1398. The First Commandment

The First Commandment

"Thou shalt have no other gods before Me" (Exo_20:3).

The First Commandment is plain enough–"Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." We propose to state one of the commandments and then to give a Scriptural illustration showing that the penalty of breaking God's Law was death.

Our Illustration Is Found in I Kings

The children of Israel had rebelled against the Lord their God, and God had placed a curse upon them. For three years the land had been without rain. Ahab, the king, hated Elijah, the Prophet, and had searched the realm for him, that he might put him to death.

Obadiah and Ahab had gone out over the land to see if there were any fountains of water, or brooks, peradventure that he might find grass to save the horses and mules alive. As Obadiah was in the way, behold, Elijah met him. Elijah at once gave command, saying, "Go tell thy lord, Behold, Elijah is here" (1Ki_18:8).

Ahab soon met Elijah, and cried: "Art thou he that troubleth Israel?" Elijah answered: "I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim."

Elijah then commanded that the prophets of Baal, four hundred fifty; and the prophets of the groves, four hundred, together with all of the people, should be gathered together unto Mount Carmel. Then Elijah came near and said: "How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him."

First of all, Baal's prophets built their altar, arranged their wood, laid their bullock upon it, but put no fire under it. Then they called on the name of their god, but there was no answer. At noon Elijah mocked them and said: "Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked."

Then the prophets of Baal cried aloud, and cut themselves after their fashion, with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. All day long they cried, even until the time of the evening sacrifice, but there was neither voice nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

Then Elijah came near and took twelve stones and built an altar unto the Lord. He made a trench about the altar; he put the wood in order; cut the bullock in pieces and laid him on the wood. Then Elijah said: "Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood." And he said: "Do it the second time," and "Do it the third time," and the water ran about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water. Then Elijah prayed and said: "Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant. * * Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that Thou art the Lord God." No sooner had Elijah spoken, than the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

Then all the people fell on their faces; and they said: "The Lord He is God; the Lord, He is God" (1911 Bible). Then the prophets of Baal were taken down by the river, Kishon, and Elijah slew them there.

Thus did God vindicate the First Commandment: "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me," and thus did He bring death upon those who worshiped Baal (see 1 Kings 18).

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR