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You Shall Have No Other gods Before Me
July 3, 2021

There is no mistaking that God and men have different viewpoints when deciding matters. From the very earliest times in stories of the Bible, it is made clear to us that God does not look at people the way people look at people. Throughout history and into the modern era certain people have stood out in the minds of people due to physical and intellectual attributes. God considers the heart of the person which transcends intelligence and physical ability and attributes. With man it is possible to be intelligent and evil or physically fit and evil and God is focused on whether the heart is good or evil. Unlike mankind, God does not get distracted with the outward appearance but how the person is, within the person’s heart. When David was chosen by God to be king of Israel, this was on display as Samuel thought for sure the next king of Israel would be one of Jesse’s older and taller sons.

1 Samuel 16:1-13
And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons. And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD. And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee. And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD'S anointed is before him. But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this. Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

In life, we cannot look to other people as our source of strength or salvation, just like God did not choose the king of Israel based on physical appearance or intellect. In life, we cannot look to ourselves as our source of strength or salvation, knowing that it is God who will provide for his people. Instead of focusing on our needs we are to focus on seeking first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, knowing that God has promised to provide our needs.

Matthew 6:25-34
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

It makes no difference what the evil is we identify in our life; we must always seek first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness. For instance, the environment, poverty, and climate change are huge evils identified by many people. As society addresses these after first seeking first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, these evils will be addressed by God because God knows that our physical lives are linked to our environment and is impacted by climate change. God also knows that a life of poverty can lead to a person being more easily oppressed by others with more financial means. However, as society attempts to address evils it identifies with the absence of efforts to seek first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, God will not take effort to address these evils, and success or failure will be determined solely by mankind’s efforts.

When we look to other people or ourselves for salvation, we will always fall short of the first commandment given to the children of Israel. When we attempt to mitigate the evils of society without first seeking the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, we also fall short of the first commandment.

Exodus 20:1-3
And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

As we live our life knowing we must seek first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, we also need to frame our focus based on our role in creation. As people we were not the creators. It was God who said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”

Genesis 1:26-27
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

In creation, we did not make God after our image and likeness, and yet making God after man’s image and likeness is part of the society in which we live. For instance in the animated comedy series, Family Guy, in season seven, episode eleven, All Dogs Go To Heaven, the daughter, Meg, finds religion while recovering from the mumps and tries to convince the family dog, Brian, who in the series acts like a person, that he should accept God. Brian tells Meg that she does not need an outside voice to feel love and acceptance because these are inside her and what she calls God is inside her and all people. To explain the nature of our creation, Brian would later explain to Meg that the real nature to our existence is going to be more unimaginably amazing than we can possibly conceive.

In this episode using the words and plot line of a script writer, instead of acknowledging that we are made after the image and likeness of God, the episode shows how it is commonly accepted that God is instead made after our image and likeness, a creation of our own mind. This episode from Family guy first aired more than a decade ago. Since that time, there has been no spiritual awakening by people around the world, and before this episode aired, the world was not a more religious place. The episode as bothering as it could be for many believers is an honest reflection of how society views God, including the many religious people who when talking about God, refer to God as my God in conjunction with describing attributes their God has which are important for their human experience, typically expressed with the sentiment that their God would not allow something perceived to be evil by the person to happen.

For those of us who are called, we need to remember that we are called and are to first seek the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness which embodies everything that we do in life. We cannot allow ourselves to abandon this focus reminded that the Church of Ephesus was chastised for leaving its first love and warned that unless there was repentance and return to that first love, the candlestick would be removed from its place.

Revelation 2:1-5
Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

In the modern era we need to realize that there are people who hold the truth, but they hold the truth in unrighteousness. As we allow these people who hold the truth in unrighteousness to remove us from seeking first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, we endanger our spiritual salvation and become like society. Who are those people who hold the truth in unrighteousness? These are people who know about God and yet focus on God’s creation, what they can see, rather than what they cannot see, the Creator. When people know about God and choose to reject God by focusing on the creation, they hold the truth in unrighteousness focusing on the physical existence of the present world. Contrast that to the person who knows about God, is not called of God, and yet accepts that there is a God, that it is only God who can be trusted and that we need to work to be right with God is with what they have available to them seeking first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness.

The people who reject God are not much different than what was shown in that Family Guy episode where people begin to worship the creation by believing that God is within us, not as a divine presence, but as a creation of our own minds. These people think they are wise much more than believers and reduce God from something divine to something man made or in the image of some type of animal.

Paul then adds his thoughts on consequences for these actions and describes what today would be called a wild sexual orgy showing that because people worshipped the creation rather than the Creator , God allowed sex to take the center fold of society. When Paul says God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, Paul is saying no other action was needed by God. God did not do anything else to cause sex to become a predominant focus of society because sex has been and is a part of the human condition. What God did was give these people to their uncleanness because they rejected God. In other words, God took no other deliberate action to cause sex to become a huge part of the human experience. He did remove his protection from sexual problems over people by allowing this to happen. The more that people worship the creation rather than the Creator, the more the sexual problems are magnified. Paul adds that even lesbian and homosexual activities are linked to society’s rejection of God.

In the Church of God as we live within a society that has rejected God, it is likely we will encounter people focused on sex or who engage in lesbian and homosexual acts. Because we seek first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness and because we believe the Bible, including the verses we just read showing these practices to be in error, we do not condone the sexual activities of others. We also do not condemn, because condemnation only belongs to God after judgment is made. When we feel we are able to condemn, we have in our own mind rejected God, worship ourselves and like Satan the Devil, see ourselves on the judgment seat of God, and that is another problem entirely, your problem. Like Paul we can choose to lay out the basis for our concern, society’s rejection of God in favor of self-worship and the worship of creation.

Within the church we are not immune to society’s rejection of God. Each Sabbath Day and Holy Day we are fully aware that society has rejected God. The irony of the situation is the people who have rejected God and now worship the creation will never see that and instead in their own way condemn us for worshipping the Creator . Those who are focused on sex, any type of sex, will also not understand that society has rejected God and worships the creation rather than the Creator , and will also in their own way condemn us for worshipping the Creator .

As Christians, we are not to repay evil for evil, and when others condemn us, we should offer blessings to them. As possible, we are to remember to live peaceably with all people. Living peaceably with all men means seeking first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteous, never conceding our faith, never requiring others to concede their faith, knowing there will be this future time when all will be given the opportunity for salvation living in a world that has not rejected God, when God’s calling will have no opportunity to fall by the wayside, when all will be called on that good ground. Living peaceably with all people means we do not take any discriminatory action in business or civil interactions making sure we fully comply with the laws where we live. We know that in the Book of Revelation that eventually believers will be discriminated against in business and civil interactions because we will not have the mark of the beast. We are not called to institute a similar mark today in our business and civil interactions. We should instead have pity for the people who do not realize that society has rejected God and instead worships the creation, and we should be moved to be more committed to the faith.

We also need to realize that what starts with a sexual focus devolves to a very evil society that beyond sex and basic concepts of evil becomes focused on many things such as materialistic gain. We can see maliciousness, especially on social media. All you have to do is post a contrary viewpoint on social media and wait for the maliciousness to be written. We live in a world where people are more jealous of other people. That jealousy tends to circle back to materialistic gain and maliciousness where people both try to have what others have and then deride them for having some unfair advantage when they don’t have what others have. There is actual murder and character assassination, people who are contrarian to whatever viewpoint is presented, they disagree to disagree. There are those who use subtle words to deceive, who complain, disobey their parents, who even hate God. There are so many who are detached from other people who are unmerciful. The cancel culture of today is an example of unmerciful people. All of these people have placed themselves before God because they know what they do would be judged harshly by God as recorded in the Bible. They have rejected what is in the Bible and take personal satisfaction in how they live their life.

Romans 1:18-32
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

We are warned by Jesus to value spiritual things over earthly things. When we value the things on this earth more than the spiritual things, we are not seeking first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, and we have another god before God.

Matthew 6:19-21
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Paul reminded the Colossians to seek those things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God and not on things on earth.

Colossians 3:1-4
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

In his letter, James tells us that we cannot be a friend of the world and be loyal to God. The system of this world is against God and hates God, and we must choose to seek first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness.

James 4:1-8
From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

In Romans, Paul tells us not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This means we are not to be like the world. Instead we are to become Christ-like through the renewing of our minds.

Romans 12:1-2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

told his disciples that we cannot love our family more than Jesus if we wish to be Christians.

Matthew 10:34-39
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

To the Colossians, Paul wrote that we are to do all things in the name of Jesus Christ giving thanks to God. As we act without recognizing the impact of God and Jesus Christ in our lives, we risk putting our actions first, directly contradicting the expectation that we seek first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness.

Colossians 3:12-17
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

In Proverbs we are told to not trust in our own heart but to trust God, to acknowledge God so He can direct our paths. As we yield to God, we have no other gods before God.

Proverbs 3:5-10
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

Later in Proverbs we are told that if we commit our works to God, our thoughts will be established. By having no gods before God, He will help us succeed by directing our steps.

Proverbs 16:1-9
The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD. All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established. The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right. A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

In Philippians we read that it is through Jesus Christ we can do all things. As we seek first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, our needs will be met.

Philippians 4:10-13
But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

As Christians, we know that Jesus Christ lives in each of us through the Holy Spirit. We must live our life reflecting this understanding knowing that as we live our life yielding to the Holy Spirit, we are seeking first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness having no gods before God.

Galatians 2:15-21
We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Having no other Gods before God and seeking first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness means we must not follow the religious teachings of people, even when presented with great authority. Instead, we must follow the commandments of God.

Matthew 15:1-9
Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

To the Ephesians, Paul wrote that we must be renewed in the spirit of our mind through the Holy Spirit and put on the new man which comes from God. When we do this, we have no other gods before God.

Ephesians 4:17-24
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

To have no other gods, and to seek first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, our delight must be in the law of God and when we reflect on life, the Bible is the mirror we use to examine ourselves as we live our life.

Psalm 1:1-6
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Later in the Book of Psalms, we read that people who fear God, who do what is expected of God are blessed and happy.

Psalm 128:1-6
Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD. The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel.

As we seek first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, as we have no other gods before God, we love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, and mind, and this is one of the great commandments in the law.

Matthew 22:34-40
But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Having no gods before God means we seek first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness. For Christians, there are many nuances in how we live our life knowing we live in a world that has rejected God, worshipping the creation rather the creation with all that stems from that. We know these people who reject God also will reject us. Instead of repaying evil for evil as this world would expect we repay evil with a blessing and show to all that indeed we have no gods before God and indeed we seek first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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