The First Four Commandments

The first four commandments tell us how we are to conduct ourselves before God. We can fulfill these first four commands by praying about our needs, thanking and praising God, using God’s name respectfully and taking time to rest and meditate on God’s Word.  –Exodus 20:1-8

The basic code in Israel’s divine law is found in Exodus 20:2-17; elsewhere it is called the Ten Commandments. The Hebrew words for Ten Commandments literally mean “Ten Words”. (Study note for Exodus 20:1) The Ten Commandments begin with the statement “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” (Exodus 20:1) Warren Wiersbe points out that the phrase “I am the Lord your God” is used five times in this section (vv. 3, 5, 7, 10, 12) to show that God is the authority behind these commands and they weren’t just Moses’ opinions.

The study note for Exodus 20:2 tells us that the Ten Commandments reflect the structure of the treaties of the time period. First there was a preamble, in which God identified Himself (“I am the Lord your God”). Second, a historical prologue is given where God’s previous acts toward the people (“who brought you out of Egypt”) are written. Finally, in the third part, the treaty, or covenant, gave its ten guidelines to be followed by the people. The use of this format also shows God’s authority in giving the Ten Commandments. He is established as Israel’s King and Israel His subjects. As God’s subjects, Israel is to show their submission, allegiance and obedience out of gratitude for God’s mercies, reverence for His sovereignty, and trust in His continuing care. David Guzik writes that the foundation God laid prior to giving His commands lets us know that “because of who God is, and what He has done for us, He has the right to tell us what to do – and we have the obligation to obey Him.”

The first four commands teach us how to conduct ourselves before God. This order is important because “how we relate to others depends on how we relate to God.” (WW) The first command is, “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3) David Guzik reminds us that once we understand who God is and what He has done for us, we can understand that nothing is to come

before God; that He is the only God we are to worship and serve. To worship any other God would be in opposition or hostility toward God. “No deity, real or imagined, is to rival the one true God.” (Study note for Exodus 20:3) We are to trust God only.  “Failure to obey this commandment is called idolatry. We are to flee idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14). Those lives marked by habitual idolatry will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Ephesians 5:5, Revelation 21:8, 22:15). Idolatry is a work of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-20), which marks our old life instead of the new (1 Peter 4:3), and we are not to associate with those who call themselves Christians who are idolaters (1 Corinthians 5:11).” (David Guzik)

The second command says that “You shall not make for yourself any carved image. . .you shall not bow down to them.” (Exodus 20:4-5) Wiersbe writes that an idol is only a substitute for God and “because God has no visible form, any idol intended to resemble Him would be a sinful misrepresentation of Him.” (Deuteronomy 4:12, 15-18) Wiersbe adds that “God is God. He is infinite,

eternal, and sovereign and can’t share the throne with another being who is also infinite, eternal and sovereign.” In 1 John 5:21, John said “little children, keep yourselves from idols”. His admonition to Christians of his day is still true for us today. “An idol is anything that takes the place of God, anything to which we devote our energy and time, or for which we make sacrifices because we love it and serve it.” (WW) Today these idols can be money, recognition, material possessions, knowledge, or even other people. To put it simply, we are to worship only God.

God continued in verse 5 by saying “For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.” This does not mean God is envious of other gods. Warren Wiersbe explains that the term “jealous” expresses God’s “love for His people because He wants the very best for them.” The NIV Study Bible explains that “the jealousy of God demands exclusive devotion to Himself; delivers judgment to all who oppose Him; and vindicates His people.“ (Note for Exodus 20:5) God will punish those who disobey Him by worshiping other idols. The sad consequence of sin is that it can be passed on to our children and grandchildren. In biblical times, when three or four generations lived together, this was particularly easy to do. On the other hand, godliness can be passed on to future generations as well.

The third commandment is “you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” (Exodus 20:7) We are not to misuse God’s name. David Guzik writes that this includes using God’s name in blasphemy or cursing, frivolously in a superficial way, or hypocritically by claiming His name and then

acting in a way that disgraces Him. Jesus supported this command when He taught His disciples how to pray. Jesus’ example in Matthew 6:9, known as the Lord’s Prayer, begins with “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” Here, Jesus was focusing on the holiness of God’s name.

The fourth commandment says to “remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8) God set a pattern for rest during His time of creation. Exodus 20:11 reminds us that He worked for six days and rested on the seventh. The term Sabbath was first used by Moses during the Israelites wandering in the wilderness. Moses instructed the people to prepare their food and to save what was left for morning because the next day was to be “a holy Sabbath to the Lord.” (Exodus 16:23) In biblical times, Saturday was considered the seventh day. God commanded it as a day of rest for all of His people, including men, women, slaves and strangers/visitors. The Jewish people kept strict traditions regarding what was considered work. In observant Jewish homes today, a light, stove or switch cannot be turned on. A person may not drive a certain distance or make a telephone call. (David Guzik)  Jesus was accused several times of breaking the Sabbath when He healed the sick (Luke 6:6-10; Luke 13:10-16; John 5:5-15; John 9:1-14) as well as when His disciples ate some grain in the field (Luke 6:1-2).

In response to these accusations Jesus said that God’s design for the Sabbath was for man. It was intended to be a day of spiritual and physical restoration. (Study note for Mark 2:27) Jesus also declared that He was “Lord of the Sabbath” (Luke 6:5) which gave Him the authority to overrule the laws regarding the Sabbath. (Study note for Luke 6:5) The Pharisees had made the Sabbath law a burden for the people. (Acts 15:10) Wiersbe adds that “any tradition that keeps us from helping others is not from God.”

 The New Testament reveals that Christians are not under obligation to observe a Sabbath day (Galatians 4:9-11; Colossians 2:16-17). The Old Testament laws were intended to symbolically depict

the coming of Christ; so their fulfillment has already taken place. (Study note for Colossians 2:17) Jesus revealed that “the Sabbath that God wants to give us is ‘heart rest’ that comes through His grace and not from obeying traditions (Matthew 11:28-29).” When we trust Christ, our sins are forgiven, and we have the peace of God (Romans 5:1-11). This is a daily, lasting rest. We can rest “in the finished work of Christ on the cross.” (Study note for Hebrews 4:10) We enter this “salvation-rest” not by any work we have done, but by faith. (Study note for Hebrews 4:11) We can live out this rest in Jesus every day.

However, although we are not under obligation to observe a Sabbath, it is wise to rest. God has designed our bodies to need rest in every way – physical, spiritual, mental and emotional. Setting aside regular times to rest and think about God are important to our growth.  In the New Testament, believers began meeting together on Sunday for fellowship (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2). Most churches have carried on this same tradition of meeting together on Sunday, which makes it an appropriate day to set aside to rest and reflect.

We can fulfill these first four commands by praying about our needs, thanking and praising God, using God’s name respectfully and taking time to rest and meditate on God’s Word.

 Quotes taken from:

-The NIV Study Bible, Zondervan

-The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, The Complete Old Testament; “Exodus 20:1-17”; page 181

-David Guzik “Study Guide for Exodus 20”, Blue Letter Bible