70_No other gods Ex 20: 1-3 And God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You shall have no other gods before me. William Temple, a pious servant of God, once said, “Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God. It is the quickening of the conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of the mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose—all this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable.” These words capture the essence of what God desires in our relationship with Him. Yet, as we look at the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me,” we realize how often our lives fall short of this calling. God had just delivered His people from slavery in Egypt. Exodus 20:1-2 declares, “And God spoke all these words, saying, ‘I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.’” Before giving the law, God reminded them of His faithfulness, deliverance, and power. Their obedience was not a means of earning His favor but simply the response of faith to their redeeming God. He had demonstrated himself to be worthy of their worship, loyalty, and trust. God is omniscient. This sets Him apart as the only one worthy of our worship. Scripture reveals that He knows all things: “God is greater than our heart, and He knows everything.” (1 John 3:20). Nothing escapes His knowledge. He knows our words before we think them (Psalm 139:4) and knew us before we were formed (Psalm 139:15-16). Such knowledge calls us to stand in awe of his constant presence and complete knowledge. God is omnipresent. There is no place without Him. David asks, in Psalm 139:7-10: “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!” We can never be hidden from His care, but neither are our sins hidden from his sight. God is omnipotent. He directs all things and does all that he wants to do. Job humbly acknowledged this, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2). From creation to redemption, God’s unmatched power is on display. Revelation 19:6 declares, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns.” The God of such limitless power and sovereignty deserves to reign over us. Even as we affirm these truths, we fail to live by them. The law of God reveals our sinful and rebellious nature, which refuses to submit to God’s good will. Paul writes in Romans 3:20, “Through the law comes the knowledge of sin.” The vague awareness of our shortcomings intensifies and condenses when faced with the clarity and breadth of God’s law. It