Fatherhood!

Fatherhood! 

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.  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:  Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.  Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Exodus 20:2‭-‬4‭, ‬7‭-‬8‭, ‬12 KJV

The first 5 commandments 

In case you hear of any other god, or someone wants to introduce you to another god, or because of trouble, your heart is tempted to seek out other gods, let it be known today, that there is no other God. He is called The Lord thy God, because there isn't really any other one. All others are pretenders which will be found out in the process of time. For all the men God spoke to and used in the Bible, they all had different expressions of this God, but the conclusion was and is still the same: He is the Lord. Do I know Him as such? 

He is also the one who has authority over the past, present and the future. At the time this was said by God, the people of Israel were free of slavery in Egypt and were on their way to the Promised Land. He had taken care of their unattractive past, was presently keeping them on their way and had already assured them of their taking over the land of promise. All of these would point to one fact: You cannot assign God's mighty works to any other pretender. He is the One who does mighty things, the things no other power and initiate or sustain.

In the light of the above, this God then warns: you are not permitted to have any other God. You are not allowed to ascribe my mighty works to worthless gods, who cannot help or carry themselves, not to talk of helping others. God knows the human heart, and its tendency to raise idols. Our hearts need to worship someone or something, as we were made by an amazing God to offer Him praise. The devil came and corrupted that nature, so rather than give God the glory due Him, our hearts seek to attach themselves to visible, tangible objects. Unfortunately, if it is not God, it cannot be anyone else. God is a jealous God, guarding His name and keeping it from any pollution or dilution.

And then, remember: I never showed you an image of me, so you cannot claim that anything down here on earth looks like me. I possess heaven and earth, so there is nothing in either these places that can be equated with or made to look like me. Making images of me is an insult; I own all things, which were all made by me for my pleasure. How then can something made for my pleasure now turn around to demand my allegiance and obeisance? Think about it: if something I made to serve me and make my life better turns around to demand that I begin to serve it, imagine how that feels. When I make TV, music, fashion trends, political influences and connections, abilities, academic degrees and bank account balances my master, am I not making images of created things the master of my life, rather than the creator Himself?

And when I know this God, I accord Him all the honour He is due. His name is Holy, Righteous and True. He is the Lord of all the earth. If I really know Him, and belong to His family, I will not join others to mock the name I bear, or bring the name into disrepute. I belong to the family of the Most High, and I bear His name. It is a responsibility not to be taken lightly or mocked, and I am also warned that God will not take it lightly with anyone who takes that name in vain. Why, you may ask. I believe this is because I should know better. Don't forget, I claim to know the Lord and I belong to Him. If I then disrespect the name, how would the name work for me when I need it? If I disregard the name or regard it as worthless, how does the name then work for my advantage when it matters most? 

And as I work and walk on God's green earth, I must take time out to remember who He is and what He has done. My life becomes a public testimony to a private relationship with the Lord God Almighty. He has set up rest as a reminder of WHO He is, WHAT he has done, and WHERE He is taking me to. I use the time to reflect on His mighty works, and I am re-energised to look forward to yet more experiences of His power and grace. 

And then comes the human touch. God has taken time to explain how He wants me to relate with Him, seen in the first 4 commandments already mentioned above. Isn't it quite instructive that the first commandment relating to human relationships mirror that of our heavenly Father to us? I see God reminding me that the same way He deals with me is the way He wants me to deal with my earthly relationships and what better way to start than with my parental responsibilities? If I know and recognise God as my Father, I will not struggle to honour my own earthly parents. I do not read anywhere that the parents must 'deserve' the honour. It is not in my place to apportion blame or right to any party; I am just asked to honour my parents. The world teaches tit for tat, and we seek to smuggle it into the Word of God. Unfortunately, I can't rewrite the Bible, and God's Word cannot be broken. 

If I acknowledge that this God who speaks is the same yesterday, today and forever, it means that none of the things He commands here have been overtaken by science, technology, education or enlightenment. His standard remains the same, no matter how slippery the world's view on things are. You can bank on His nature and truth, and you can rest assured that if He has promised, He has the power to fulfil all He has promised. 

I take stock again today: do I have any other options outside of the Lord my God? Is He ALL or just one of the many options I have got? Am I paying lip service to God, while my life denies all there is about this God? Am I all about optics and human opinion or do I seek God's stamp of affirmation upon my life by living in complete obedience to what He commands? I remember, as always, that eternity hangs on my answer. His time of favour is here.