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Third Sunday of Lent
Other Gods

Exodus 20:1-17
“God delivered all these commandments…”

We believe in one God. But it wasn’t always that way. At the time of Moses, people believed in many gods. There were gods who governed the weather, gods who controlled illnesses, and gods who inspired the arts. But we believe in one God, the source of all creation and the sustainer of all that is good.

The first commandment asked people to sop offering allegiance to other gods. It asserted the supreme authority of the one God who led them out of slavery and promised them a new land.

When we review the Ten Commandments we usually skip over number one. We don’t believe in other gods. It’s tow through ten that cause problems. We curse and swear. We skip church on Sundays. We disobey. We destroy life, even human life. We commit adultery. We steal and we lie. We covet everything about our neighbor’s possessions and family. But we believe in one God.

Or do we? Do we substitute other gods? Do we prefer possessions, selfish pleasures and the esteem of others more than we prefer allegiance to the one God? That first commandment may cut to the heart of all our sin.

Written by Paul Turner