Welcome to a new series where we talk about rules.
“Rules?”
Yes. Rules. Specifically of the Bible, and some could be a seminar called “How To Be A Decent Human 101.” Welcome.
First up, we have the glorious Ten Commandments (don’t worry…we will get to the ever-juicy Leviticus).
Until then, let’s do a quick summary of what happened in the Bible prior to the Ten Commandments existing.
Quick FAQ with the Rev. Dr.: Context is important. Never read a verse willy-nilly. If you do that, not only are you reading it like a 10 year old, but you will also, more than likely, misinterpret it.
The beginning of the Bible, i.e. Genesis 1, was the beginning of everything.
Everything was created. Humans, dogs, flowers, ants, you name it. This also included an incredibly sacred Garden, not to be confused with The Secret Garden.
Spoiler alert if you haven’t read the Bible, or potentially live under a rock, the humans that were created (literally one chapter into their existence) end up getting kicked out of that Garden because they suck at following basic rules.
Bummer #1.
Humans continue making ill-informed and all around awful choices, so God sends a flood (don’t you worry, we will cover that in depth as well) and destroys practically everything in sight (….we will talk about that too, BUT FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND!)
Bummer #2.
A few generations go by and people finally start to get the hang of things…until they get captured and enslaved by the Egyptians.
Bummer #3.
They end up being slaves for hundreds of years. And then, suddenly, from the depths of a stage with too many fog lights, Moses emerges and God sends him to rescue His people (*cue My Hero by the Foo Fighters*).
Moses ends up doing just that and rescues God’s people after a lot of gross and apocalypse-esque plagues, and takes the people to Mount Sinai to await further instruction (this trip included parting the Red Sea and a very long road trip with a not-so-great road trip playlist). It’s there, in this special moment in history, that God gives Moses the Ten Commandments.
Great! Now you’re caught up.
“So, what’s the first commandment, Rev. Dr.?”
Excellent question:
“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.”
Exodus 20:2-3 (ESV)
Let’s dive into what this really means.
First, we have to consider the “why” behind God choosing to make this His first big rule.
“How do we figure that out?”
By thinking to yourself, WWMFD?
And what would she do, class? Ms. Frizzle would give some context by doing a bit of time travel (and then probably into the intestinal system of an Israelite, but that’s beside the point).
Think about what the Israelites, at this point the story, would have been dealing with.
They had been living in Egypt for hundreds of years. The people that were rescued knew no other life than a life of slavery and violence. They knew little to nothing about their own culture.
Example: do you remember the traditions and niches of your great-great-great-great-great grandparents? What about even your great-great grandparents? Exactly.
The Israelites (the Egyptians liked to call them the Hebrews) had been immersed in Egyptian culture fully, including their religion. If you have no knowledge of ancient Egyptian religion, let me explain it to you: they had thousands of gods. So…quite literally the opposite of what the Israelites had believed previously.
There is an incredibly real chance that after all that time being in Egypt that, yes, they still believed in the singular God, but they more than likely adopted different beliefs that had nothing to do with their original faith.
It’s similar to when a kid starts hanging out with the “bad” crowd and the kid starts evolving into a “bad” kid.
When they escaped Egypt, no matter the miracles and plagues they saw come from God, it’s possible that they felt that they needed something more than a single deity. So, this is God’s reminder that He is, contrary to popular belief, enough.
That’s what the First Commandment is.
It’s a reminder that Elohim, the one true divine God, is the only God the people of Israel need. He’s saying that He, ALONE, is sufficient for them.
The ancient Hebrew word for “before,” as in “no other gods before me,” is ‘al. This word is a directional word, meaning that it means, quite literally, every direction.
‘al means above, beyond, over, under, next to, unto, in addition, together with, adding, around…
By God starting the Commandments with saying that “you shall have no other gods before me,” He was saying that there will be no gods above, beyond, over, under, next to, unto, in addition, together with, adding, OR around Him.
God is God alone.
Quick Tidbit with the Rev. Dr.: It’s important to know, if you didn’t know before, that there were a lot of Egyptians who accompanied the Israelites after seeing the might and power of God. So, yes, God rescued the Israelites, but also wrangled in quite a few from beyond enemy lines. Every commandment you read is aimed at full blooded Egyptians too.
See? Context matters.
The First Commandment? Not too shabby.
Go read with confidence. Thanks for being here.
