When someone issues a decree, we have to assume the person (or entity) has the authority to make it. People recognize and submit to the leaders who rule their country. Monarchs proclaim edicts. Legislatures declare and enforce governmental rules. Dictators pronounce self-empowering policies. What of our Sovereign Lord God? Does He command just or unfair commandments? When He gave the Ten Commandments to Moses for His people, God began by stating Who He is—“I am the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:2). Because of Who He is, His first commandment is “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (The KJV says it this way: “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.”)
Where Does the Bible Say 'Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me'
Exodus 20:3 and Deuteronomy 5:7 both say, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” The terminology “thou shalt” is an example of the King James Bible’s language. It reflects the English of the seventeenth century, with a poetic cadence and beautiful language.
What Kind of Gods Is Exodus 20:3 Talking About?
Let’s look at the context of Exodus 20-30. While Moses was with the Lord God on Mount Sinai, he was immersed in a holy atmosphere. God said to Moses (and consequently to the people), “Now, therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine” (Exodus 19:5).
Do you see the condition in this promise? If the people obey. If the people keep God’s covenant.
When Moses presented God’s charge to the people, they declared they would obey all His commands (Exodus 19:8). God ordered Moses to consecrate the people, and He would come on the third day and speak to them. He was wrapped in a cloud so the people would hear His commands yet not see Him. “Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly” (Exodus 19:18). One aspect of God’s holiness is pictured as fire; it’s no wonder the smoke enveloped His presence and the mountain quaked. (cf. Daniel 7:9-14).
In the presence of the people, God gave His Ten Commandments. In Exodus 20:23, God explicitly tells them not to make any gods to be with him (or be grouped with Him)—gods of silver and gold.
When God tells them they will occupy the promised land, He tells them not to bow to the other people’s gods or serve them. Instead, the Israelites were to eradicate the land of those other gods. (Hint – they failed).
After the Lord God spoke, Moses sprinkled the blood of a sacrificed oxen on/over the people to consecrate them (Exodus 24:8). Moses then went up on the mountain at God’s behest to receive the stone tablets. We have read the first commandment. It did not take the Israelites long to break it. While Moses was with God for 40 days, the people grew impatient and demanded Aaron fashion gods for them to worship and who would “go before them.” (Exodus 32:1). It was a (little g) god in the form of a golden calf.
No matter what form, a god other than Jehovah God is always in opposition to Almighty God—the Great I AM. He places supreme importance on His position as LORD. Anything that usurps God’s position as our sovereign Lord can be deemed a god. These gods are created images fashioned by human will and can take the forms of people, locations, passions (including wealth, prosperity, health, love, etc.), and things. A god is an idol we lift above our Creator God.
Why Is Worshiping Other Gods a Problem?
As Christians, we are betrothed to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2). We are His bride and are to be presented to Him as pure and spotless at the culmination of history when we are in glory (Ephesians 5:25-32). Revelation 19:7 tells us we will be the bride at the wedding ceremony of the Lamb. The question is, how can we worship another god (idol) and remain spotless and pure? The answer is we cannot.
God equates worshiping other gods with adultery, and this imagery is one we see throughout the Bible.
Leviticus 20:5 declares that following a god is “whoredom.” Ezekiel 23:35 tells us that because the people had forgotten God and cast Him aside, they would have to bear the consequences of their lewdness. In Jeremiah 3:9, the Lord calls the people out for their “adultery with stone and tree.”
Isaiah 44 gives us a stark look at the disobedient, sinful, and futile act of bowing down to a lifeless god.
The first five verses declare Israel as God’s chosen people. In verses six through eight, God, with strong words, reminds the people who He is—the Lord of hosts—and there is no other besides Him. Verses nine through twenty proclaim the folly of idolatry. The narrative contains an account of a man who would chop down some wood to build a fire for cooking. After he uses the wood for a good purpose, he carves an idol and bows it. He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!” (Isaiah 44:17b).
God calls Himself Israel’s Redeemer, and He is. That title will never belong to a block of wood (or any other created material). For more on this, see Acts 19:26.
When we bow to a god, we give glory to that god. God will share His glory with no others (Isaiah 48:11). The act of worshiping other gods is a heinous act. It is so heinous that in Deuteronomy 8:19, Moses says, “And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish.”
In the New Testament, Romans 1:18-32 is an indictment against those who “exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things” (Romans 1:23).
The Scriptures are clear regarding a Christian’s position as holy (1 Peter 1:16) and righteous (Romans 8:4). We are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). How can we dishonor Him and go after other gods?
We are made in His image, and we are to reflect Jesus as an act of worship. If we defile ourselves by worshiping gods, it’s as if we are spitting in God’s face and saying, “I know best.”
What Kind of Other Gods Do We Worship Today?
Sadly, the list of gods we worship is almost endless. We worship:
Self and Physical Appearance – The sin of pride causes us to look to ourselves as the end. A prideful person will claim independence from God by looking to the self as the answer to all ills, the provider of all good. Being a good steward of our bodies is good; the obsession for the best body is a god.
Wealth – the love of money is pervasive, and we bow down to its perceived power to keep us comfortable.
Love – if we love a person more than God, they are an idol.
Comfort – on the heels of wealth, comfort follows. We don’t want to be uncomfortable, so we bow to things and people who promise a problem-free life.
The devil – Yes, people worship him directly. It’s an act of defiance against our true and holy God.
Hedonism - We may not bow down, but we certainly prostrate ourselves for ultimate pleasure.
Family – Family is good, but God always comes first.
Technology – How often do we see people bowed down before their cell phones?
Status – This includes vocation, education, achievements, lifestyle, vacations, who we know, etc.
Knowledge – All manner of degrees give a person prideful titles.
A person – Movie stars, famous writers, musicians, even pastors.
Identity – How we define ourselves and try to place ourselves above others and have them look up to us.
The above acts of false worship don’t cover all people or all the kinds of idolatry that humanity is capable of. Believers should be aware of the insidious ways the evil one infiltrates our lifestyles and culture to trick us into idolatry. Even good things can become gods (idols) when we place them above God. Peer into the list Paul writes in Galatians 5:19-21. It will steer you away from the ugly fruit idolatry bears.
Christians must immerse themselves in God’s word, pray, regularly connect with other believers, and clothe themselves with God’s full armor (Ephesians 6:10-18). Another list of musts is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). And with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength, love God and then love others.
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This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today.
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