Many Christians ignore the first Commandment. Do You?
Bill Faith: The very first commandment that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai was that we are not to have other gods before Him. It's ironic that when Moses descended the mountain he found the children of Israel worshipping a golden calf fabricated from melting their gold jewelry. He was so infuriated he threw down the two tablets of stone that contained the Ten Commandments that he had just received from Almighty God, breaking them into pieces. He had to return to the mountain to receive another set of the Ten Commandments.
We might conclude that this foreshadowed the time when God would divorce Israel because of her spiritual adultery and would offer a new covenant - one in which He would offer the same commandments as was in the first covenant, but that He would write them into our hearts and minds so that we would do them (Jeremiah 3:8; 31:31-33).
False Worship
The Bible records the worship of many false gods by pagan nations. In fact, many nations of the world even today worship various gods. But usually we don't associate modern day Christian churches as doing so. Yet, the largest church in the world that teaches that Christ died for our sins also teaches to pray to various saints - even though the Bible teaches us that there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved other than Jesus Christ (Acts 4:11-12).
It should come as no surprise, however, that this same church changed the pagan festival of Saturnalia to Christmas. It replaced the pure worship of Christ with idolatrous sun-worship practices. The same is true for the pagan celebration of Ishtar now celebrated as Easter - substituted for the early Christian practice of Passover and Unleavened Bread. Unsurprisingly this same church introduced worship of `the whole host of heaven' under the veneration of a host of saints. By doing this they break the first commandment.
In the book of Revelation it is prophesied that at the time of the end, judgment will come upon this false religious system:
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked to me, saying to me, `Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.' So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: Mystery Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and of the abominations of the Earth .... And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth" (ch. 17:1-5, 18).
Most Bible scholars agree that this great city refers to Rome. It was called a `harlot' because the moral degradation of Rome was a chief factor in the decline of the Roman Empire. [Rome in Latin is "Roma". Backwards this is "Amor" = "Love", a nickname supporting Rome's reputation for perverse "Love".] The Romans also deliberately made Rome a home for the religion of every nation they conquered, bringing their idols into a huge temple called the Pantheon. The Romans could not do this to the Jewish religion, because the Jews had no idols. Ideas and practices tracing back to these false religious, and before them to Babylon, continue to be observed in the world today.
Consumer Frenzy
Idolatry, however, goes much deeper than just praying to dead saints or false gods. It also includes covetousness (Colossians 3:6).
How can covetousness be idolatry? When our lusts and desires take precedence in our lives. God is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5). He requires that we put Him before ail else. Our homes, cars, jobs, money and even ourselves can become idols!
God First
Loving our Savior and putting him first has literally been known to separate friends and family. Yet God expects us to put Him first. Said Jesus:
Do not think that I come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man's foes will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me (Matthew 10:34-38)
At times it's not easy to bear our cross and follow Christ because one of the most common forms of idolatry is self-worship. That is, when we put ourselves ahead of all else including God - when we place all of our time on self-interest, self-desires, self-goals leaving little or no time for developing our relationship with our Creator through prayer, Bible study, church attendance etc. It is idolatry because we are worshipping ourselves more than loving God. It's not wrong to desire things and set goals to obtain them. But it is wrong to put all of our thoughts and efforts into them and put God in second place.
"Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, `He catches the wise in their own craftiness;' and again, `The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.' Therefore let no one glory in men. For all things are yours" (1 Corinthians 3:18-21). The thoughts of the wise are futile because they are consumed with selfish desires and their thoughts are not on God. Mere people - especially rich and famous movie stars, rock bands, sports figures and such are idolized rather than God.
Yet the apostle Paul tells us: "Let no one glory in men, for all things are yours". All things are ours - but only if we have God's Spirit and if we live by that Spirit and not according to the flesh. (Romans 8:11-17).
As Christians we need to remind ourselves that we are not our own but are purchased by the blood of Christ. We belong to God (I Corinthians 6:19-20)!
If we are not to transgress the first of God's Commandments then it's necessary that we always remember who we belong to. And that our life is no longer our own to live as we please.
To comment on this article or request more information, please contact James McBride by e-mail at the comment form below.
For PDF or mailed copy, see CGOM. Excerpt from New Horizons Volume 5 No. 5, September/October 2001. Edited by James McBride of the Churches of God, United Kingdom.
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