The Ten Commandments: I-No Other Gods

No other gods.

Life is complicated. God never intended us to live it apart from Him. He is with us. His Spirit hovers over the chaos of our world and the chaos of our lives. He has provided guidance through His written Word, the Bible. The Bible gives us insight and wisdom about right and wrong. Through the Bible, God shows us things that work to make life easier, and things to avoid because they bring destruction. His Spirit gives us understanding of what the Bible teaches and how to apply it to our lives.

When God delivered His people out of slavery in Egypt, they were not yet an organized nation. They were three months out of their captivity when God gave them His moral law, the basic things they needed to understand so they could function as an orderly group of people. He gave them the Ten Commandments.

God began His commandments by reminding His people who He is. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” They had just seen God miraculously deliver them from Pharaoh, who refused to let them go. They saw Him part the Red Sea. He fed them manna. He gave them water out of a rock in the desert.

After he reminded them who He is, He said, “You shall have no other gods before me.”

Foundational to our understanding of the world we live in, is understanding that God is God, and we are not. He has all authority. He is worthy of all honor.

When God first appeared to Moses, He identified Himself as “I AM.” That name indicates He is everything we need. He is all-sufficient. He is all-powerful. He creates and sustains life. There is no one like Him. He is our Provider, our Protector, our Refuge, and our Strength.

Having life, and living it well begins with knowing God and submitting to Him as Lord over everything. Nothing can take His rightful place. We are accountable to Him. He has the right to lay out commandments for us. His love for His people is unfailing. His commandments are for our good.

Anything has the potential of becoming a god to us. Things like position, possessions, other people, or anything else can usurp God’s rightful place in our lives. A god can be anything that consumes our attention. But anything other than the one true God is a false god.

When we begin to see God as He truly is, we are overwhelmed by His goodness, His grace, and His generosity. He knows our failings. He forgives sin. He gave us Jesus.

God alone is worthy to occupy the most holy place at the center of our lives. Only God is God. When we get that right, everything else falls into place.

And God spoke all these words: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:1-3 NIV

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Blessings,
Phyllis

© 2026 Phyllis l. Farringer

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