Using the Protestant and Orthodox counting of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5) the first contains the words, “You shall have no other gods before me.” This counting separates the first two commandments into bans on gods and idols. The word for gods is Elohim, which is much broader in meaning than our English word. It includes gods, angels, judges and other great and mighty ones. The words do not therefore ban angels, judges or other heroes of our society. They do forbid placing any such individual before the God of heaven. What gods have we placed before the Lord of the Universe? Our politics puts money before God. Our education puts science before God. We put self before God. We put our way of life before God’s way. We have elevated many gods before the God of heaven.
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