Exodus Chapter 20
-I don’t know how far I will get each day with the commandments but we will go as far as I can and then pick up with the next one tomorrow. Today we start with the first commandment and see what happens.
📖 Exodus 20:3 — “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
🧠 Simple, but weighty.
This command is about exclusive loyalty. God isn’t just one deity among many—He is the only one and calling for complete allegiance.
📜 “Before Me”
• The Hebrew phrase is עַל־פָּנָיַ (al-panai), which literally means “before My face” or “in My presence.”
• It doesn’t mean “put Me first, then others”—it means NO others at all. 🚫
The nations surrounding Israel at that time were polytheistic. Egypt, Canaan and others had dozens of gods. They built idols to worship.
📚 Cross-References & Theology
• Deuteronomy 6:4–5
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart…”
• Isaiah 45:5
“I am the Lord, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me.”
🙋♀️ Is there anything I’m trusting in, loving, or fearing more than God?
• 🧱 Modern “gods” may not be statues—but can be:
• Success 💼
• Control 📅
• Comfort 🛋️
• Security 💵
• Even family 👨👩👧👦
• 🙏 God, show me where I’ve placed other “gods” before You—and help me to love You with undivided heart.
The Second Commandment
📖 Exodus 20:4–6 — The Second Commandment
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
🪧 Commandment #2: No Idols or Images
🔍 Verse 4 — “You shall not make for yourself a carved image…”
- This verse prohibits making, bowing to, or serving anything that would serve in the place of God.
- Once a friend brought me a very cute little representation of Jesus made of plastic. It was a sweet gesture on her part and in her way she was trying to spread the word about Jesus being her savior. I however felt very uncomfortable with the little fellow as he seemed an idol to me. Despite being so small, cute and seemingly ever so harmless, I had to dispose of the trinket. It didn’t sit well with me and I felt that it was not part of my own belief to have an image of my Lord. Perhaps this isn’t what is popular, but it is my own feeling and I have great comfort in holding true to it.
📖 Hebrew Insight:
• “Carved image” = פֶּסֶל (pesel) — this specifically refers to sculpted or shaped representations, often of gods or divine beings.
🙇♀️ Verse 5 — “You shall not bow down to them nor serve them…”
🔥 God’s Jealousy:
- This is not a petty jealousy bound by insecurity but rather that akin to a spouse that refuses to share their beloved with another. 💍
🧬 “Visiting the iniquity… to the third and fourth generation”
- This doesn’t mean that God punishes children for the sins of the parents.
- It does refer to the lasting consequences of sin on generations – affects on families, culture, and habits that are passed down for generations as a result of sin.
Compare to Ezekiel 18 where each soul is responsible for their own choices.
💗 Verse 6 — “Showing mercy to thousands…”
Verse 6 is really beautiful in that it is saying: You don’t have to be perfect to earn My mercy.
He’s saying:
“If you stay close to Me, even imperfectly, I will keep pouring out My mercy.”
🧠 Word Study: “Mercy”
The Hebrew word here is חֶסֶד (chesed) — a deeply rich word. It doesn’t just mean “mercy” in the soft sense—it means:
• Loyal love
• Covenant faithfulness
• Steadfast kindness
• Undeserved goodness that doesn’t give up
It’s not earned—it’s God’s nature to show chesed to His people. This word shows up over and over in the Psalms:
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His chesed endures forever.” — Psalm 136:1 🙌
🙏 Application
• 🖼️ Modern idolatry can still be subtle—like using certain imagery or icons to try to “feel” God’s presence.
• 🎭 We also make mental idols when we shape God into a version we prefer—gentle grandpa, cosmic genie, harsh judge, angel with wings, etc.
• 💡 The call here is to let God reveal Himself on His terms, through His Word, not our imagination.
I will wrap up here for today with this enormous thought of two gigantic commandments on exclusive loyalty and true worship. He wants to be known and loved for who He really is-not made into some convenient imaginary thing we find useful at the moment. I will start on the third commandment tomorrow and look forward to meeting with you there.
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