Absolute Fidelity

You shall have no other gods besides Me. Deuteronomy 5:7

No – It’s too bad that we can’t read this verse in Hebrew.  If we could, we would see that it begins with the most important word in the verse, and that word is not You.  It is the Hebrew word lo, which means “no.”  In other words, the verse really reads “Not shall you have other gods.”  The emphasis is on the power of the exclusion.  This is demonstrated in two ways.  The negative is first, in the place of priority, and the word used is lo, the Hebrew unconditional negative.  There is another Hebrew word for “no” (‘al), but it is expresses urgent, personal prohibition, not legislation.  You can see it used in Proverbs 22:22 ff.  Here the negative shouts out the Law!

So, the first word of the first command sets the tone for all the rest of the covenant.  Nothing is to take the place of the Lord.  No other thing – no relationship, no service, no worship, no suzerain – is to command more fidelity or more obedience.  This God, the God Who brought you out, is to be the only, exclusive Master of your life.

But we already acknowledge this, don’t we?  We all claim that God is first in our lives.  We can’t imagine worshipping some idol or serving some other false god.  At least, that’s what we say.  But when it comes to critical examination of our loyalties, things look a bit different.  The point of a covenant relationship is not the acknowledgment of the words but the fulfillment of the acts.  God doesn’t put a lot of stock in what I say.  He looks at what I do.

So, let’s do a little fidelity self-check.  Since God is my suzerain Lord, all that I have is His, right?  That means that I gladly and without remorse make all my possessions available to His service whenever He asks.  So, the first test of fidelity is this:  Is there anything – any possession or relationship – that I am holding back from Him?  The second test is similar.  God is interested in obedience.  He has given us the handbook for living that is pleasing to Him.  So, are there any requirements that I am dodging, ignoring or rationalizing?  Am I making all of my life choices on the basis of His point of view?  And just for fun, let’s add this one.  God is the Lord of time.  Every moment belongs to Him.  He graciously loans some to me, but He is constantly on the look-out to see if I will redeem my loaned moments by inviting the presence of the divine into my temporal reality.  Am I so conscious of His hand on my existence that every breath I take is a blessing to Him, or do a take little vacations from God a minute at a time when the opportunity presents itself?

We could go through the usual money, sex and power items, but most of us know only too well how we struggle with those.  I suspect that the issues are deeper – that “other gods” is really an orientation away from the Lord’s sovereignty over my life.  Sure, money, power and sex trip me up, but I can be legally righteous and not practice the spirit of the covenant.  God first is strikingly simple – and profoundly challenging.  What comes first determines everything else in life.  If you aren’t aware of God’s presence, maybe you’ll need a priority examination.

Topical Index:  Sovereignty