God gives this command in the singular, “you,” so each of us hears it personally, as if He were calling us by name. We’re quick to claim His promises, but we often treat His commands as if they’re meant for someone else. By saying “you,” God makes it unmistakable: this command addresses every person individually.
“YOU! shall have no other gods before Me.”
(Exodus 20:3)
This first commandment stands at the front of all the others because it is the foundation of true religion. In short, it teaches us to honor God above everything else, setting Him first in our hearts.
“The Lord, He is God!”
(1 Kings 18:39)
The First Commandment has two parts: we must have God as our God and we must have no other gods before Him.
What does it mean to have God as our God?
It is evident that all people must have a God, and only the Lord, the one true and eternal God, is worthy of that place. Acknowledging Him as our God means first acknowledging Him as God. The gods of the nations are nothing: helpless, powerless, and empty. But the Lord alone is living and eternal. Like Israel on Mount Carmel, we must fall on our faces and confess,
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”
(Rom 1:20-21 NAS)
There is no one like Him. Acknowledging Him as our God also means following and keeping His commandments alone. Joshua declared,
“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
(Joshua 24:15)
Before we serve Him, we must know Him. His holiness, mercy, faithfulness, and above all, His love revealed in Christ. Once we see His beauty, we freely and deliberately devote ourselves to Him, as Jacob did:
“The Lord shall be my God.”
(Genesis 28:21)
Serving God alone is to rely on His power and love only due to the fact that earthly support will inevitably fail. David said,
“What time I am afraid, I will trust in You.”
(Psalm 56:3)
True trust is steady, whether in prosperity or in trial. To have God as our God means to love Him with all our heart and to obey His commands.
What does it mean to have no other gods before Him?
God says, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” This means we must not set up rivals in our hearts, whether openly or secretly. In truth, there is no other God but the Lord.
“Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.”
(Deut 4:39 NAS)
To serve or trust in anything else, whether money, pleasure, people, or even our own wisdom is to put another god before the true God.
“For you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”
(Exo 34:14 NAS)
He will not share His glory with another. To turn from Him is spiritual adultery, breaking the honor and love that is due to only the one true God. He made us and sustains us.
“You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “And My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. “I, even I, am the LORD; And there is no savior besides Me. “It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, and there was no strange god among you; So, you are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, “And I am God. “Even from eternity I am He; And there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?”
(Isa 43:10-13 NAS)
What is required in the first commandment?
The First Commandment requires us to know and confess that God is the only true God, our God, and to worship and glorify Him accordingly.
“Then Jesus said to him, “Begone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'”
(Matt 4:10 NAS)
This includes setting our minds on Him, honoring and adoring Him, loving, choosing, desiring, and fearing Him.
“Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name.”
(Mal 3:16 NAS)
The First Commandment requires openly confessing allegiance to Him, calling upon Him; giving Him all praise and thanks; and yielding full obedience and submission to Him with our whole person.
“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.”
(Rom 10:9 NAS)
“I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.”
(Isa 45:23 NAS)
It also includes believing Him, trusting in Him, hoping in Him, delighting in Him, and rejoicing in Him; being zealous for Him; calling upon Him; giving Him all praise and thanks; and yielding full obedience and submission to Him with our whole person.
“For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall give praise to God.’”
(Rom 14:11 NAS)
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
(Phil 2:10-11 NAS)
Keeping the First Commandment means striving to please Him in all things, grieving over anything that offends Him, and walking humbly with Him.
What are the sins forbidden in the first commandment?
Atheism breaks the First Commandment:
Denying the existence of God makes men the lords of our life and conscience.
“The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good.”
(Psa 14:1, 53:1 NAS)
Some look to science to save us from harm and death and make it the ultimate authority, rather than a Systematic study of the natural world through observation, measurement, and testable explanations. In this sense they are looking to science as their god.
“Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore, God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”
(Rom 1:22-25 NAS)
Science consistently overturns previous conclusions. Nobody can compare to the wisdom and knowledge of the true God. Those who think their own wisdom exceeds that of God are fools.
An example of science being held higher than God is during the “COVID-19 pandemic.” Grace Community Church in Sun Valley defied California’s worship limits and sued; in September 2021 the state and Los Angeles County settled, paying a combined $800,000 in the church’s legal fees and reinstating its parking arrangement, an episode many believers saw as “science” being treated as ultimate over worshiping God.
Polytheism breaks the First Commandment:
Having or worshiping more gods than one instead of the true God is to exalt creation over the true creator.
“For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens.”
(Psa 96:4-5 NAS)
Worshiping a being that God created is an ultimate insult to the Lord.
“For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”
(Deut 4:24 NAS)
“For the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.” (Deu 6:15 NAS)
An example of polytheism is in many Hindu homes, where a single household shrine may hold images of Vishnu (Krishna) with Lakshmi, alongside Shiva and Parvati, and their sons Ganesha and Skanda (Murugan). Daily puja often includes offerings and prayers to several of these deities.
Agnosticism breaks the First Commandment:
Agnosticism holds that the existence—or even the nature—of God is unknown or inherently unknowable. The term comes from the Greek a (“without”) + gnōsis (“knowledge”). Unlike atheism (“there is no God”) or theism (“there is a God”), agnosticism withholds judgment, claiming we lack sufficient grounds to decide whether there is a God or not.
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”
(Heb 11:6 NAS)
Not acknowledging or knowing there is a God is, by definition, unbelief.
“Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God”
(Heb 3:12 NAS)
A contemporary example is comedian and commentator Bill Maher, who describes his stance as agnostic: “I’m not a believer… I can’t know. My main proposition is: I don’t know.” In his documentary Religulous, he presses that critique further, arguing that “religion is dangerous because it allows human beings who don’t have all the answers to think that they do.” Maher’s posture illustrates a modern, outspoken agnosticism that is often adversarial toward Christianity and organized religion.
Irreverence breaks the First Commandment:
Irreverence is the lack of due respect for God or for what is sacred, treating Him or holy things as common or lightly. Irreverence is the most widespread breach of the First Commandment.
“Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean.”
(Eze 22:26 NAS)
Blaming God for our troubles, as if He were unjust, rather than humbling ourselves under His wise providence and our own sin, is irreverence.
“Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”
(Job 2:10 NAS)
“The foolishness of man subverts his way, And his heart rages against the LORD.”
(Prov 19:3 NAS)
Irreverence resists and grieves His Spirit. It is hardening the heart against conviction, ignoring Scripture’s warnings, and pushing away His promptings to repent.
“But they rebelled And grieved His Holy Spirit; Therefore, He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them.”
(Isa 63:10 NAS)
“But they refused to pay attention, and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. “And they made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the LORD of hosts.”
(Zec 7:11-12 NAS)
Irreverence is all profaneness and hatred of God, treating holy things as common, mocking what is sacred, or harboring hostility toward His name. Slighting and despising God and His commands belittles His Word, selectively obeying, excusing disobedience, or treating His precepts as optional.
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” (Gal 6:7 NAS)
“How long, O naive ones, will you love simplicity? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing, And fools hate knowledge?”
(Prov 1:22 NAS)
“A rascally witness makes a mockery of justice, And the mouth of the wicked spreads iniquity. Judgments are prepared for scoffers, And blows for the back of fools.”
(Prov 19:28-1 NAS)
Irreverence is having discontent and impatience under His providence, murmuring at His timing, refusing to wait, and demanding our will be done.
“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the LORD, it will stand.”
(Prov 19:21 NAS)
“You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?“
(Rom 9:17-22 NAS)
A modern example of this is at “SatanCon 2023,” The Satanic Temple’s in-person conference held April 28–30 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place, organizers dedicated the event to Mayor Michelle Wu amid disputes with the city. Video from the opening showed a speaker ripping pages from a Bible, and attendees also tore a “Thin Blue Line” flag. The weekend featured talks, rituals, and “unbaptism” ceremonies, drew hundreds of participants, and prompted peaceful Christian responses outside through prayer, hymn-sings, and public witness.
Superstition breaks the First Commandment:
Superstition is trusting in omens, rituals, or unseen forces, rather than what God has revealed in His Word or sound reason, for guidance, protection, or control. Whenever we seek knowledge, power, or protection apart from the Lord, we demote His Word and elevate mere human, or even occult means.
“And when they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.”
(Isa 8:19-20 NAS)
This is called “prying into His secrets.” It is attempting to uncover what God has not revealed in His Word. By turning to omens, astrology, divination, or other hidden arts, we treat these lesser channels as a higher authority than what He has plainly made known in Scripture.
“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. “For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you.”
(Deut 18:10-12 NAS)
Even in the boardroom, superstition shows up. A recent business profile described a New Delhi exporter who reoriented his company to focus on white rice after an astrologer advised aligning his ventures with a “white moon” birth chart; he now consults astrologers and horoscope apps to time major deals. This illustrates how omens and occult counsel can be elevated over prayer, Scripture, and wise counsel, breaking the First Commandment by seeking sound guidance apart from God.
Dead Orthodoxy breaks the First Commandment:
Dead Orthodoxy is exalting church attendance, traditions, leaders, or a worship style as the ultimate goal, while neglecting the Lord Himself. Lukewarmness and deadness in the things of God offers half-hearted worship, prayer, and service, going through motions without heart.
“This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.”
(Matt 15:8-9 NAS)
Estranging ourselves from God and apostatizing withdraws from His Word, prayer, and fellowship, and finally turns away from the faith we once professed.
“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods, which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.”
(1Ti 4:1-3 NAS)
An example of dead orthodoxy are segments of the PCUSA church. This is not a judgment on every congregation or member. There are many PCUSA congregations that offer beautiful, well-ordered services with strong music and decorum, yet in many places publicly reshape biblical teaching to fit the cultural moment. An example of this is allowing LGBTQ flags and LGBTQ pastors in the church. When the form flourishes but the obedience to Scripture is lacking, it is dead orthodoxy.
The First Commandment speaks to each of us by name: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” It is the fountainhead of true religion, calling us not merely to acknowledge God but to love, trust, worship, and obey Him above all rivals. To keep it is to set the Lord first in the heart, to confess Him openly, and to walk humbly with Him in every sphere of life. True trust is steady, whether in prosperity or in trial. To have God as our God means to love Him with all our heart and to obey His commands.
Against that light, our common counterfeits are exposed; whether the denial of God, a suspended agnosticism, the idolatry of many gods, the irreverence that treats holy things as common, the superstition that seeks guidance apart from His Word, or the dead orthodoxy that prizes form over faithful submission. Each of these shift confidence and devotion away from the living God and toward something less. The remedy is not a new technique but repentance and return: receiving God’s self-revelation in Scripture, resting on Christ, and asking the Spirit to renew wholehearted worship and obedience. Let this command become our daily resolve: “You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”