By Jeffery M. Leonard, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biblical Studies, Samford University
Place God First
Exodus 20:1–6; Psalm 16:1–4a, 9–11
Most of us have wrestled with the question of what we would save first if our house caught on fire. We might think about saving what is worth the most money: the gold bullion hidden in the closet, the Rembrandt hanging in the dining room — those sorts of things. Or we might think about saving something less valuable on the open market but a great deal more valuable to us: a family heirloom, old pictures, birth certificates, etc.
Nowadays, we might save our computers first because so much of our lives is stored on them. Stepping back, though, we know all these sorts of things are just trivialities. What we would save first is our family. Every possession we’ve ever owned could go up in smoke if we could just get our loved ones out.
Thinking about what we would save in a fire is a good way of getting at what is most important to us. It is a thought experiment that helps us return to first principles and gain some clarity about what really matters. It is interesting to see how often characters in the Bible encounter moments when they recognize their own need for getting back to what is most important. These are moments when it becomes necessary for them to pause, regroup and relearn old lessons. When these moments happen in the Bible, they almost always happen in the wilderness.
Moses only truly discovers who he is when he goes to the wilderness of Midian (Ex. 2–3). Elijah retreats to the wilderness when he is wavering in his prophetic call (1 Kings 19). Paul withdraws to the Arabian wilderness soon after his conversion (Gal. 1:17). Even Jesus goes to the wilderness to prepare Himself for the trials of public ministry (Matt. 4). Most famous of all is the 40-year wilderness sojourn of the children of Israel. The wilderness was the place where they, too, had to learn what was most important.
God is to be first because He alone is God. (Ex. 20:1–6)
Although the first five books of the Bible are often referred to as “the law,” the first 70 chapters of the law contain very little law at all. Where the law really debuts is with Exodus 20 and its Ten Commandments.
Not to be missed is the way this famous chapter begins: “I am the Lord, your God.” This simple statement is the foundational idea that all of the wilderness experience was meant to drive home.
The Lord is God; of course, no image made by humans could capture His glory. The Lord is your God; of course, we should serve Him and Him alone.
God is to be first because He alone is good and completely trustworthy. (Ps. 16:1–4a)
The Israelites would not leave the wilderness until they had finally embraced this foundational idea: “I am the Lord your God.” But why did it take so long for them to do so? It was primarily because of their unwillingness to embrace the next words of Exodus 20:2: “who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” The nation did not doubt God was great; they doubted whether He was good.
When they struggled to find food and water in the desert, they needed to learn the words of the psalmist, “Apart from You, I have no good thing.” They needed to turn to God in trust, echoing the psalmist’s prayer, “Keep me safe, my God, for in You I take refuge.”
God is to be first because He alone is the way to eternal life. (Ps. 16:9–11)
First principles are foundational. They are the kinds of beliefs that give birth to and nourish all the other ideas we hold dear. The Israelites learned in the wilderness that God was great and God was good. And once this foundation was laid, other truths seemed obvious. A good God promised to care for His children not only in this life but also in the life to come. A great God had the power to make this promise hold true.
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