Exodus 20:1–3
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At Mt. Sinai, 150 miles from Egypt, Israel was officially declared a people governed by God, regulated by His will and set apart to glorify Him. The people had escaped from Egypt two months before (19:1). They were now to spend eleven months in the vicinity of Mt. Sinai (Numbers 10:11-12) for the giving and ratifying of the law.

One of the great events in the history of Israel, and perhaps in the history of all mankind was the giving of the law. As Israel’s representative Moses repeatedly entered into the presence of the Lord on Sinai.  It was there, through the ministry of angels, he was granted the law.

The law was not given so the Israelites by keeping it could attain righteousness (Romans 2:20; Galatians 3:11). Instead it was to show the Israelites their sinfulness (Romans 3:19b-20). A righteous standing before God has always been only by faith in God (Romans 4:3,22).

The first of the Ten commandments is that Israel was to worship the one true God. “Thou shalt have not other gods before me” (v. 3). Unfortunately Israel often disobeyed this commandment by worshiping the idols of other nations. The result was that she would be taken over by these nations.

Application

We are to worship the true and living God and have no other God’s in our lives. In America it is very easy to let the God of materialism take over. God has been so good in providing all my needs but I want to be very careful to always worship Him and never the things He provides.