A Jealous God

Verse of the day: Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.”

Considering the Israelites spent so many years in Egypt, where the Egyptians worshipped a great many gods, it was quite appropriate for the LORD to communicate His first commandment to avoid, and refrain from, worshipping any gods other than the one true God. Not only did they leave an idolatrous land and country, but they would now be entering a land occupied by the Canaanites, who were an idolatrous people also. To worship another god “before” Him means to worship another god in His presence. One commentator wrote that it means to worship “other gods in opposition to Him, against His will, and contrary to obedience to Him and His precepts.” This command, although an Old Testament command, still stands today. Ephesians 5:5 clearly reads, “For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” Jesus, in response to Satan’s feeble attempts to tempt Him, said in Matthew 4:10, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” Our worship, as born again believers, belongs exclusively to the LORD. He not only commands that we not worship any other gods, besides or before Him, but we are not to worship any other gods in conjunction with worshipping Him (v. 23). In verse 4, God commands them not to make any graven images; and in verse 5, He tells them that they are not to bow down to them, clearly stating the consequences for disobedience of this command. Why was God so adamant about the fact that they should worship no other? Why is the command still of grave importance to us today? Verse 5 tells us that our God is a jealous God. He is not jealous as we become jealous. Our jealousy is a selfish jealousy that is motivated by our own twisted and selfish motives. God’s jealousy is one that benefits us and is selfless. Our jealousy is destructive, and often is to the hurt of the other person. God is jealous because He desires the best for us and He knows that worshipping anything or anyone besides Him means to settle for what is less than the best, and will lead to our hurt and the hurt of those closest to us. As God’s children, if we choose some other god who is not the one true God, we open ourselves up to false teaching, false teachers, and making decisions that will affect our family, friends, and how we serve God, if we serve Him at all. Worshipping other gods leads us astray from God, and causes us to lead others away from Him. Sadly, there are many things that take our attention and worship away from the LORD. The world and the devils are very good at pulling us away from God. John 10:10 clearly reads, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” The devil want to steal our worship, kill our fellowship with God, and destroy our lives. We allow material things, money, status, hobbies (yes, sports too), our jobs, and even people we put before God (spouse, child, friend, etc.) become the gods we worship. When we any one of these things, or people, become more important than time spent with God in prayer or in His Word, or time spent in worshipping God, we have made them an idol in our lives. Sadly, what we do not realize is that when we put a loved one on the throne where God belongs, we set them up to be removed from that place, by God, which can be a very painful process; for this reason, if we truly love those around us, we will keep God where He belongs…on the throne of our lives. Ultimately, no one, and nothing, can do for us what God has done, is doing, or will do, for us. Before telling the Israelites that they were not to have any other gods before Him, God reminded them that He was the One who delivered them from Egypt (v. 2). This was something that no other god in Egypt had done for them, or could do for them; as He proved them all to be weak, and powerless, by the plagues He unleashed on the land. We, as Christians, desire the best in this life. If that is so, why do we sell ourselves short by going after the idols we set up in our lives? Why do we place God in second and third place (if even that high) in our lives, when He should occupy the number one place in our lives? Our God is a jealous God because He desires what is best for us, knows what is best for us, and will give us the best, even in the midst of the most trying circumstances; if we will only allow Him to occupy His rightful place in the center place in our lives.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).