commandment
The 10 Commandments have also been referred to as the Decalogue (which means 10 words). These 10 words are the summary of God’s character and, in turn, his expectation for his image bearers. The 10 Commandments are the first ever written Word of God written by the finger of God himself (Exod 31.18). The Decalogue is not the sum of God’s Law but it is the summary of God’s Law – the 613 laws of the old covenant are summarized in the 10 Commandments. These 10 words set the standard for God’s people under the old covenant. Other religions in the ancient Near East worshipped pagan gods who demanded rituals where people would cut themselves, engage in sexual immorality, and even child sacrifice. Al Mohler notes that in the 10 Commandments God is telling his people that none of that is required; God’s people must simply heed these 10 words.
The first thing we want to note from the text is that God’s commands are grounded in his redemptive acts. Before God gives his people his law he reminds them of his salvation. Exodus 20.2 says, I am the yhwh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Because God delivered his people from slavery they are to keep his commandments – salvation precedes obedience; the indicative precedes the imperative.
The way that God initiates the old covenant follows a common ancient Near Eastern pattern known as the suzerain-vassal treaty. The suzerain-vassal treaty was issued when a king in the ancient Near East would conquer a group of people. Because the people were now subject to a new king this king would issue the treaty to inform the people of what was now required of them. After YHWH redeemed Israel from Egypt, they were no longer subject to Egypt. They would now be a new nation and YHWH would be their king. These 10 Commandments contain the requirement of God’s redeemed people.
And like the 10 Commandments are the summary of all 613 old covenant laws, the first commandment is the summary of the 10 Commandments. The first commandment is like an umbrella that covers all 10. You shall have no other gods before me. Negatively stated the first commandment forbids idolatry. Positively stated the first commandment requires that we worship the one true God.
The Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 95 defines idolatry as, "having or inventing something in which one trusts in place of or alongside of the only true God, who has revealed himself in the Word." Idolatry is worship of anything other than the triune God. Worship is when we give of all that we are to someone or something; when our desires, affections, attitudes, words or deeds are captivated and consumed. We are worshipping someone or something when that person or thing is what we live for; when we believe with this person or object we will be most satisfied and without it life is not worth living. When worship is given to anything other than God it is idolatry.
Because God created us “male and female, in his own image, to glorify him,” humans are born worshippers; we can’t help but worship. The question is not whether everyone worships, the question is whether we’re going to worship the one true God or someone or something else. The other nations in the ancient Near East practiced pagan polytheism. Every religion today apart from Christianity is idolatry. But in the first commandment God’s people are being called to covenantal monotheism. God is teaching his people that he is the one true God and he deserves all worship.
The one true God who created the heavens and the earth in Genesis 1-2 is the same God who redeemed his people from slavery and he is the God giving them these 10 words. This creator-redeemer God is not distant or impersonal; no, God uses personal language with us. You shall have no other gods before me. The phrase before me is the Hebrew phrase עַל־פָּנָֽ֗יַ, which woodenly means, “before my face.” God wants to be face-to-face with his people. He does not want them bringing idols before his face.
We must note also that, in light of New Testament revelation, to rightly interpret the first commandment we cannot merely subscribe to monotheism, but we must believe and not deny Trinitarian monotheism. The one true God has revealed himself as one God in three persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Judaism, and every other world religion apart from Christianity, is pagan idolatry because they deny the Holy Trinity. In order to be a Christian you must believe and not deny this statement: there are three persons in one God – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
This is a hard boundary differentiating Christians from non-Christians. If you cannot wholeheartedly say you believe that statement and do not deny it, it doesn’t matter if you say you believe in God, or you follow Jesus, or you read your Bible, or go to church, if you cannot embrace that statement, you are not a Christian. God has revealed himself as three persons in one God – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. If you deny so, you are a heretic and not a Christian.
Jesus Followed & Fulfilled the 1st Commandment
It was this Holy Trinity who made a covenant before the foundation of the world that the Father would send the Son to redeem his people. So the second person of the Holy Trinity, the Son of God, became human in the incarnation when he was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. His name is Jesus of Nazareth and he lived without sin. Jesus followed the law of God perfectly in word, thought, and deed.
Jesus is the only human who ever lived who never broke the first commandment. Jesus never had any gods before the one true God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus never practiced idolatry. Jesus never worshipped anyone or anything other than the one true God.
It’s not just that Jesus never practiced idolatry, but Jesus always actively loved the Lord his God with all of his heart, soul, mind, and strength. In Luke 10 a lawyer asked Jesus how to attain eternal life. Jesus asks him what the Scriptures say, and the man quotes the Shema
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself (Lk. 10.27)
and Jesus tells him that he is correct. At that point the man tries to justify himself by asking who his neighbor is, but you know what he should’ve said? He should’ve said, “Jesus, I can’t do that. I can’t love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I can’t love my neighbor as myself. I am a sinner.” And if the lawyer had said that, Jesus would’ve said, “I know. That’s why I came to do it for you.”
Not only did Jesus live righteously but also Jesus died on the cross in the place of sinners. As Jesus bore the wrath of God on the cross he paid the penalty for all of God’s elect. Jesus was then buried and on the third day he resurrected from the dead. This was only possible because not only did Jesus follow the first commandment, but also Jesus is the fulfillment of the first commandment.
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them (Matt 5.17)
Jesus Christ fulfills the first commandment because he is not only truly man, but he is truly God. Jesus is divine. Jesus is the eternal second person of the Holy Trinity.
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him” (John 14.6-7)
No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known (John 1.18)
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Col 1.15-17)
In John 8.58 Jesus said, before Abraham was, I am. When Jesus makes this statement he is intentionally referencing Exodus 3 when YHWH told Moses, tell Israel I AM sent you. In fact, the covenant name YHWH is the 3rd person singular of the same phrase I AM; YHWH literally means, “He is.” So when Jesus says before Abraham was, I am, Jesus is identifying with YHWH. Jesus is saying, “I am YHWH. I am the God who created all things and who called Moses to lead the Exodus. I am the God who gave the 10 Commandments.” Jesus is not only the singular human to keep the first commandment, but Jesus is also the God about whom the commandment refers.
The 1st Commandment & the Church
So as we consider how to apply the first commandment to Christ Community Church on February 5, 2023, we must start with this: God exists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ and to worship anyone or anything else is to break the first commandment. We can only rightly worship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. The Reformed tradition defines faith with three components: knowledge, assent, and trust. The first element of faith is knowledge. To have faith in Jesus means to have the knowledge that God is holy, that you are a sinner, and that through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus alone can you experience the forgiveness of your sin and the hope of eternal life.
But knowledge alone will send you to hell. You must also assent to the validity of Scripture’s truth claims about Jesus Christ. You must believe that the person and work of Christ actually happened. That being said, knowledge and assent are not enough. You must also trust in Christ alone. You must place the full weight of your righteousness and hope on Jesus. That means that if you were to stand before God today and he were to say, “why should I forgive your sins and give you eternal life?” Your only answer must be, “because Jesus died for my sins and rose again on the third day.”
This is only possible because on the cross Jesus accomplished the great exchange. Jesus took our sin on the cross and he experienced God’s wrath for our sin. When we take Christ by faith Jesus takes our sin and he gives us his righteousness. This is your only hope in life and death. You have broken the first commandment and, because that’s true, you rightly deserve eternal conscious punishment in hell. Jesus never broke the first commandment and if your faith is in him, his righteousness is imputed to you so that when God sees you in Christ he sees one who never broke the first commandment. He sees the righteousness of Jesus.
So as we consider how we apply the first commandment as new covenant Christians there are some hermeneutical principles to enlist. Under the old covenant 10 Commandments served as both Scripture and law. The Reformed tradition speaks to the three uses of God’s law – the civil, the ceremonial, and the moral. Under the old covenant the law had (1) a civil use – it was the law of the land; (2) the law had a ceremonial use – it governed the worship of God’s people; it was their liturgy; and (3) the law had a moral use – it revealed the character of God and the duties of those in covenant with him.
Under the new covenant God’s law is Scripture but it is not law. The 10 commandments still carry their moral use for us now but the civil and ceremonial are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The ceremonial use of the law is fulfilled because Jesus is the true and final sacrifice for God’s people. The civil use of the law is fulfilled because Jesus has inaugurated his kingdom that is not defined by blood and soil but by faith, and water, by bread and wine.
For the new covenant Christian the first commandment still carries its moral use. To worship anything or anyone other than the Triune God through the person of Jesus is idolatry and sin. We can be tempted to think we’re not idolaters because we don’t bow to a golden calf or that Tiki statue from the Brady Bunch. But John Calvin was correct when he said that our hearts are idol factories.
In our culture we may not be tempted to worship pagan gods represented by statues, but we worship money, and sex, and power, and status, and vocation, and relationships and education. We worship zodiac signs and our emotions and political parties and celebrities. When any of these things, or anything I haven’t mentioned, sits on the throne of your heart in the place of Jesus Christ, you are breaking the first commandment. The heart of the issue is an issue of the heart.
Where does your allegiance lie? Where do your affections lie? Where is your trust? Where is your hope? If the answer is anything other than Jesus Christ then you must repent of that idolatry and trust in Christ alone.
Conclusion
You can dress idolatry up any way you want. You can dress it up as patriotism or security or hard work or religion or even love. No matter how you dress it up, if your trust is in anything other than Jesus then it’s just dressed up idolatry. And there’s only one God and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t dress like that.