Old Testament Reading: Psalm 46

“TO THE CHOIRMASTER. OF THE SONS OF KORAH. ACCORDING TO ALAMOTH. A SONG. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. ‘Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!’ The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah” (Psalm 46, ESV)

Sermon Text: 1 Timothy 5:9-16

“Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. For some have already strayed after Satan. If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows.” (1 Timothy 5:9–16, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

This is an interesting little passage that we have before us today. If I were to guess I would say that it is the least familiar passage in all of 1 Timothy. Paul is here speaking to issues that are somewhat foreign to us, and so the tendency may be to rush past this text. 

“Let a widow be enrolled…” he says. What does that mean? Enrolled into what? Timothy obviously knew what Paul was referring to. And the saints in the church of Ephesus knew. But given our church experience and cultural context, it is not immediately clear to us what Paul means by the command, “Let a widow be enrolled…”

In this sermon I will first move through this passage to explain what Paul meant by these words. And after that I will have something to say about what this passage means for us. Though we live in a culture that differs significantly from the one that Paul and Timothy lived in, I do believe that this text is filled with application. 

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Let A Widow Be Enrolled

First of all, let us consider the command “let a widow be enrolled…”

We know what a widow is. A widow is a woman who’s husband has died. And we know that Paul made a distinction in the previous passage between widows and true widows. When Paul spoke of true widows he was referring to widows who were all alone in the world with no relatives to care for them, who were lacking in the necessities of life. According to Paul, these true widows are to be honored by the church. This means that the church is to show them proper respect by looking out for them, seeing to it that their physical (and spiritual) needs are met. 

Here in verse 9 Paul addresses something similar, but more specific. Here is not only commanding that true widows be honored, but that some of them be “enrolled”. The question is, what is meant by “enrolled”? 

The word means “to put on a list”, or “to enroll a person as a member of a group” (Louw Nida, 393). So here Paul advances the conversation from talk of the church honoring widows who are truly widows (which will oftentimes involve providing for their physical needs), to talk of some widows being “enrolled” in some group. 

So what is this group? Well, the remainder of the passage will make it clear that Paul is referring to a group of worthy widows who are taken under the care of the church as they devote themselves to service within the church and to a single life. The church would devote itself to the care of these widows, and these widows would commit to not remarry so that they might care for the poor and needy, so long as they were able to do so.  

As I have said, this whole idea strikes modern day American protestants as odd and foreign. Why? Well, the reasons are complex, I’m sure. There are three that immediately come to mind. One, in our day and age many assume that it is the responsibility of the government to care for widows and others who are in need. The church, and even extended family, have been, in some ways, replaced by government programs. Now, I am not here interested in making  judgments about that. I only wish to make the observation that this is how things are. If a person grows destitute, where will they think to go? To the government! It was not so in Paul’s day. If an individual were to fall into poverty the family was first in line to meet the need, and after that, the church was up (at least for the Christian). Again, I am not here making a political statement, only an observation which will help us to understand why this concept is foreign to us. In our day and age many assume that it is the responsibility of the government to care for widows and others who are in need. Two, our society is affluent. The American middle-class is very large when compared to the middle-class in other times and places. Poverty is certainly present within our society, but the percentage of those living in poverty is very low when compared to times past and other places in the world today. Three, our modern healthcare system does also have an impact upon this. In our culture we have assisted living facilities where the aged are often cared for. Indeed, there are many benefits to living within a modern, advanced, and affluent society — benefits that we should thank God for. But these benefits are not beyond critique. It is not difficult to see that with every good thing that we enjoy there is also the potential for evil things. But as I have said, I am not here offering a detailed critique, only observations. Why does this concept of some Christian widows being “enrolled” strike us a odd? Well, in brief, our culture is very different from the one that Paul and Timothy lived in.

In the days of the early church, and throughout the history of the church, the responsibility to care for Christian widows who were truly widows, left all alone, fell squarely upon the church. And here in 1 Timothy 5 we see the practice of the early church. Some of these widows would be enrolled as widows. The church would commit to provide food and shelter for them in their poverty, and these widows would devote themselves to a single life of Chistian service (so long as they were able to serve). Indeed, this practice was developing in the earliest days of the church. You should remember the situation that prompted the appointment of the first deacons as recorded in Acts. You will remember that some widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food, while preferential treatment was being shown to others. That was the problem that these first deacons were to sort out. But it shows that, from the earliest days, the practice of the church was to care for its widows in an orderly fashion. There was already at that time a “daily distribution” of food managed by the church. And by the time that Paul wrote this letter to Timothy he could speak of widows being “enrolled” into the number. 

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Qualifications For Widows To Be Enrolled

You would do well to notice that the bulk of this passage sets forth qualifications for enrolment. If a widow was to be enrolled she had to meet certain qualifications. 

Starting in verse 9 Paul says, “Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work.” (1 Timothy 5:9–10, ESV)

These qualifications may be divided into three parts: Age, proven faithfulness in marriage, and proven character, especially as it pertains to service. 

First, Paul commands Timothy to not enroll a woman under the age of sixty. “Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age…”, he says. So why this requirement? Well, he will explain in verse 11, saying, “But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith” (1 Timothy 5:11–12, ESV). 

As I have said, being enrolled as a widow of the church did involve committing oneself to a single life, and to a life of service. And perhaps Paul knew from experience what tends to happen with younger widows — they would most likely meet a man, desire to marry, and be tempted to break their commitment to Christ.

 When Paul says that “their passions draw them away from Christ”, I do not think he necessarily means that they will be drawn away from faith in Christ (some were, as we will see), but from their commitment to serve him in the church as a single woman. And when he says, “they desire to marry and so incur condemnation” he does not speak of eternal condemnation, but earthly rebuke or judgment. And when he says “for having abandoned their former faith”, he does not mean that they would, by marrying again, abandon their faith in Christ, but rather their former “pledge” or “commitment” to him. It is a matter of translation. The Greek word translated by the ESV as “faith” at the end of verse 12 can also be translated as “pledge”. In fact, this is how the NET, NASB, and NIV translate the word. Listen to how the NASB renders verses 11-12. “But refuse to put younger widows on the list, for when they feel sensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to get married, thus incurring condemnation, because they have set aside their previous pledge.” (1 Timothy 5:11–12, NASB95).

I think this is a better translation. It fits the context. And it accords better with the clear teaching of scripture. Brothers and sisters, we know that a widow (or widower) is free to remarry. Paul himself says so in 1 Corinthians 7:39: “A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:39, ESV). Clearly, if a widow remarries in the Lord she does not abandon Christ, nor her faith in Christ, bring upon herself eternal condemnation. So what does Paul mean here in 1 Timothy 5:11-12? Does he contradict what he wrote to the Corinthians?

Well, the context makes it clear. He has in mind the widows pledge. The church pledged to care for her, and she pledged to remain single and to serve the needy. And younger widows would be particularly tempted to break that pledge when, being driven by their passions, they desired to marry. This breaking of the pledge would  bring condemnation in an earthly sense. Remember the command, brothers and sisters, “let your ‘yes’ be yes and your ‘no’ be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation” (James 5:12, ESV). So this is why Paul forbade widows under 60 from being enrolled in the number. 

Secondly, Paul requires that  widows had been faithful to their husbands in marriage. Again, we must keep in mind that these widows were not merely being put on a list to receive aid, but were committing themselves to not marry to devote themselves to Christian service within the church. She would need to be faithful in her service. She would need to be self controlled.  And so Paul required that she demonstrated this faithfulness and self control in her marriage relationship.  

Thirdly, the widow was to have proven character (verse 10) “having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work” (1 Timothy 5:10, ESV).

So why these qualifications? They really don’t make much sense if we think that these are qualifications that widows must meet to simply receive aid. No, these are qualifications that widows must meet to be enrolled, and there is a difference. A widow is to be honored (helped, cared for) if she is truly a widow, “left all alone” with nothing left but her hope in God” (1 Timothy 5:5, ESV). This is true of widows young and old. This is true of widows who are mature and immature in the faith. This is true of those who have lived godly lives, and also of those who lived wicked and unfruitful lives prior to coming to faith in Christ. The church is to honor its widows, and there are no qualifications mentioned for this except that they are true widows and truly in need, as opposed to self-indulgent. 

But if a widow is to be “enrolled” — if she is to come under the care of the church, devoting herself to a single life and to the service of Christ in his church — then these qualifications must be met, lest she imaturly and unfaithfully squanders the support she receives through selfish and foolish living.

And this is Paul’s stated concern. In verse 13 he speaks of the younger and unproven widows when he says, “Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not” (1 Timothy 5:13, ESV). Evidently, Paul was not interested in seeing the church provide for the physical needs of young (and immature) women only to free them to be idle, “going about from house to house” (which may imply sexually immoral behavior) as “gossips and busybodies”, sticking their nose into other peoples business, and “saying what they should not.”  

I think you can see how this passage differs slightly from the previous one. In the previous passage Paul wrote concerning the honor and care to be shown to true widows in general. But in this one he addresses the enrollment of widows.

 Should Christians widows be honored and cared for if they are truly widows and truly in need even if they are young, immature in the faith, and have a checkered past? Answer: yes.  

Should Christians widows be enrolled if they are young, immature in the faith, and have a checkered past? Answer: no. For they are not fit for this kind of service, but will be tempted to break their pledge to Christ and his church, and to squander the provision of the church, instead of using it for good.

Paul goes on to explain what the younger widows should do. He would “ have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. For some have already strayed after Satan” (1 Timothy 5:14–15, ESV). I take this to mean that some widows have abandoned the faith by living immoral lives or by marrying again, but not in the Lord, after their husbands passed away. 

What should younger widows be encouraged to do? They should seek to marry, bear children, and devote themselves to the management of their households. This is consistent with what the scriptures say elsewhere concerning the calling of Christian wives. 

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The Family Is First Up

And in verse 16 Paul reiterates what he said in the previous passage — the family is first in line to care for widows, not the church. “If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows” (1 Timothy 5:16, ESV).

The family is first up, not the church. And it is the women in particular who Paul calls to care for their widowed relatives. This is only natural. The family is to raise to the occasion so that the church is not burdened. Burdened here does not mean “inconvenienced” but rather financially burdened. The point is this: when the Christian family cares for the Christian widow who is their relative, this does free the church to better care for those who are truly widows, who are left all alone.  

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Application

Now, up until this point I have only explained the text to you. I have not attempted to apply it. And while for us the direct application is rather sparse, I do believe that this text is filled with indirect application. So please allow me to draw some of it out. 

First of all, some direct application. Brothers and sisters, we must follow the model that the scriptures lay down for us concerning the care of widows. Our culture is so very different from the culture of the early church. And, thanks be to God, we are not inundated with true widows in the way that the early church was. That is a blessing. It has something to do with our affluence. But even in a wealthy society, the church will always have widows (and other needy people) in her midst. We must care for them according to the scriptures. We must apply the general principles that are established here. 

And there is a ditch on both sides of this road. Me must not overstep and intrude upon the families responsibility and privilege to care for their relatives, nor can we negligently leave it to the government. Brothers and sisters, the government will never be able to do the job that the family and church are designed to do in caring for the needy. The government cannot provide a personal touch. It cannot love and nurture the one who is in need. And neither can the government effectively distinguish between the one who is truly in need and the one who is a self-indulgent (v. 6), idle, busibody. Only the family and church (and other private institutions) are in a position to discern these things.  

Now, please do not misunderstand. I am not saying that a Christian should turn down all forms of government assistance. No, as I see it the members of this church have paid taxes. And if the need is legitimate and the assistance is available, then it would be wise to take advantage of it and to give thanks to God for his provision. But here I am saying that families and churches cannot leave it to the government alone. Sometimes the government assistance will not be enough. And certainly, the government will not be able to provide the spiritual and emotional guidance and support that is needed.

The church must be prepared to care for the needy in our midst according to biblical principles. Elders and deacons must know them and be prepared to act according to wisdom. You will notice that what it means for a widow to be “enrolled” is not specified here. I’m glad for that. The kind of care that is offered will vary from situation to situation. Wisdom and discernment is needed. But first we must know what the scriptures   

Secondly, some indirect application. All should strive to meet the qualifications that are stated here for enrolled widows. The text is speaking of women who have lost their husbands to death, but by way of indirect application we may ask this question of the men as well — what will your reputation be when you reach 60 years of age? Will others look upon you and say, this one was faithful in marriage, and diligent in good works: they were faithful to bring up their children, they showed hospitality, they served others and cared for the afflicted. Will this be your reputation? Or will you be known as one who lived an idle, self-indulgent life? You have been building your reputation, and you are building it even now. A reputation is something that you build over a long period of time. And so build carefully. If you are happy with your reputation, then do not be puffed up with pride. Give glory to God and, to quote Paul, “let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12, ESV). An dif you are unhappy with your reputation, then make it right today. Turn from your shortcomings and your sins. Confess them to the Lord and to others. And pursue Christ starting today. Our objective should be to hear the Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21, ESV), when we stand before him. Is that your aim? Faithfulness. Children and young people, I speak to you. What is your goal in life? And no, I do not mean what do you wish to do for a living? But rather, what are you aiming at ultimately? I hope it is this: to be found in Christ, to be a faithful servant of his, and to live for the glory of God alone. Children and young people, don’t wait to start. The person you are tomorrow, in five years time, and the age of sixty will grow out of the person you are today. The choices you are making today determine who you will be tomorrow. If you decide to be lier today, you will be lier when you are sixty, only a better one with a harder heart. If you decide to disrespect your parents today, you will disrespect them and every authority tomorrow. Turn from you sins, young people. Trust in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And pursue righteousness, with God’s help. Be faithful, and devote yourself to every good work, so that when you are advanced in years, this is your reputation. What will your reputation be when you are 60 years of age? That is a good question. It is a really good question to ask when you are young. And if you are old, it is never too late to turn from your sins, to trust in Christ, and pursue him wholeheartedly with whatever time you have left, to the praise of his glorious grace. 

Thirdly, I would like to step back a bit from this passage and notice the way in which Paul viewed the role of the civil government, the family, and the church. The civil government is not mentioned in this passage, which is significant. You may go to Romans 13 to learn more about the role of the government, according to Paul. But the church and the family are mentioned throughout this passage. And notice this general truth: though the church is like a family, the church is not the family. Stated differently, though familial language is used to describe the church — God is our Father, we are adopted as his children and are therefore brothers and sisters in Christ, the church being called the household of God (Ephesians 2:19, 1 Timothy 3:14) — this does not do away with the biological family for the Christian. Stated yet another way, the church  does not swallow the family up rendering her useless. No, the church is the church, and the family is the family, and both are significant. Both have an authority structure. Both have certain responsibilities, and special tools at their disposal to accomplish those responsibilities. Though the church is a spiritual family, the church is not the biological family. And God has a purpose for each of these institutions. This is made clear by Paul when he repeatedly insists that family members  have a special obligation to care for their widows. The implications of this are huge. The only way that Paul could speak in this way is if he believed that God had designed the world to function in a particular way, establishing certain institutions which would have spheres of authority and particular responsibilities. And we know this is indeed what Paul believed. Indeed, this is what the scriptures teach from Genesis to Revelation. God designed the world to function in a particular way. And in this world he has instituted civil governments, the family, and the church. Each has a role to play. And here is my point: it is right for us to be concerned about the church, to be sure that she is grounded upon the truth, properly ordered, and faithful to fulfill God’s purposes for her. But we also should be concerned for the family. The Christian family is very important, brothers and sisters. The Christian family must also be grounded upon the truth, properly ordered, and faithful to fulfill God’s purposes for her. Brothers and sisters, one of the most important and foundational things you can do to contribute to the flourishing of the church at the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom is to be faithful in your family life. I suppose the same could be said regarding our society. Do you wish to contribute to the flourishing of our society? Do not neglect your family! The family is the most fundamental institution. Husbands, love your wives. Wives, honor your husbands. Parents, bring your children up in the Lord. Children, honor your parents and love your siblings. The family is the most common institution, but do not neglect it because it is common. Treat it as precious knowing that it is foundational. The church is like a family — it is a spiritual family — but it is not the family. There are some things that the family can do that the church cannot (effectively raising children comes to mind). Brothers and sisters, we must devote ourselves to the establishment of strong families. And this commitment to the family does not end when the children leave the house, but is to last a lifetime. Relatives are to care for their widows. How foolish it is for husbands and wives to abandon their commitment to the marriage after their children are raised.  What about your latter years, friends? What about the influence you are to have on your grandchildren? What about their responsibility to care for you in old age? Do not allow these family bonds to unravel once the children are out of the home. Make your marriage a top priority. The marriage bond is to last for life. And children, do not think that the fifth commandment only applies to you while you live in your parents home. No, you are to honor your father and mother even when you and they are old.  

Fifthly and lastly, I have a very broad point of application for you which is drawn, not only from this text, but from everything we have been considering in Paul’s letter to Timothy. How important it is for us to pour ourselves into these small and local institutions of the family and the church especially as we witness the very rapid degeneration of the culture all around us.  Brothers and sisters, the year 2020 was an unsettling year. It was strange, wasn’t it? And I know that you can feel it. Everyone feels it. And 2021 has already been strange. Who would have thought that Georgia would vote the way they voted, and who could have imagined that we would see images like the ones that came out of the Capitol on Wednesday. Everything feels unsettled, doesn’t it?

So what do we do?

Well, we do what we always do. We pray. We take godly action when it is in our power to do so, and with the things that are outside of our control, we trust the Lord. Brothers and sisters, a lot of things are outside of our control, but sometimes we are more aware of it. We must learn to trust the Lord more deeply. There is a reason I read Psalm 46 at the beginning of this sermon. It encourages us to do this very thing, saying, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” It is in unsettling times that our faith is put to the test. It is one thing to say, “God is our refuge and strength” when all is well. But what about in times of trouble? Will you say it when the mountains move, and the waters roar and foam, which is in fact a metaphor for political upheaval? 

So what are we to do? We are to pray. We are to act responsibly when it is in our power to do so, and with the things that are outside of our control, we are to trust the Lord. And must also learn to devote ourselves to the common things that God has ordained — the small and local institutions that he has established which we are so prone to neglect thinking of them as insignificant. I am speaking here of the family and the local church.

Brothers and sisters, I have always believed this, but now I believe it more than ever. If we wish to thrive in this world — if we wish to be happy, to be at peace, to have an impact, to be fruitful, to survive and flourish to the glory of God — then we must not overlook the little common things that are right before eyes while being consumed with problems and concerns that are distant and way outside of our control. Are you following me? This has always been a temptation, but now it is amplified by technology and a very rapid — almost instantaneous — new cycle. How easy it is to be consumed by the troubles and concerns of this life.

Jesus had something to say about this: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. ‘Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble’” (Matthew 6:25–34, ESV).

The negative command here is “do not be anxious”. But the positive commands are two: Trust God to provide for you, and “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” Brothers and sisters, that is what I am calling you to do. Trust God, and devote yourself to obedient living and the advancement of his kingdom. Do that! And not allow yourself to be consumed with worry concerning things that are way outside of your control.

Let me be really specific. Parents, put down your smart phones and look at your children. Stop reading the news, and read them a book which will edify their soul and yours. Stop talking about politics, and start talking about God’s word. Stop investing all of your emotions in things way out there, and start investing more of it right here. Think family. Think local church. I am not calling you to disengage politically. But you must keep it in check. And when it comes to where you are investing your time, treasures, and energies, invest it here, locally, and into those people and institutions you can see with your own eyes. I trust this will be good for our world, nation, church and families — and even your own soul.      

So there it is, my final and very broad point of application. What shall we do in these turbulent times? Trust God, cast away anxiety, focus on today, seeing first righteous living the advancement of his kingdom in our own lives, in our homes, in our church, and from here to the ends of the earth.

Baptist Catechism 50 & 51

Q. 50. Which is the first commandment?

A. The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3)

Q. 51. What is required in the first commandment?

A. The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify Him accordingly. (Joshua 24:15; 1 Chron. 28:9; Deut. 26:17; Ps. 29:2; Matt. 4:10)

Scripture Reading: Joshua 24.1-15

“Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel. And they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac. And to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. And I gave Esau the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in the midst of it, and afterward I brought you out. Then I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea. And the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. And when they cried to the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians and made the sea come upon them and cover them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness a long time. Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites, who lived on the other side of the Jordan. They fought with you, and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land, and I destroyed them before you. Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. And he sent and invited Balaam the son of Beor to curse you, but I would not listen to Balaam. Indeed, he blessed you. So I delivered you out of his hand. And you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the leaders of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And I gave them into your hand. And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow. I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant.’ Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.’” (Joshua 24:1–15, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

There is a good reason why this commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me”, is the first. 

It is the first commandment of the Ten because keeping the rest of God’s moral law trully and from the heart starts here. Why should we obey God’s moral law? Well, there are many reasons to obey it, but the greatest reason is because it is God’s law! We obey it because it is from God. We obey it because God is our God. He is our greatest love. He is our Lord. We live in submission to him and for his glory, for he is our Creator and Redeemer. Why should we keep God’s moral law? Because it is God’s law. And so the first of the Ten Commandments does direct us to have God as God, and to have no other gods except him. 

It is not difficult to see that many will attempt to keep the second table of God’s law, but because they neglect this first commandment and the first table of the law which flows from it, even their obedience to the second table of the law is regarded as sin, for it does not flow from faith nor does it have as it’s aim the glory of God. Think of it. The world is filled with people who make it their aim to keep the second table of the Ten Commandments. They aim to honor their parents. They do not murder, commit adultery, steal or lie. They may even pursue contentment. But what is their motive? For many, their motive is a good life, a good reputation, peace in the heart and prosperity in the world. Now, these are not invalid motivations. But neither can they be our supreme motivation. If we are to keep God’s law trully and from the heart we must start, not with the fifth, but with the first, which says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me”. We are to obey God’s law, because it is God’s law, and God is our God, and we are his people. The glory of his name is to be our leading motivation. 

And the first commandment is the first of the first table of the law because here the object of our worship is identified. We have already learned that the second table of the law (commandments 5 – 10) has to do with our duty towards our fellow man, and that the first table of the law (commandments 1 – 4) has to do with our duty before God, but as we consider these two tables of the law more closely we will see that there is a rational and a flow within each table. The first commandment identifies the object of our worship: the one true God; the one and only. The second commandment will  speak to the manner of our worship: no idols. The third will speak to the attitude of worship: do not take his name in vain. And the fourth will speak to the time of worship: one day in seven. 

It is not difficult to understand that before we move on to consider how God is to be worshipped in commands 2 through 4, we must know who it is that we should worship, which is why God begins by saying, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

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Catechism Explained

So what does this commandment require? For the sake of clarity I will remind you that in the next question our catechism will ask, what does it forbid? And after that it will ask, “What are we especially taught by these words, “before me,” in the first commandment?” And so we will not finish with our consideration of the first commandment tonight. But let us start by asking what the first commandment requires of us. What does it teach us to do and to think and to feel?  

First of all, it teaches us to “acknowledge God to be the only true God.” When God speaks negatively saying, “have no other gods before me”, he at the same time speaks positively (by way of implication), saying you are to acknowledge me as the only true God.

There is an awful lot packed into that little statement, isn’t there? Stated negatively: “Have no other gods before me.” Stated positively: “acknowledge God to be the only true God.” If we were to take the time to thoroughly define terms we probably would be stuck on this catechism question for months. 

“God”. Think of all that is signified by that little three letter word. “God”. What does it mean? Who does it refer to? What comes into your mind when you hear that word? Is it merely an abstract and undefinable concept? Or is it left up to us to fill this term with meaning — do decide for ourselves what or who God is? Clearly not. In fact the point of the first commandment is to warn us against doing this very thing. 

When God said, “you shall have no other gods before me”, he was declaring himself to be the one true God, and he was forbidding his people from having gods of their own, either in their hearts and minds or before their eyes. 

So who is this God who has claimed to be the one and only God, who has forbidden us from honoring any other thing as a god? Well, clearly he is the God of scripture. Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. It was through Moses that these Ten Commandments were given originally to Israel. They are recorded for in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. And so if we wish to know who this God is who said, “you shall have no other gods before me”, then we must go to the scripture. We must read Moses to find out. And from there we must read the rest of the Old Testament and also New, for God has graciously revealed himself in the scriptures. In other words, the word “God” means something very specific. “God” is not ours to define — he is ours to acknowledge. And this, friends is the starting point of all true religion. 

So who is this God? As I have said, it would take me a very long time to tell you. We must go to the scriptures to find out. But let me provide you with this very brief summary which can be gleaned from the book of Genesis and first part of Exodus alone. 

One, God is the creator of all things seen and unseen. And so if we were to consider all that exists we would have to confess that there is the Creator, and there is the creation. Nothing else exists besides these two things There is the Creator, and there is the creation. The first commandment demands that we properly distinguish between these two things. In other words, we break the first commandments when we allow the line between Creator and creature to become blurred. What are these “gods” that the scriptures speak of? What are the “gods” that God forbids us to have? They are merely parts of the creation that men immagine to be gods. Men, throughout the history of the world and to this present day, have made this fundamental error: they worship they worship the creation instead of the Creator. They treat the sun, moon, and stars as if they were gods. The bow before demons and kings. They form and fashion  for themselves images of gold and silver to bow down before them. They even worship themselves, living for their own pleasure and purposes. This is the thing that God forbids. We cannot live a life that is good and well pleasing before him if we confuse the distinction between the Creator of all things and his creation. 

Two, God is a God who speaks. He revealed himself to man in the garden, and he made his will known. And this has done throughout the history of the world and supremely in Christ. Have you thought much this, brothers and sisters? God is a God who speaks. And this is why we are to know what the word “God” means when we utter it. It is not a nebulous and undefinable term. Though it is true that we cannot comprehend God full and exhaustively, we may know him truly, for he has spoken.

Three, God is a God who redeems. He is a God of mercy and grace. And this is made clear in the earliest chapters of Genesis, and certainly in the book of Exodus. What did God do in response to man’s sin? Well, among other things, he showed mercy and extended grace. He promised to provide a Savior. 

 Of course, so much more could be said about God, who he is and what he is doing. I have only faintly scratched the surface. But I have said this to remind you that when Israel received the Ten Commandments from God’s hand and heard the words, they knew what he meant. They knew what he was forbidding and what he was commanding. They knew who this God was. He is the Creator of all things seen and unseen. He is the God who redeems. And he is the God who speaks, so that he may be known.  

What does the first commandment require? First of all, it requires us to “acknowledge God to be the only true God.” And secondly, it requires us to have God as “our God”. 

So what is the difference between “acknowledge God to be the only true God” and having God as your God. Well, the difference is very great. It is possible for someone to acknowledge the God who has revealed himself in Christ and in scripture to be the only true God and yet to fail to honor him as such. Stated differently, the first commandment does not only require that we acknowledge God mentally or as a matter of fact, but that we also have him as our God. Stated in yet another way, we are to acknowledge that he is God, and we are to honor him as such.

And that is what the last portion of the catechism implores us to do. To obey the first commandment truly we must “acknowledge God to be the only true God”, we must have God as “our God”, which means that we must “worship and glorify Him accordingly.”

How are we to worship God? Answer: in the way that he has prescribed in his word. Commandments 2 through 4 will lay the foundation for the proper worship of God. As it pertains to the particulars, the rest of the law of Moses gave instructions for the proper worship of God under the Old Covenant. And the New Testament gives instructions for the proper worship of God under the New Covenant. But commandments 1 through 4 are foundational to both Old and New Covenant worship.  

And how do we glorify God? Well, in many ways. We glorify God when we worship him in public and in private. We glorify him when trust in his name and testify to his goodness. We glorify God when we give thanks to him and are content in him.  Brothers and sisters, we glorify God when we enjoy his presence and live in obedience to his commandments with love and gratitude in our hearts. 

The first commandment is not kept when we merely acknowledge that the God of the Bible is in fact the one true God. No, we must have him as our God, and “worship and glorify Him accordingly.” 

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Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, this is God’s law. And so it is right for me to exhort you just as Joshua exhorted the Israelites, staying, “Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness.” And may we all say what he said: “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” This is to be our resolve. 
But I may also ask you, have you kept this law perfectly? And all must confess, no we have violated this law in thought, word, and deed. All must confess this, except one — Christ Jesus our Lord, who kept God’s law perfectly on our behalf, and died in our place so that we might be reconciled to God, and serve him faithfully all the days of our life. Amen.