THE FIRST COMMANDMENT by J. W. Watt

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 1, 1898

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 24, No. 35.

THE FIRST COMMANDMENT.

By J. W. Watt

“I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.”

The first great principle of righteousness brought to view in this commandment is the relation of God’s intelligent creatures to what is here called Egypt. Many see in this statement only a reference to the literal land of Egypt, but there is a much deeper meaning than that. The literal is a representation of the spiritual. What, then, is the real truth that we should learn from this?

Egypt is a representation of the darkness and character of sin. As Israel was delivered from the literal bondage of Egypt, by the direct power of God, so must every soul who is to be saved in the kingdom of God be delivered from the darkness and the bondage of sin.

As literal Egypt was full of idols, so our hearts have been filled with worldliness and selfishness, and while in sin we must acknowledge that we have worshiped self and the many things of the world. Sin brings one into the most cruel bondage. Jesus said to the Jews, “The truth shall make you free,” but they said, “We are Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man.” Christ then said to them plainly, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” John 8:32–34. This makes the matter very clear—a man that is in sin is in darkness and servitude, from which he must be delivered before he can serve God, for no one can make a success of serving two masters. This deliverance is also represented in the Scriptures as coming out of darkness into light.

“I am the light of the world; he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12. Thus we see that the soul must be brought from the darkness of sin and death to the glorious light of life and salvation; and the same power that was necessary to bring literal Israel out of literal Egypt is necessary to bring spiritual Israel out of the spiritual darkness into which sin has brought them. As literal Israel had no power to deliver themselves from literal bondage, so we have no power to deliver ourselves from sin; this deliverance must be wrought by the power of God. As literal Israel was made to feel their need of help and cried for deliverance, even so must those in sin be made to feel their utter helplessness and to cry unto God for deliverance. God heard the cry of His people then and delivered them, and He will just as willingly listen to the cry of one who is in the bondage of sin, and work out for him a wondrous deliverance. Not until we have thus been delivered from sin are we prepared to enter upon the keeping of the holy law of God, which is in character like its Author. Therefore no unconverted man or woman can keep the commandments of God; they must first be converted, soul, body, and mind.

“Which Have.”

Before God makes known what Israel should do, He calls attention to what He has done for them. “I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt.” God had done great things for that people; He had shown His great love for them; therefore He had a perfect right to make a demand of them that they should now show their appreciation of His love and goodness by obeying what He said. The same is true of every soul who has been delivered from the bondage of sin, and such ones will delight to walk in the way of life, and will be only glad to have God point out to them the way.

“No Other Gods.”

“Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” Having seen what it means to prepare to keep the commandments of God, now we shall try to understand what it is to actually keep them. To have no other gods but the Lord would be to entirely consecrate one’s self to Him, without any reserve. Having left the pathway of sin and unrighteousness, we turn unto God and render unto Him perfect obedience in all things so far as it is possible for us to understand what the will of God is. God being the God of love, we can trust all our interests in His hands, knowing that One who loves us so much will lead us to do or say nothing only that which is for our best good.

Jesus was asked at one time what was the first commandment, and His reply was: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” Matt. 22:37, 38. How could one who has learned to know God do anything else but just love Him with all the heart? He is a lovable One, and the more one learns of Him, the stronger and more perfect will his love to God be. All the powers of affection will be given to God. “Soul” in the above text signifies the physical man. Hence all the powers of the body must be given to God. Whatever our occupation in life, but one great object should be kept in view, and that is to glorify God. The mind, the intellectual part of man, is also to be given to God. All our attainments in this line should enable us to more perfectly glorify God.

We now see that to keep the first commandment we must consecrate ourselves entirely to God, giving to Him every power of our being. Let us study for a time how we may violate this commandment. The one who loves God with all his heart will also love his fellow-men, whom God has created. We learn from Rom. 5:5 that “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Notice, this scripture does not say that love for God is shed abroad in our hearts, but the “love of God.” It is the same kind of love which God Himself possesses,—the love of God.

Now we can see that one who has this love in his heart can no more hate his fellow-men than God can hate them; but God loves all men, even sinners. Had this principle always been understood by God’s people, there never could have been a church trial or difficulty in this world; and when professed Christians learn what it means to keep the first commandment, all difficulties among brethren will be at an end, and love will reign supreme in every heart (the love of God).

Again, when we love God with all the heart, all pride will be gone from the heart, and we shall meet the mind of God in matters of dress; no unnecessary personal adornment will be seen among those who keep the first commandment. The light God has given upon this subject will

be strictly followed by all who truly love Him with all the heart.

All self-exaltation will be put away from the one who has received this love in his heart, and he will be ready and willing to work in any place where the Lord may call him to work, let that place be ever so difficult. No disposition will be seen to exalt self or seek for the highest place, but each will “esteem other better than themselves.”

O, what peace and joy and divine harmony will be seen among the people of God when all learn to keep the first precept of His law! The man who loves God with all his heart will not be striving for this world’s riches in order to hoard them for selfish use; he will have but one desire in acquiring wealth, and that will be to glorify God. Therefore he will be ready and even anxious to aid the cause of God with his money, and will do so to the utmost of his ability. How can he do otherwise if he loves God with all his heart?

To keep the first commandment, we must transfer all our interests from earth to heaven; we must show by every act of life that this world is not our home. So long as any worldly thing stands between us and any known duty to God, we are not wholly the Lord’s, and He can not accept us as His children. “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.”

J. W. WATT.