We often sing the well-known hymn, its words and music by an unknown” author and composer, “Worthy, worthy is the lamb that was slain. . . . Love im, serve Him, praise Him. . . , Till we all on Zion’s hill see the Lamb…”. Just who is this One who is worthy of our worship and praise? When we consider what it means to actually worship someone or something, it denotes someone or something that we have great confi dence in, someone or something that has great power, even more than we have within ourselves.

Since there are many people in the world who worship many different things, both animate and inanimate, we will need to explore various avenues of thought in order to answer the above question. As we study together, may we be led by the Spirit of the One who has made all things.

As we have studied in the past about God’s holy law—the precepts by which our life needs to be governed—we find in them the very character of God. That character must be developed within us, as we profess to follow Him whom we need to reflect at all times if we would enter heaven. That law concerns how we relate to God and also how we relate to our fellow humans. There are many principles contained in the law. These indeed govern how we live and act, and what kind of spirit we reflect day by day.

How does this process work, which enables us to show true worship to our Creator through our life and actions?

“The impartation of the Spirit is the impartation of the life of Christ. It imbues the receiver with the attributes of Christ. Only those who are thus taught of God, those who possess the inward working of the Spirit, and in whose life the Christ-life is manifested, are to stand as representative men, to minister in behalf of the church.”1

As we explore the first of the ten promises given to God’s chosen people by the Creator Himself, we find these words, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). In Deuteronomy 5:7 we find these similar words, “Thou shalt have none other gods before me.” Also, in Deuteronomy chapter 6 and verse 14, we read, “Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you.” If these warnings are ignored by the people to whom they have been given, what is the major result?

Just as when people choose to ignore the laws of the land in which they live, whom or what are they really ignoring? There are officials in authority who make and declare the laws that govern the society in which we live and if the people choose to reject those laws, they are in reality rejecting the authors of those laws. When this happens, there may be severe consequences to be suffered by the offenders and, in many cases, by others.

No government could exist without the laws by which respect and obedience are demanded so that order can be maintained among the inhabitants surrounding it. Any other plan than this would result only in chaos and disunity. When certain laws are not obeyed, people are in danger of losing life and possessions. The purpose of the laws created by society is to give protection and liberty to those who fall under its jurisdiction.

The first two of the ten governing laws of God as given to humanity were placed at the very beginning of the Decalogue for a purpose. It was so very important for these to be at the head of the list of humanity’s relationship to God so that we would recognize the importance of the precepts which followed. A relationship of respect had to be established so that obedience would be rendered to the one true God and His authority.

There is a prevalent doctrine being preached today by many people: It proclaims that God’s law is no longer binding upon people. It is difficult to imagine that the universe, which is under the control of its Creator, could or would operate without His eternal law. There is a law made by Him that keeps all the planets and other heavenly bodies in place and which also governs the created beings that have been given life by Him.

In the beginning of human life upon earth, in the form of the first man and his help-meet, the first woman, that perfect law of love was written within their hearts. It was their wonderful privilege at that time to walk and talk with their Creator face to face. They were in perfect obedience to Him and complied with His will. Their worship of Him was complete, and there was nothing in their lives that complicated their relationship with their God. There were no idols of any kind to come between them and the One who had made them.

It was after their fall into the bondage of sin, which was brought on by their listening to the great deceiver, that those who had been made in the image of God found themselves far removed from the happy state they had been enjoying. It was then that humanity, as they found themselves wandering in the wilderness after having been freed from Egypt, needed to be reminded of the law of God which they were far from obeying. It was at this time that the law was given in written form by God Himself to Moses, the chosen one who was leading them out of their bondage in Egypt.

It was during this time that the seriousness of that law which was to govern the people was presented to their mind. It was at that time that they were to make a new commitment to their God and repent of their wrongdoing. This law was to point out to them once again their relationship with their God and with their fellow humans. They had been guilty of forming images of other things and bowing down and worshipping them, totally leaving the true God out of their life. The physical bondage which they had been into also put them into spiritual bondage. They had lost their relationship with their God.

Yes, they had to be reminded that, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

The second commandment of the Decalogue is closely related to the first one. It reads thus, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:4–6).

This commandment goes into more detail than the first one. Within it we find both a warning and a promise. A warning about the consequences of making graven images and worshipping them: that the sins of the fathers would be visited upon the children unto the third and fourth generations. The promise given was that mercy would be shown to thousands of them which loved Him and were obedient to Him.

Yes, He is to be worshipped and His law is to be observed and obeyed. It is a real insult to God when His professed followers allow idols of any kind to be placed in their life instead of Him. Whatever form idolatry takes in the life, it is the faith of the people that is being tested. The children of Israel had received specific instruction from God and this practice was strictly forbidden. By this willful disobedience, both the first and second commandments were being transgressed. Their willful sin of disobedience was so grave that those who were guilty were given specific instruction not to go anywhere near the mountain where God was to descend to give to Moses the holy law the second time.

When we look at what idolatry is, we see within it a twin sister, as it were; something which is so closely akin to it that one is inseparably connected to the office. This closely related sin is called false worship. To be in idolatry is to worship or serve something that is not God. This could consist of images or statues or anything made by hand. There are even some who worship the heavenly bodies or even people and animals. Those who cherish these things and make gods of them will find somewhere in their experience that these false gods will not be able to save them or help them in their time of great need.

There are even some religions that have tried to remove entirely the second commandment from the Decalogue, because it prohibits that which their belief system teaches. As we look deeply into the reasons God has given the warning regarding the principles of these precepts contained in His law, we see clearly that He does not want us to share our affection or devotion with anything or anyone else. We read in Isaiah 45:5 and 6, “I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else.”

Who are we humans that we should feel free to turn aside from the One who has made us in His image, who are to reflect His character? Why would we desire to go after anything that is man-made? Who are we even to think that a man-made object could take the place of the One who sacrificed His sinless life so that the sins of humanity could be forgiven? Who are we that we should think that our rules of life should be higher than those that God has set forth? It is in this second commandment, in verse 5, that He proclaims Himself to be a jealous God; He will not tolerate for us to share our worship and affection with any other. He will not compete with any other object that would become a god or an idol to us.

He is our Creator; we are His created beings. There is to be no worship of icons, images, heroes, or anything animate or inanimate upon which the world places such high value.

God has revealed His will and His character to us through His law. It is sacred because it is of Him and pertains to Him. Obedience to that law is the test of discipleship, so how will we relate to the light that shines upon our pathway? The Scriptures tell us that there will be many false prophets which will arise, and their words will sound so winning that if the followers of God are not careful even they could be deceived and go after false teachings. “Obedience is the test of discipleship. It is the keeping of the commandments that proves the sincerity of our professions of love. When the doctrine we accept kills sin in the heart, purifies the soul from defilement, bears fruit unto holiness, we may know that it is the truth of God. When benevolence, kindness, tenderheartedness, sympathy, are manifest in our lives; when the joy of right doing is in our hearts; when we exalt Christ, and not self, we may know that our faith is of the right order.”2

There is another area in our life in which we may fail to observe these first two commands of the Decalogue. That is in our own personal attitude: How do we equate ourselves in relationship with others and with our desires? God wants us to have our interests connected with His interests; He wants us to love Him and serve Him with all our heart. Instead of being prideful and selfish, He wants us to think of the needs of others and be of service to them. Whenever we do good to our fellow humans we are to do it as unto God, for He is love. We are to be humble before Him and give Him all the honor and glory rather than exalting self. It is important that we realize that all things come from Him and of ourselves we can do nothing. There is such a thing as blind idolatry—when we are in reality giving homage to someone other than God but do not recognize it for what it is. We receive many benefits in life but fail to show gratitude to the One who is the Giver of those gifts. We are quick to contend that we have them because of our own works. It is important that we remember that without Him, we wtould not have life and capabilities that enable us to be productive in order to obtain our needs.

It is when we come to the point where we know that we are nothing and that God is everything, that we can truly surrender all to Him—to be emptied out so that Christ may come and abide within us. Instead of holding onto our idols, whatever they may be, we may become as clay in the Potter’s hand, to be molded and shaped into His image. This is how humanity was made in the beginning, perfectly reflecting the image of the Creator.

As mentioned above, anything that we harbor within ourselves that stands between us and God becomes an idol to us. It does not have to be made out of wood or stone; it does not even have to be a lofty visible structure. What about a divided heart? This can easily lead to double-mindedness, and in that condition a person cannot be stable. He or she may profess to love God supremely but is placing more esteem upon self than upon Him. When we have an eye single to the glory of God, it will be easy to serve Him and walk in the pathway that leads to heaven.

Are the attractions of the world more appealing than the things of God—and those promises which He has made to us of life eternal in beautiful surroundings if we will truly be His faithful children? The bright lights, the amusement parks, the desire for the largest and most expensive of everything, the high position which may lead to more money and power; those things which we will sacrifice principle for in order to obtain them. . . . Are these things what we have our heart set upon so that we will try to gain them no matter what the price? If that is the case, then these are our idols and we are worshipping them more than we worship the God who made all things.

What about something as routine in our life as food? Can appetite become an idol? can it be a barrier between us and our God? That was the temptation over which our first parents stumbled and fell. The tempter knows where our weak spots are, and that is where he will attack. Once again, we must be fortified with the correct principles and seek the help which we need from the Lord so that we may overcome the temptation to eat unhealthful foods and at the wrong times.

The fashions of our day are as an abomination to the Lord. Men as well as women have allowed the influence of the world to creep into their wardrobe, and they dress themselves with less than modest apparel. This also stands as a stumbling block, for it surely comes as a wedge between us and He who advised that we should look and act differently than the world. Could this also become an idol? Yes, if we are unwilling to give it up and return to a “thus saith the Lord”!

Some other idols which we might be cherishing include covetousness, pride, selfishness, and evil passions. Some of these we may recognize within ourselves, but others we might be harboring while not being fully aware of their presence. We must be willing to examine ourselves to see whether we are truly in the faith. We must be willing to pray with the psalmist, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10).

Unkind words and gossip about others are also very wrong for the professed people of God to entertain. The spirit in which we utter our words must be well guarded, for they can be so hurtful and discouraging to others. If this type of speech is habitual, it is also considered idolatrous, for it is not of God. The sowing of bitterness within the hearts of others brings huge stumbling blocks before them. We are not to draw apart from one another but instead our unity and love for one another will reveal the character of Christ.

The people of the world are worshipping false gods. They are to be helped to turn from their false worship by looking unto something better. Our own life is to be purified and sanctified so that we will be that people who can let the light of truth shine upon their pathway.

“To praise God in fullness and sincerity of heart is as much a duty as is prayer. We are to show to the world and to all the heavenly intelligences that we appreciate the wonderful love of God for fallen humanity and that we are expecting larger and yet larger blessings from His infinite fullness. Far more than we do, we need to speak of the precious chapters in our experience. After a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, our joy in the Lord and our efficiency in His service would be greatly increased by recounting His goodness and His wonderful works in behalf of His children.”3

As we contemplate more fully upon Him who only is worthy of our worship, let us determine within our heart that we will not just make a profession of Him, but that we will truly make that full commitment to love and serve Him over and above everything else. Let us wear His badge of truth, for to profess something yet do another is dangerous. It is dangerous to ourselves, to the truth we represent, and also to other people who are watching us.

In the light of these first two commandments written by the hand of God Himself, let us look more closely into our own heart and see what needs to be extracted and discarded. Remember, He is a jealous God and will not tolerate the sharing of our affections with false gods and false worship. He wants to save us unto Himself; this is proof of His infinite love for us. Amen.