Notice the similarities at the beginning of these three famous Bible passages. The Ten Commandments: “I am the Lord your God … You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:2-3). The Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father, in heaven, hallowed be Your name” (Matthew 6:9). The greatest commandment: “You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength” (Matthew 22:37).
What links them together is their immediate focus of priority. God is in first place. This sets the stage for soul-searching. We are to be distinguished above all the people of the earth in that we have the heart-changing knowledge of the Creator of the world, the thrice-holy God who saves all those who call upon Him.
In the Ten Commandments, the Lord distinguishes Himself as the one who single-handedly delivered His people from slavery. Have we slipped back into idolatry, displacing God with all kinds of addictive commercialisms that are freely available at hand? The Ten Commandments and all the law were given at Mt. Sinai as wedding vows between God and His people. If they followed the law, then He would be their God and they would be His people. We have the chance to know our God, and have eternal life with Him.
In the Lord’s prayer, have we forgotten that in our prayers we are to honor God as our Father, and put His will and kingdom priorities first? We are His children and He is our provider, even the source of all life. If our earthly fathers, being evil, gave us good things, how much more will the Father, who is full of light and in Him is no darkness at all, give good things to those who put Him first in love and honor?
In the greatest commandment, has the aim of our heart, soul, mind, and strength been co-opted to attend to our needs instead of to the purpose for which they have been made—to honor God above all else, to display His holy image to our world? We are the body of Christ on earth. The various elements of our bodies, including our will, reasoning, and imagination, are to pulse with His own life living through us—with love.
The epistle to the Hebrews was written to a weary people who were transitioning away from God. Hebrews 11 tells us what happens when God reveals Himself to His people. The chapter is full of people who heard His voice and were transformed. Noah builds an ark and saves his family. Abraham obeyed God, waiting for a city not made with hands. Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, out of slavery, to be the people of God. How did Moses accomplish this feat? He “endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). We need to see God. And He reveals Himself through the Scriptures.
We need to see the holy, holy, holy that Isaiah saw (Isaiah 6), when the sight of His grace transformed him into one of the Bible’s greatest prophets. We need to see the Christ as Peter did when he humbled himself after seeing His glory and became a fisher of men (Luke 5:8). We need to pray the prayer of Moses, “Please, show me Your glory” (Exodus 33:18). Knowing Jesus is everything.
Paul the apostle sounds the alarm. “Awake to righteousness, and do not sin, for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame” (1 Corinthians 15:34). By the knowledge of God, whereby God reveals Himself to those who diligently seek Him by faith (Hebrews 11:6), we are awakened. We are revived when we see His splendor and begin to pursue Him and no other gods. We will treat Him as our Father to be honored above all else. We will give our lives to live and love for Him.
With every choice we make, we are taking from the Tree of Life and enjoying and glorifying God by faith, or we are taking from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and going it solo.
With every choice we make, we are choosing for the heavenly city (Revelation 21:2) whose riches can never fade, or settling for the commerce of Babylon, whose riches will perish in a day, as will all who trust in her (Revelation 18).
With every decision we make, we are those who are led by the Spirit of God, or doing what is right in our own eyes. Let us sow to the Spirit and reap the flourishing of everlasting life, and not sow to the flesh and reap corruption of the soul (Galatians 6:8).
Let’s re-evaluate our priorities. Let’s put first things first. Let’s seek the Lord while He may be found (Isaiah 55:6). Let’s take the promise of the Lord, “the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost” (Matthew 18:11). If God is not first, then the Shepherd seeks you.
