Deuteronomy 5:7
‘You shall have no other gods before Me.”
The Ten Commandments were repeated in this chapter. I’m going to focus on this one, because it tells much about God. The relationship between The Lord and His people is described as a marriage in the New Testament (Ephesians 5:25-27).
To focus on marriage, there is another commandment, “Not to covet your neighbor’s wife”. That relationship is to be monogomous. It’s to be loving and sacrificial. The husband is to love the wife as his own body. Also he is to leave his family and bond to his wife.
The greatest act of betrayal is to have an affair. This is breaking the vows and ruining the trust that’s been developed. This is given as the reason one may divorce. That’s the degree of betrayal.
Let’s go back to the relationship between God and His people. This verse speaks of the monogomy we are to have with Him. He is primary.
This may seem easy on the surface. One may say, “I’m a christian, I’m not a muslim or a buddist”. Cheating on God is broader than just practicing multiple religions. He wants us to make all our interests subservient to Him. It’s ok to have hobbies and passions. We have to submit them to His lordship. It doesn’t mean we have to abandon them. It may, if they’re immoral.
I often get overly interested in something. At those times, I feel an inward check to put it on pause. It’s not permanent. It’s puting things in proper perspective. That isn’t always God. It may be our consciences. We apparently feel we’re breaking the commandment.
This is our act of being faithful to our God. We are demonstrating our allegiance and love to The Lord.
We are so fortunate that we have a God who loves us so that He wants to be in a relationship.
Lord, thank You that You want know us intimately. Help us to draw near unto You. Help us to keep our interests in check that they don’t begin to eclipse our relationship with You.