The importance of the first two of the Ten Commandments and their relevance today and in prophecy.
Video with slides above. Audio only below.
Slide 2 Then Elohim spoke all these words, saying, “I am YHVH your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other elohim before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them nor serve them; for I, YHVH your Elohim, am a jealous Elohim, inflicting the punishment of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing favor to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (Exo 20:1-6)
Context – what had just happened? YHVH just executed 10 plagues to decimate the Egyptians. Back then, it was perceived that if a nation was great it was due to the god it served. Today, it’s not perceived that way by most of the western world but it is still true. Built into these two commandments, which could actually be construed at one commandment, is this reality. Those who serve YHVH and reject other elohim are blessed.
Introduction – YHVH was coy about His Name up until this point in history. He did not tell Moses to go introduce Him to the Israelites. He chose to demonstrate His awesome power rather anonymously and then let them know who He is. He decimated the false gods, brought His people to safety, and then said “I did that.” This is a very confident manner of communication a powerful way to get people’s attention.
Numbering – the verse numbering is not inspired. Nor are the chapter breaks. But in this chapter we know there is a numbering. Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 4:13, and Deuteronomy 10:4 specifically refer to these mitzvot at the 10 commandments. Well, the 10 words. The word is literally word, dabar in the singular, dabarim in the plural. This is one of those Hebrew words that can be translated a number of ways (pun) based on context. When YHVH utters a word, which can be a sentence or a paragraph, it’s a mitzvot – a commandment. Particularly when it says “you shall” or “you shall not”. Point – the numbering is actually here. But this list comprises one thing, a set of 10. Those 10 compliment each other. The first says who YHVH is, the rest define how to worship and honor Him. Our behavior shows our devotion. Which is a hard thing to write since we are all sinners.
The second commandment is intertwined with the first. Regardless of the god, idolatry was the principal worship tool of the false gods. Yahweh is drawing a contrast with the second commandment. He is saying not to worship the way the nations do. Remember how I said He destroyed Egypt and THEN introduced Himself? Remember that. He saved them when they didn’t know Him. He saved them when they didn’t know how to pronounce His Name. His Name, His Shem, is His character defined by His actions. He demonstrated His love for His people while they were ignorant and He demonstrated His power on both the wicked and the righteous when they didn’t know what to call Him. Then He says “you’re not to make images for worship.”
Slide 3 “You shall make two cherubim of gold; make them of hammered work at the two ends of the atoning cover. Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim of one piece with the atoning cover at its two ends. And the cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the atoning cover with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned toward the atoning cover. Then you shall put the atoning cover on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I will give to you. There I will meet with you; and from above the atoning cover, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about every commandment that I will give you for the sons of Israel.” (Exo 25:18-22)
Now comes the balancing act because later He definitely says to make things that could be construed as idols. When Moses came down the mountain and discovered the golden calf and that worship, they were absolutely busted and they paid a big price for that disobedience. The prohibition on idols, though, does not prohibit artwork because we know the tabernacle and the temple were both commanded to be made with images of things. It’s hard to imagine a world without artwork or images at all. So common sense dictates this is about making images for worship, idolatry, not about making images at all.
How do we reconcile these angelic images being incorporated into the worship of YHVH? Well, that’s for Him to explain. As for me, I just believe. And someday perhaps we will know what these two images were really all about.
Slide 4 “I am YHVH your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other elohim before Me.” (Exo 20:2-3)
The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands so as not to worship demons and the idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders, nor of their witchcraft, nor of their sexual immorality, nor of their thefts. (Rev 9:20-21 NASB)
“before Me” here is “al paniym”. This is another unusual usage of what is called the plurality of majesty. In Hebrew, the article becomes plural when the noun is plural. The same holds true for most languages. When YHVH is talking about Himself, or when the bible is specifically talking about Him, there’s a grammatical exception that only for Him where the article is singular and the noun is plural. El is the singular for god, Elohim is the plural. But you’ll notice he says “I am” in the singular and then Elohim in the plural. This is where people start to incorporate the trinity even though there’s no justification for that at all. Before me has the same special grammar here. It literally says something like “you shall have no other Elohim in front of my faces”. But that’s confusion. What it means is that we are not to have any other gods in His sight – or just don’t have any other gods at all. It’s a way of saying, comprehensively, don’t even go there, don’t think about it, period. End of discussion.
What does this commandment not say? It doesn’t say there are no other elohim at all. Granted, most of the bible says idols are just made things and other gods aren’t gods at all, but let’s be very careful with this. Satan’s biggest tool is to convince people he doesn’t exist. He does exist and he is powerful. Other demonic beings exist with powers we do not comprehend. The false prophets of Egypt were able to do some of the stuff YHVH did through Moses. When King Saul visited the conjurer, she did successfully conjure. We need to keep in mind that Yahweh is not going to command us not to do things frivolously. The verse in Revelation here associated demonic worship with idolatry. That doesn’t mean demons can’t be worshiped without idols, but it’s associated.
Slide 5 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment.” (Mat 22:36-38)
Idolatry was not a significant problem during Yeshua’s ministry. Well, for the Israelites. The Shema is tied to the first commandment. The first time the temple came down it was due to false religious worship mixed with the true, which is called syncretism and spiritual adultery. The Jews of the first century were Hellenistic, meaning they did entertain Greek philosophy and mesh it with the faith of Abraham, but they largely rejected Rome and its forms of worship. This is a good example for us today in the west. We are in this mixed up world and our minds are trained to be western – Greek. Whether we like it or not, or understand it or not, we understand things from a western perspective which is not the perspective of the faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Yeshua. We have to learn the ways of Yahweh, which is a contrast to the ways of this world.
Slide 6 “You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all. Not only is there danger that this trade of ours will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be regarded as worthless, and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence.” (Act 19:26-27)
Idolatry did become a big issue once the faith went forth from Zion. Paul walked right into the lion’s den preaching the truth about idols, that they are just trinkets and statues. Paul was, by extension, preaching against Artemis of the Ephesians, and bringing people to Torah. Through Paul, Yahweh called many thousands of pagans out of that mess. Which is key because, as we saw earlier, mankind is going to be held accountable for idolatry in the end of days. This is a huge, positive departure from Israel’s past. King Solomon himself actually allowed idols and false religion into Israel. Israel was to be a pure country that was an example to the nations but it kept failing. After the curtain was rent in two, YHVH went a different route. He sent apostles into the world on a counter offensive. Paul and the gang were remarkably successful, and Yahweh sent His Ruach to pave the way. Yeshua, our High Priest, now intercedes for all who accept Him as Messiah and shed their pagan ways.
Slide 7 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and crawling creatures. (Rom 1:21-23)
Cycle continues. Artemis = Starbucks logo. Increase in people following Wicca, literally calling themselves witches. Shirts that say “until Valhalla”. Increase in Yoga. It seems our society is bent on going in the wrong direction. This time, though, there’s no excuse. Paul writes that the ancients should have known better. Today, the Bible is available in all languages, on our phones, our computers, you name it. Knowledge has indeed increased, but mankind is so stubborn and rebellious that our race keeps bungling it. Our job is to persist in the faith once delivered and remember that Yahweh is our Elohim, the Creator of everything, and His Son is our Messiah. We will live as they command, not as the world commands, in anticipation of Yeshua’s return. Shalom