A Father's Work: No Other Gods

Introduction

Having considered the use of the law for fathers, it is time to take up this law and examine how it is significant. The First Commandment says, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). This commandment lays the foundation for giving glory and honor to God in all areas of life. To model this in the family, fathers must impress on their children that God is supreme in all of life. This goal is accomplished first, through teaching children about the greatness of God, and second, by insisting that God be placed first in lived experience. 

The First Commandment to Be Known

First, God’s greatness must be taught. This goal is achieved through the study of His Word. The characters of the Bible frequently struggle with submitting to God versus following their own desires. The serpent’s successful temptation of Eve is in some ways the prototype of the struggle to obey the First Commandment. After tempting Eve by questioning God’s honesty and motives, Satan successfully plants the rotten seed of autonomy: “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” Eve follows Satan’s lie and sets herself up as the moral authority. All other sin committed by man follows that same pattern. There is a disregard for God’s clear instructions and instead man pursues his own desires.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism teaches that the mind is central in the worship of God. Question 46 asks what is required of the first commandment, to which the following answer is given: “The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship him accordingly.”  In the catechism there are three essential qualities to obedience to the First Commandment: knowledge, acknowledgement, and worship. To know about God must come first, for a man cannot acknowledge or worship what he does not know.  God can be known because He revealed himself through general and special revelation.

General revelation describes God’s works of creation and His governing of it. In nature God is seen in such a way that all men know Him and that He should be worshiped. There is no excuse for man’s denial of His existence, power and authority:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Romans 1:18-20

Anyone who rejects God willfully rejects the One who is clearly visible. He does not lack information or get his facts a bit jumbled up. He is openly defying God and His authority. However, nature does not give the answers to man’s sin or his need for salvation. Those are found in His special revelation.

Special revelation is God’s verbal communication to the world. The Bible clearly records God’s free offer of the gospel. The Bible shows no one is to have any other gods before Him because He is the only God and Savior. However, the Christian life is more than simply knowing facts about God. Once God is known there must be some acknowledgement of Him. 

Facts are not the same as what the catechism calls acknowledgement. I may know facts about the Muslim religion, but I do not acknowledge its tenets in terms of giving them my approval. The same thing is true when it comes to the True God. Satan knows the truth, but he refuses to acknowledge it. As it says in James, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” To properly obey the First Commandment includes acknowledging the One True God. His unique standing must be acknowledged and lived.

It is in the acknowledgment of God that distinguishes the Christian from God’s enemies. The people of God are set apart by their worship. Fathers are to lead their children toward that difference. They are to teach their children who God is and how they are set apart for Him in holiness. God’s commandments establish how He desires to be loved, worshiped and glorified, which is the essence of the First Commandment. That essence is taught, but that cannot be done without preparation. 

The First Commandment to Be Learned

Personal neglect of God’s word leaves an empty pantry when it comes to spiritual food. To ensure the spiritual cupboards are not dry, there is a simple solution: a return to consistent private and family worship. 

If fathers intend to teach their children, they must begin with private worship, or personal devotions. Deuteronomy 6:7 says: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart” (emphasis mine). Love for God must first be in the father’s heart. That means the only way to be able to teach the word of God is to become its student. If a man does not open the Bible, he is not its student. Consider several ways in which a man can a failure in this area can be remedied:

Bible Reading. Anyone can read the Bible a little every day. This reading is not a “checkmark” but an opportunity to submit to biblical instruction. Question 3 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism says the Bible teaches in two broad categories: first, what man is to believe about God and second, what duty God requires of man. Personal Bible reading looks for answers to questions about how God should be glorified and enjoyed.

Bible Memory. Memory work can take the shape of isolated, significant verses or whole chapters and books. Through memorization, verses become familiar and their meaning is often clarified. Prayer is strengthened as it can be easily saturated with God’s own words. Connections between various parts of Scripture are clarified and more easily recognized.

Devotional Books. Secondary sources are a help to any biblical student. They are like private tutors on your shelf. They can press home the truths of the Bible, deepen an understanding of God or awareness of sin, and renew the joy of redemption through Christ. Of course, there are good and bad tutors. Not all devotional books are of the same caliber.

Fathers must prepare themselves to instruct their children about God and His commandments. But fathers do not live on the sidelines. They prepare so that they can enter the playing field.

The First Commandment to Be Taught

The practice of family worship is not difficult and yet starting the practice at times has many emotional hurdles. Perhaps families are not used to this new schedule, or fathers are intimidated by the prospect of difficult questions. However, as fathers grow in private worship, family worship becomes easier. To encourage those beginning the practice, and provide fresh ideas for those already doing so, I have listed some methods that can be used to establish family worship:

Book by book. A father can use the book he is reading during private worship and discuss it with the family. The local church’s sermon series on a book of the Bible provides the opportunity to take notes while it is preached and revisit different parts of the sermon throughout the week. There are several advantages to this method. First, the material has already been considered by the father. Second, fathers are prepared to ask questions they found answers for in their own study. Third, the Bible sets the agenda for the topic.

Topical. A good father studies his family’s strengths and weaknesses. When a sin becomes obvious, it is appropriate to correct or encourage his children about these issues from God’s word. Children will realize that the family’s rules are based on God’s word and will help them to see dad is one under God’s authority as well. One caution: avoid only having topical studies to address family sin. Otherwise family worship will be perceived as a dreaded parental lecture about personal inadequacy rather than an encouragement toward godliness.

The First Commandment to Be Modeled

So far there has been a call to study God and His commands. But a bare knowledge is nothing more than an answer to a trivia game. As James says, “Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” Works are a demonstration of faith. The First Commandment is not just an idea, but must be expressed in action. Fathers must lead here by example.

Fathers should teach their children doctrine, but unless their actions reinforce what they have said, not much will be accomplished. Fathers must model what it means to have no other gods. There is no part of life that is unaffected by this commandment, so opportunities should abound. Whom or what man worships is identified through his actions. If worship is given to an idol like work or self, those idols and their man-made demands will receive priority in the lives of its worshipers. If the God of heaven is worshiped, people will seek to live in obedience to his authority.

For example, God’s priority will be demonstrated in how a father uses his time. It will be seen in whether he rejoices in gathering to worship God on the Lord’s Day. Whether a father recognizes God’s authority will be plain before a child’s watchful eyes. Of course, all fathers will fail in obedience, and the gospel teaches that the grace of God covers their sins through faith in Christ. However, they must demonstrate to their children the same commitment the apostle Paul describes in the process of being made holy: 

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14

Fathers should not be flabbergasted when their children sin. But they should model a godly response to it both in finding salvation in Christ, but also mortifying that which is sinful.

North-American fathers are tempted to accept the world’s approach to parenting by making a child’s happiness his primary preoccupation. Hobbies, relationships, schools, and part-time jobs are allowed to take priority over obedience to God’s law. Even if fathers would not express their intention that way, parenting choices can teach exactly that.

Recreations vs. church. Sports and recreation is one of the main gateways to the god of self-satisfaction. The lessons to be learned in a variety of recreations are good and helpful. Things like discipline, co-operation and leadership. However, as the skill levels increase, so do the demands for Sunday practices, matches and performances. A father’s drive to see his children succeed in sports, dance, drama, painting, singing, and a host of different ways becomes harmful to the child when these activities take priority over God’s worship. The child is offered two choices: join God’s people in worship or their friends in a sport or other recreation. If a father chooses the latter, he has sent a clear message to his child: the sports and recreations outrank worship. The center of that child’s life is directed away from God and toward self-interest.

Church attendance. Children are not always enthusiastic about going to church or the mid-week prayer service. Playing with toys sounds better than sitting quietly during family worship. Fathers are tempted to allow the child to withdraw from church activities out of fear that they will not “get anything out of it” or be turned off by it. A long day will tempt the strongest father to think it may be easier to have the children play instead of wrangling them for family worship. But if fathers allow children to be uninvolved based on their assessment of the worthiness of the worship of God, they have just taught their children a value: “We only participate in God’s worship if it is interesting or convenient or acceptable to us.” 

When faced with a championship game versus corporate worship the First Commandment instructs fathers to choose worship. When the child does not understand the father must explain God’s preeminent position. Fathers must reinforce what they say by what they do and allow. They must not permit any other gods in their home.

Conclusion

The First Commandment sets the tone for all the other commandments. If Christian fathers get this one right, they will have laid the proper foundation for obedience to the commandments that follow. However, to know how to obey this commandment fathers must apply themselves to diligent study of God’s word. Without this study they will not know how to obey this commandment. And having equipped themselves with his word they must go about the business of working out their salvation in fear in trembling resting entirely on the power of God’s Spirit to enable us to do so. As part of that process, parents, but especially fathers, must lead their families in the right practice, requiring that God is not slighted in the choices made in his family.

Geoff Gleason has served as pastor of Cliffwood Presbyterian Church in Augusta, GA for the past 14 years. He and his wife Lisa have 11 children and 6 grandchildren. Geoff obtained his MDiv at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS and his ThM at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary.