The First Commandment: Setting Right Priorities
Matthew 22:35-38 when Jesus was asked what is the most important thing in life He answered to “love God”. Jesus is quoting Deuteronomy 6:5. In Deuteronomy, the verse comes directly after the second proclamation of the 10 commandments in the 5th chapter. In its original context the verse served the same purpose Jesus used it for... establishing love towards God as your top priority.
It is very common for folks to quickly jump to the second greatest command which is “love towards your fellow human beings”. But think about Jesus' answer... He did not place love toward other people as your top priority He said love for fellow man was only your 2nd priority.
Ask for a FREE copy of our ebook The Ten Commandments. Its a great way to begin your personal study of all God's commandments.
Ask for a FREE copy of our ebook The Ten Commandments. Its a great way to begin your personal study of all God's commandments.
The 10 commandments give us the broad outline of what it means to love God and love other people. Commandments 1 though 4 provide the essentials of love towards God. Commandments 5-10 provide the essentials of acting out love towards our fellow human beings.
Notice the prioritization... love toward God is spelled out first... it is the top priority. Then comes showing love towards other people. These first 4 commands address:
1. How do we think about God
2. How do we represent God
3. How do we talk about God
4. How do we come into His presence
The 1st Commandment Establishes Right Priorities
Establishing and maintaining a positive, lasting, satisfying relationship with God is the primary focus of scripture and the primary focus of the commandments.
Exodus 20:3 The supreme being who caused these words to be recorded is our ideal, He is everything we consider worthy, He is what we aspire to be like. We desire to be in His presence and feel His love towards us. Nothing less is enough.
The beginning of right thinking about God is to acknowledge Him as creator of all things. That's how the bible begins in Genesis 1.
"Hi, I'm the creator of everything you see around you. I made all this. I made you as well". He wants you to know this and acknowledge it, privately and publicly (Sabbath keeping is a public acknowledgement of the act of creation).He wants you to know that as creator He has power and control over all things, He knows all there is to know, and He cares for you and has plans for you.
Isaiah 40:26-31 If we have this outlook and understanding we should trust Him and honor Him. Only the creator can promise you an eternal future and ensure that it comes to pass.The only reliable secure future we have is with our Creator... He is living, thinking, creating, feeling... He is real, and He is the only one.
Worshiping the Creation Over God
God made the planet which supplies our needs, He made our bodies. All are good for what they are designed to accomplish IE. survive until our allotted days are complete.
This whole thing we call "life" is really nothing more than a classroom. It is a temporary and passing state designed for the purpose of preparing us for real life... which we don't receive until resurrected unto spirit. Your Creator wants us to graduate from this school and take up a place and position within His family.
Who wants to stay in school forever! God wants us to learn, grow and become mature, like a child who becomes an adult, and then moves on to a life of their own!
Problem: Some people (many?) fall in love with the temporary, with nature, the creation, the planet, the stars, planets... with our own bodily processes like sex or eating. This exaltation of nature has formed the basis of idolatrous religion in ancient times and in our own time.
God drew Abraham and later Israel out of cultures which had messed up priorities. Egypt, Sumeria (Babylon), Hittites, Canaanites.... all of these had religions that worshiped elements of the world around them rather than the one who made their physical environment.
On some levels such an approach makes sense. Humans see the wonder in the physical world, the intricacy, the interlocking systems and they become enthralled by it. Captivated by its amazing beauty which can be seen and experienced. For example;
l The ancients obsessed over the climate (Baal was first and foremost a rain god), are we that different today?
l The ancients obsessed over the food they grew and ate... does our culture do similar things?
l They worshiped images of their own sex organs... are we really that different?
l They looked for meaning in the stars and the vastness of the universe... ever heard of the quest for the unified theory?
We in the 21st century see ourselves as to attribute divine powers to storms, or planetary bodies, or biological processes like fertilization. But isn't the theory of evolution just that? To believe that portions of the universe have developed the will to live on their own. Little globs of atoms banded together to form molecules... to form complex creatures... that by the force of their own will to live and survive they dragged themselves out of the primordial mud... to one day build the Taj Mahal or the International Space Station.
The theory of evolution is a modern instance of granting divine power to physical and created things. In this case power of will and creation.
What You Prioritize Becomes Your God
Romans 1:21-25 Attributing intelligence or will to the physical creation is only the beginning of superstition and religious blindness. It is a path that cuts human beings off from the true Creator, and cuts humanity off from all the creator has to offer.
The 1st commandment is a warning not to accept any system or religion, or philosophy that teaches life comes from anything other than God. Or that our on going well-being comes from any source other than God.
But.. Does This Affect Members of God's Church?
If you are sitting here today you have probably accepted God as creator. So you might wonder "why is he going on about this stuff to us, we believe".
Even God's people can fall prey to setting elements of this physical life above God and His purpose for us.
l maybe a person reaches the point where satisfaction of their desires becomes the most important thing... addiction to some substance like drugs or alcohol... or maybe just good old sexual desire.
l maybe wanting to achieve financial or professional success leads you to make decisions that go against what you know of God asks of you.
l maybe an expectation of health and long happy life surrounded by loved ones is your top priority... and when the suffering of life comes along you turn your back on God because He is not giving you what you want.
l maybe you think the Church of God should be focused more on helping you cope with your day to day life... money problems, marriage issues, career advice, stress, emotional issues... and when when the answer keeps coming back to keeping your eyes on the big picture, focus on God's plan and purpose... you feel let down.
Philippians 3:7-21 the first commandment is a reminder and a warning to not set your heart on earthly things. The flesh and blood life you now live is meaningless, all the happiness you experience, all the houses you build, the money you save, the children you have... mean nothing except for the character you build along the way.
Don’t hate life… enjoy life, but use it for the purpose God has intended it for. The end of the matter is this: fear God and keep His commandments. Make this your top priority and you will find satisfaction, you will find contentment, you will find peace and you will find joy.
Making God Real
God’s word says the created world and its experiences are a way to discern, appreciate, and then emulate the character and personality of the Creator Psalm 145:5-9 --> Psalm 107:8-9 - Deuteronomy 10:18
Matthew 5:43-48 God is concerned for the well being of ALL people... even those who are ignorant of, or deny, His existence and His supremacy! Suppose you were to say to God “I am good to my friends”, He will say “big deal… anyone can do that. But can you be good to everyone”?
Why seek to understand these aspects of God's character?
2 Peter 1:4 because He wants to create in you this same character. Because that’s an example of the kind of character it will take to sit beside Christ as He rules and administers the entire creation.
Developing this character involves a major shift in our mind, your attitude and YOUR PRIORITIES Romans 12:2; Philippians 2:5.
God’s priority is not to set up a wonderful physical life for you. The physical life serves no lasting purpose except to prepare you for your future role in God’s family.
Getting to Know God Better
Another way you get to know your Creator better is through do the things He has asked you to do! 1 John 2:3-5
Another way to get to know your Creator better is to study His word. God has caused His commands to be written down for you, He has provided plenty of commentary and elaboration on what obeying them means, He has provided real world scenarios for you to apply to your life. Your creator has put all this before you... BUT you have to do your part. He is not going to do the work for you!
Deuteronomy 8:3 (quoted by Jesus in Matthew 4:4) --> 2 Timothy 3:16-17 --> 2 Timothy 2:15
A Family Relationship
Your Creator’s top priority is to have a relationship with you. His desire is that you make that relationship your top priority. He tells you to make if as important to yourself as it is to Him. Set nothing else as a priority over this.
2 Corinthians 6:18 He wants you to appreciate Him as your Father. The relationship He wants is a family relationship. Its a way of thinking about; the Creator, and His universe that is unique among all other belief systems (religions, philosophies or science). All other attempts to describe life, reality, the universes, or eternity are cold and sterile by comparison.
This family relationship with your Creator is your purpose for living... and its the reason God made the universe. Os don’t all in love with the physical world.
This family relationship with your Creator is the reason Jesus Christ came as savior and redeemer.
Hebrews 2:9-11
Your Creator has a future planned for you; that you may sit beside Christ forever assisting and helping preside over all creation.
He has given you this lifetime to prepare for such a full and abundant future.
Don't worship this life or make any aspect of it a greater priority. He says, “have no other God’s before me”
Give you love, honor, respect, and attention to your Creator... your Father... and prepare for what lays ahead.
This message is part of a 4 part series covering the 1st four commandments. The commandments which outline what it means to love God with all our hearts, all our minds, and all our being. Here are links to all four -
This message is part of a 4 part series covering the 1st four commandments. The commandments which outline what it means to love God with all our hearts, all our minds, and all our being. Here are links to all four -
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