The Eleventh Commandment: Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 - Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

How many commandments are in the Ten Commandments?

That’s not a trick question, by the way. Let’s count them:

1. I am the LORD your God…you shall have no other gods before me.
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol.
3. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God.
4. Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
11. You shall not covet your neighbor’s spouse.

Ten Commandments, illustrative wood relief carving, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=55124 [retrieved October 3, 2023]. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/feargal/5096148585/ - CC BY-NC-ND 2.0. 

The debate over the numbering of the Ten Commandments is about as old as the Church. In the Roman Catholic and Lutheran traditions, “you shall have no other gods” and “you shall not make for yourself an idol” are combined into first commandment. In Reformed and Evangelical traditions, the “you shall not covet” commandments are treated one. In Judaism, “I am the Lord your God” is the first commandment; and the second is: ”you shall have no other gods.” With that in mind, you could say there are twelve commandments.

I personally believe that commandment against idols should stand on its own, because it reveals so much about who God is—and who God is not. An idol is something created by human beings to serve human purposes. Since ancient times, mankind has created gods to satisfy every need and desire, from bountiful harvests and good weather to romantic love, childbirth, military conquests, and wealth. The idea is that if you offer the proper sacrifices, those gods will reward you with their blessings. 

That’s how paganism works. But that’s not how the God of Israel works. 

Abraham and Sarah, Moses, and the Israelites never sought to be in relationship with God. In fact, they didn’t even know who God was or that God even existed until God spoke to them. At no point did anyone ever see God; they couldn’t even know God’s name.

They knew God as the God of their ancestors, “who brought [them] out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” And here in the Sinai desert, they will know God as the giver of the Law upon which their relationship with God is based: “I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me.”

Unlike people in the Scriptures, you will not be tempted to worship Ba’al or Asherah, Dagon, Molech, or any of the false gods they turned to when they grew unsatisfied with God. What we do is we make God into a deity who exists for us. To put it bluntly, we make an idol out of God. 

One way is by treating faith and obedience as a way of compelling God to give you what you want. “Name it and claim it,” the TV preachers say. Another way to make an idol out of God is to treat sin as somebody else’s problem, but not yours! Sinners are those people who don’t look like me, think like me, vote like me, work hard like me, and worship like me. 

At the same time, there are vastly more idols in the world than there were in ancient times. These include celebrities, pop stars, politicians, sports, designer brand names, and electronic devices. With social media, you can make an idol out of yourself. You can alter your appearance and share pictures of what looks like a fabulous life. Every day, we’re tempted to seek salvation in wealth, material possessions, career success, lifestyles, and creature comforts. 

Control is the idol I fall for time and time again, thinking that if I can make everyone happy and everything go exactly the way I want it to, then all will be well. How easy it is to forget that by trying to control the things you cannot control; you end up losing control over the things you actually can!

The God who is will not be a God exists for human purposes. The notion of such a god is born in the depths of human sin, because you think you know what’s right and what’s best for the entire universe. 

God is God, you are not, and it’s better that way! That may not sound like good news, but it’s the best news there is! God does not deal with us on human terms and thank God for that! God is more righteous, more merciful, and more forgiving than we could ever be. If God dealt with us like we deal with other people, there’d be no hope for any of us. If we did not have God’s Law to teach us how to live, we would quickly go extinct.

No human mind has ever dreamed up a god or an idol that can compare to the God who is. I love how the Ten Commandments begins with God saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery,” because it bases our trust and obedience on God’s faithfulness. We do not remember God’s faithfulness nearly enough as we should. 

Today, we stand on the precipice of change. It is in times of change and uncertainty when we are most tempted to turn to idols to make us feel safe, secure, and in control. Once upon a time, every church in Leechburg was packed full of worshipers. The change from then to now is difficult to think about, and the prospect of more change is a scary thing. 

Things right now may not be the way you want them to be. They certainly weren’t for the Israelites in the Sinai desert where they had no land, no homes, and very little food or water.  But it’s the faithfulness of God which calls us forward.

If there was to be an eleventh commandment, it would be this: remember what the Lord God has done. Let go and let God be in control. Find your security not in a lack of change but in the faithfulness of God. Trust the one whose sacrifice frees you from sin and death; and whose resurrection seals the promise of new life.