Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Don’t Let Anything Come Between You & God


Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”It always amuses me when you hear someone say, “The Bible was written so long ago, rewritten several times and in numerous translations, who knows what the original writings said?”, without checking to see that there are many original manuscripts of the Holy Scriptures than any other ancient writings of antiquates and they were written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek … all still used today. But, I must agree that sometimes, the complete meaning and thought being expressed gets a little lost in the translation. For instance, I read that this first commandment from the Ten Commandment written by the finger of God Himself on Mount Sinai … twice contains a very intriguing choice of words. 


Isaiah 46:8-10 “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.”

“Thou shalt have no” is rendered from the Hebrew word “lo”, which is an emphatic negative: “never”. The word “other” translates the Hebrew word “acher”, which is derived from another word meaning: “less” in the sense of being less than the previous object. “Elohim” is the Hebrew word for “gods”. The article states that the Lord’s most unusual choice of words is the phase “‘al paniym”, translated “before me.” That phrase literally means “against the faces”. So the direct translation of the command would be, “Never place a less powerful god against our faces”, but is also rendered: “Don’t ever let any other god get between your face and my face.” Don’t let anyone or anything come between you and Almighty God; be it other religions, personal relationship with people, health, beauty, sports and entertainment, material possessions, food, wealth, jobs, power, position, parties, sex, drugs, and the list of other gods goes on and on, if you let them.   

Joshua 24:14-15 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

We must not allow our hearts to be deceived (becoming broad, liberal, or so open-minded that our brains fall out) and worship other gods. And we are not to go aside or withdraw from the words of Creator God and by doing so serve other gods. No wonder our Lord Jesus called this the “first and great commandment” and insisted that we must “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, soul and strength.” Don’t let anything come between you and God. Idolatry is spiritual adultery.


Deuteronomy 11:16-17 Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; And then the Lord's wrath be kindled against you.”


In Christ, Brian

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