1st Commandment

Sermon by Rev. Tom Kline

Sermon: I want to show you the models of the Ten Commandments. If you look over here, you see first three commandments; said to be the Lord’s table. These three commandments are all that you need to know to worship the Lord; not to have any other gods before His face, not to take His name in vain and to remember the Sabbath Day. That means to remember the Lord’s Holy Day.

Over here, it is said to be “our” table. These are how you love the neighbor and there are six of them; don’t steal, don’t kill, don’t bear false witness, don’t covet and there’s one more commandment. We’re told it’s a very special commandment that’s written on both; honor Your Father and Your Mother.

Why is it on both tables? In the beginning of our life, our father and mother are our natural father and mother. As we grow up, we begin to realize that the Lord and His Church are our spiritual Father and Mother. Therefore, that commandment is on both tables of stone.

But this morning, we will talk about the First Commandment, “Don’t Make Any Other Gods Before the Lord.” How many of you have ever done that? How many of you have ever thought of making a little idol and worshipping it? Nobody’s ever thought of doing something like that. Back in ancient times, they would take a little piece of stone and carve it or they’d take a little piece of gold and carve it and they would say this is our God, and they would pray to it. They would think that it would answer their prayers. Well, we don’t do that today, do we?

Let’s discuss the story with the Children of Israel. Did they like to worship idols? Yes they did; even as soon as Moses went up to the top of the mountain and the Lord himself wrote the Ten Commandments. The very first commandment was don’t make any idols. The Lord himself wrote these with his own finger out of stone that came from the top of the mountain. But, when Moses was up there, what did the people do down below? They were wondering what was taking Moses so long. Then they decided to make themselves a God. They got Aaron to command the people to take their gold jewelry and melt it down to make a calf.

So we have Moses on top of the mountain receiving this very commandment while the people couldn’t even wait for Moses to come down before they had made themselves an idol made out of gold. And when Moses came down the mountain, what did he do? He was angry and broke the table of stone when he saw the people dancing and worshipping this golden calf. He told the people that they would be punished for doing this terrible thing.

The Lord then said take two tables of stone from the foot of the mountain. Don’t get tables of stone from the top anymore but go to the very foot of the mountain and take two tables of stone and bring them to the top of the mountain by yourself. He was to go there by himself and then copy out the Word of God. In a sense, the people didn’t deserve to have those precious stones because already they had broken His Commandments before they had even received them. What is it like to worship idols today? Can you think of any times when you want to worship an idol? Let me give you a suggestion. Any time that you put any object, thing or person before the Lord or the neighbor, that becomes an idol in your life. And suddenly, you can recall a lot of times where you think, “Maybe I’m breaking that commandment.”

Can a television set be an idol that you worship? Could that be like a golden calf that you worship instead of the Lord? Imagine if you told your mom today, “No, I want to watch a TV show that’s on; it’s very special this morning,” rather than go to Church. That TV show is more important to me than going to Church.” Would that kind of be like worshipping an idol? Or suppose the TV set kept you from playing with your friends who you loved, “But no, I’d rather just watch a TV show by myself.” It can be kind of like a golden calf. Or, imagine if you wanted a bicycle more than anything. That bicycle is so important to you that you would break one of the Lord’s commandments to get it. You say, “I’m going to steal. I’m going to steal to get that bicycle.” Guess what? That bicycle has become like a golden calf for you. You have made it an idol because it’s more important to you than the Lord.

Sometimes we might even put people before the Lord as another way in which we make idols. But, think of the positive meaning here. The Lord Jesus Christ is your God and your Father and in the celestial sense, the Lord has all power over our lives. This means, when you go home from Church, you will know that the Lord is there with you. The Lord and all his angels are there to give take complete care of your lives, because the Lord loves you and is your Father and Creator.

So, on the two tables of stone we have the Lord’s Commandments; how to love the Lord and how to love the neighbor and the beautiful Fourth Commandment on both. The First Commandment which the Children of Israel broke right away and therefore couldn’t receive the very first table of stone that the Lord Himself made. They got the other tables of stone from the foot of the mountain and Moses recorded the Lord’s Word on those tables. And this first message in the most beautiful sense, is to love the Lord and see the Lord as your Heavenly Father.

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