Sinclair B. Ferguson

How so?

Well, his first words are, I am Yahweh, your God, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

This is the same great I Am who told Moses that he had heard the groaning of the people of Israel, remembered His covenant, and added, I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

I will deliver you from slavery to them.

I will redeem you with an outstretched arm.

I will take you to be My people, and I will be your God.

and you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

If that isn't grace, I'm not sure what is.

It's amazing grace.

It's grace that the children of Israel needed to drink in and to keep drinking in.

So, when God says, you shall have no other gods before me, nothing could be more rational.

You can see the logic.

It's this.

Because of who I am to you, my people, you should reflect that character as a son reflects the character of his father.

And here's something else.

Nothing could be safer.

For other gods, no matter what they are, ancient or modern, can only harm and damage us.

So, the first commandment teaches us that putting the Lord first is not only the right way to live, it's the best way to live.

And something else, it's the safest way to live.

And we'll find out more about that later in the week.