Foreword:
The following exerpt is taken from The Ten
Commandments by Arthur W. Pink
(BAKER BOOK HOUSE, 1994 GRAND RAPIDS, MI)
In this blog series I will work through this very
important article a paragraph at a time – asking my reader comprehension style
questions at the end. In our day, when people who identify themselves as
Christians are so sensitive to any accusation of legalism that they tend to
swing all the way out to antinomianism (that is lawlessness), it is perhaps now
more than ever that we ought to prayerfully re-examine the Ten Commandments –
and few do it better than Arthur Pink (1886 - 1952). I found
this article to be very convicting as I first worked through it. And, lest we
think we the church are not in need of this labour, let us be reminded that
those whom Jesus will reject on the last Day even though they did many mighty
works in his name, were accused by our Lord of not just having no intimate
relationship with him (‘I never knew you’), but also that they were accused as
workers of lawlessness by our Lord. The Law of God does not save, nor does it
keep one saved – none the less we are called to obedience to it who are saved –
but enough of me – here is Arthur Pink…
THE FIRST COMMANDMENT PART II
"Thou shalt have no other gods before Me" (Ex.
20:3) is the first Commandment. Let us briefly consider its meaning. We note
its singular number: "thou" not "ye," addressed to each
person separately, because each of us is concerned therein. "Thou
shalt have no other gods" has the force of, thou shalt own, possess, seek,
desire, love or worship none other. No "other gods"; they are called
such not because they are so, either by nature or by office (Psa. 82:6), but
because the corrupt hearts of men make and esteem them such--as in "whose
god is their belly" (Phil. 3:19). "Before Me" or "My
face," the force of which is best ascertained by His word to Abraham,
"Walk before Me and be thou perfect" or "upright" (Gen.
17:1)--conduct thyself in the realization that thou are ever in My presence,
that Mine eye is continually upon thee. This is very searching. We are so apt
to rest contented if we can but approve ourselves before men and maintain a
fair show of godliness outwardly; but Jehovah searches our innermost being and
we cannot conceal from Him any secret lust or hidden idol.
Let us next consider the positive duty enjoined by this
first Commandment. Briefly stated it is this: thou shalt choose, worship and
serve Jehovah as thy God, and Him only. Being who He is--thy Maker and Ruler,
the Sum of all excellency, the supreme Object of worship--He admits of no rival
and none can vie with Him. See then the absolute reasonableness of this demand
and the madness of contravening it. This commandment requires from us a
disposition and conduct suited to the relation in which we stand to the Lord as
our God, who is the only adequate Object of our love and the only One able to
satisfy the soul. It requires that we have a love for Him stronger than all
other affections, that we take Him for our highest portion, that we serve and
obey Him supremely. It requires that all those services and acts of worship
which we render unto the true God be made with the utmost sincerity and
devotion (implied in the "before Me"), excluding negligence on the
one hand and hypocrisy on the other.
1) Consider “whose god is their belly" (Philipians
3:19) – can you think of other gods people make in this world in this way?
Which man-made god/s are you most prone to obey in your past and at present?
2) "Before Me" or "My face," – Can
you see why, if God is omnipresent, the making, obeying or worshipping other
gods is a terrible affront to him? We
should always strive to live before the face of God (Latin: Corem Deo) – note
the imperative in the scripture:
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.
Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must
give account. (Hebrews 4:13)
“I am God Almighty[a];
walk before me faithfully and be blameless.
(Genesis 17:1b).
How does remembering that God is always with us not only
encourage us but curb us when we are tempted to sin?
3) R C Sproul when asked what the biggest problem in the
Christian church today was replied: “we do not know God”. What is the
reasonableness of obeying the first commandment and the madness of disobeying
it?
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