Love the Lord thy God. Exodus 20:3-11 The Ten Commandments given by God express the character of God and His expectations in His relationship with us. This list is clearly divided into two parts. Love for God is the foundation of everything in the life of a child of God. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Other things that claim people's interests and occupy their time can become objects of worship. Some very educated people will say, "There is no God," or "No God for me." They worship intellect, science, and education. Sin has very pervasive consequences. It affects others as well as the one who sins. Alcoholic parents impact their children. Abusers of others are often victims of abuse. Both good and evil can influence families.
Some people worship themselves and their intellect. Others in ancient times believed in many gods they thought had enough power over humans to deserve worship. Some worshiped the sun because they couldn't control it. Others worshiped bulls, alligators, serpents—anything that seemed powerful. Some worshiped anything with a "life source" in it, like plants, trees, or even immoral human practices.
“No other gods before Me:” There is no real or imagined rival in terms of hostility or authority that can replace God. No idol, whether real, figurative, or imagined, can be worshipped. God is not to be thought of as just one among many gods. There is only one God. At the start of the Decalogue, God made it clear that His people should not turn to any other god. "The gods which your fathers served...or the gods of the Amorites" were to be completely abandoned. They were not to create anything that could be objects of worship. "God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth." To turn the glory of the incorruptible God into an image resembling corruptible man or animals is not only an insulting attempt to degrade God but will also lead God to give them up to their own uncleanness, as Romans 1 states.
“Not make for yourself a carved image… likeness:” No facsimile, whether a painting, statue, icon, or anything from man’s imagination, should be allowed to depict God. Any human attempt to represent God would distract from His true nature and His indescribable glory. He doesn’t want people worshipping what they think He looks like, but rather worshipping Him for who He is, “The Way, the Truth and the Life!” He is zealous for what is genuine. He is merciful to guilty sinners and their descendants—children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. To those who love and obey Him, “His mercy endures forever!” through all generations.
Objects of worship today may not only be carved or shaped pieces of wood, metal, or other art forms, but people also create them as objects of veneration. Many focus their attention on ungodly visual images that capture their interest and demand their focus. Numerous images are shown on television screens or available on computers that defile the mind and take control of the souls of those who allow these images to enter their being. Not only do they cause people to fantasize about ungodly things, but they are often designed in a way that disrespects God and sometimes turns God into an object of mockery in their minds and the minds of those they influence.
“Not take the name of the Lord your God in vain:” To misuse the name of the Lord is to belittle Him as insignificant. Using His name for evil purposes violates His character and authority. Carelessly or indifferently using His name without considering who He is shows the character of the person who uses His name in vain.
God's name represents His personal identity, and using His name frivolously or blasphemously as curse words shows that a person does not take the Person of God seriously. To dishonor the Name of God is to dishonor the Person of God. Very few people use other names as curse words or words of disrespect. God's name is to be praised. His name should be held in high esteem as we speak it in reverence when we worship God. How we use any person's name reveals what we think of that person.
“Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy:” God “rested” after creation as proof of His satisfaction with His work. That rest day was “holy” because it was set apart from all other days. Time is a gift from God, and it is right for us to recognize the blessing of each day He has given us to use as He wills. To Israel, it was a sign of God's covenant with His earthly people. The Lord’s Day is when we respond to the blessings of His new covenant with His heavenly people.
The Sabbath day became a symbol of the covenant between God and the children of Israel, as we see in Exodus 31:17. The need for a day of rest for all humanity is part of our nature. The reason for having a day to rest is that constant labor quickly makes a person unable to work. During the French Revolution, they changed it to ten days of work and one of rest, but it was soon reverted back to one day in seven. God has designed humans with that seven-day cycle as part of our being. The body and soul of a person must be allowed to synchronize with the spirit of man.
The seventh-day rest was provided for physical reasons, not to establish a religion. In the New Testament church, the first day of the week was when God's people were to offer their proportional offerings. It was the day they gathered to break bread together in remembrance of Christ and to publicly proclaim His death until He returns. It was also the day John received the revelation of Jesus Christ, both in the present and future, and the day of Jesus’ resurrection. As a day of Resurrection, Remembrance, Responsibility, and Revelation, it became a day of rest and spiritual renewal for the spirit, soul, and body. Additionally, it shows the importance we place on God in our lives.
We remember the Lord’s resurrection from the dead on that day. We fulfill our duty by offering the fruit of our labor and our lips on that day. We receive divine truth from His word on that day. The Sabbath was a time of rest for the children of Israel to focus their minds on God’s completed work in creation and to remind them that He had redeemed them from bondage in Egypt. God does not intend us to forget all He has done for us.