The First Commandment: Statues and Precepts (35)

Exodus 23.13
“And in all that I have said to you, be circumspect and make no mention of the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from your mouth.”

Exodus 22.20
“He who sacrifices to any god, except to the Lord only, he shall be utterly destroyed.”

God declares His determination that He alone shall be God to Israel, and He does it with unmistakable and uncompromised clarity.

God’s people are, first and foremost, to “be circumspect” concerning His Law, to read and study it, meditate on it, and carry it out in practice. If they do, they will quickly learn the blessings that come from obedience and be reinforced in the steadfast love and faithfulness of God. Thus love for Him will encourage them to cling only to the Lord.

Second, they must not even so much as mention the names of foreign gods. Here, undoubtedly, the kind of “mention” around which conversations are built is probably what is in view. It is not necessary to study every kind of evil and become thoroughly versed in it in order to know that it’s evil. God’s judgment and command should be enough for us. How much misery would we be spared if we simply took His Word to heart and refused even to dally in anything contrary to His Law?

Finally, those who actually do take up practices of devotion toward other gods are to be cut off from the congregation of Israel. Here the death penalty is in view. We’ll have more to say about the death penalty later on in this study. For now, let us think merely in terms of those who violate the first commandment as being separated from the community of God’s people, lest their rebellion infect others and lead to community-wide disaster.

T. M. Moore

The Law of God is the soil which, fertilized by the rest of God’s Word and watered by His Spirit, brings forth the fruit of Christian life. If you’d like to understand this process better, and how to make best use of the Law in your walk with and work for the Lord, order the book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, from our online store.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.