Deuteronomy 5:6-10: a reflection

6“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 7“You shall have no other gods before me. 8“You shall not make a carved image for yourself—any likeness of what is in heaven above, or what is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 9You shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me 10and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

As Moses recounts the commandments, he begins where God began, with the first and foundational one: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt; you shall have no other gods before me. Before any other command, this: that God alone is to be God to his people, with no rivals, no other gods holding the place that belongs to him. Everything else flows from this; God is to have the first and supreme place.

Notice that this comes first, and grounds all the rest: no other gods before me. Whatever holds in our hearts the place that belongs to God alone, the place of first loyalty, deepest love, highest priority, has become for us another god, a rival to the true God. The first commandment is not merely against bowing to idols of wood and stone, but against giving to anything the supreme place in our hearts that belongs to God. He will not share that place; he is to be first, above all.

That searches our hearts. We may keep no carved idols, and yet have other gods, things that hold the place in our hearts that belongs to God alone: our own comfort, success, security, relationships, or self, given the first loyalty and deepest devotion that God should have. Examine what truly holds first place in your heart. Is God first, above all, or has something else taken the supreme place that belongs to him? Give God the first place, above every rival; let nothing hold the loyalty and love that are his alone. You shall have no other gods before him; put God first, and remove from his place whatever has usurped it, for he is to be God to you, above all. And take heart in his promise of steadfast love to those who love him and keep his commandments.

Lord, the first and foundational commandment is this: I am the LORD your God; you shall have no other gods before me. Before any other, this: that you alone are to be God to me, with no rivals, no other gods holding the place that belongs to you. Search my heart by it. I may keep no carved idols, and yet have other gods, things that hold the place in my heart that belongs to you alone: my own comfort, success, security, relationships, or self, given the first loyalty and deepest devotion that you should have. Show me what truly holds first place in my heart. Are you first, above all, or has something else taken the supreme place that belongs to you? Help me give you the first place, above every rival; let nothing hold the loyalty and love that are yours alone. Help me put you first, and remove from your place whatever has usurped it, for you are to be God to me, above all. And thank you for your promise of steadfast love to those who love you and keep your commandments.