Identity and Idolatry

Scripture Reading: Shemot (Exodus) 18-20

In this reading, the 10 Commandments are given at Mount Sinai. Like many people, I memorized these as a child and was taught that the First Commandment was:

"I am the LORD thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

However, this is not how the text actually reads, and it was very helpful and a real eye-opener to discover what the First Commandment really is.

Exo 20:1 And Elohim spoke all these Words, saying,
Exo 20:2 "I am יהוה your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, out of the house of slavery.
Exo 20:3 "You have no other mighty ones against My face.
Exo 20:4 "You do not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of that which is in the heavens above, or which is in the earth beneath, or which is in the waters under the earth,
Exo 20:5 you do not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, יהוה your Elohim am a jealous Ěl, visiting the crookedness of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
Exo 20:6 but showing kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and guard My commands.

In verse 2, YHWH identifies Himself. Verse 3 is a prohibition against idolatry, which is elaborated upon in verses 4-6, which explain the prohibition and the reason for it. Verse 3 does not go with verse 2. It obviously goes with verses 4-6.

Verse 2 is the First Commandment. It is about His identity, who He truly is, so that we will be able to differentiate between Him, the true Elohim, and false gods (mighty ones). First and foremost, we need to know and understand in Whom we believe. He identifies Himself as the Elohim who brought Israel out of Egypt (Mitsrayim), out of the bondage of slavery. The Commandment is to believe only in Him as the one and only true Elohim.

He identifies Himself specifically this way so that we will know that if we are worshipping anyone or anything else other than the One who redeemed Israel from slavery in Egypt, then we are committing idolatry as described in the Second Commandment. We cannot truly keep the Second Commandment unless we know who our Elohim (God) is.

If we do not know exactly who we are worshipping, we are in danger of violating the Second Commandment, so that is why He gave us a specific way of identifying Him. He also says that He does not change:

Mal 3:6 "For I am יהוה, I shall not change, and you, O sons of Ya'aqob, shall not come to an end.

Jam 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of turning.

What He gave us at Mount Sinai is still in effect today, just as all the covenants prior to Sinai are in effect, because He does not change, and He does not break covenants.

He did not send His Son to begin a new religion in the First Century. His Son was there from the beginning. He was there on Sinai giving those 10 Commandments because ALL came to be through Him.

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim.
Joh 1:2 He was in the beginning with Elohim.
Joh 1:3 All came to be through Him, and without Him not even one came to be that came to be.

He doesn't change.

Heb 13:8 יהושע Messiah is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

It's so reassuring that He doesn't change. Who would want to worship a capricious, mind-changing, covenant-breaking god?