No other God before me

The opening words of the Ten Commandments are,

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:2–3)

The Hebrew phrase translated “before me” is literally something like “in front of my face”. It gives us a helpful picture of what the commandment means. It presupposes that God’s people are looking directly at the face of the Lord, with nothing obstructing their view. There is to be nothing standing between the Lord and his people as they gaze upon him as the object of their worship…But that’s exactly what idols do: they get in the way.

Idols function like false gods. They promise success, favor, blessing, security, and joy if we worship them, trust them, and organize our lives around them. But they cannot deliver what they promise. Instead of blessing, they ultimately bring bondage and curse.