Is the 1st commandment as clear to you as it is to me?

Question

it says:"You shall have no other gods before me".
Doesn't this commandment clearly states that you shouldn't place other gods before the Biblical god in your priorities? It doesn't say you should't have other god or gods. It clearly says you can have other gods, provided you don't consider them more important than Jehovah. So it wouldn't be a problem at all to Him if you had some other gods AFTER Him instead.
You can even consider non-godly things more important than the Biblical god, for the commandment clearly used the word "gods", not making reference to other kind of beings or things.
Is this commandment as clearl to you as it is to me? or to you it still casts doubts?

I see all the time people finding interpretentions that best suit their conveniences, but if we remit to the words, the meaning of the commandment is unmistakeable.

Answer 1

Not exactly.

The bible plainly teaches that true worship must be uniquely devoted to Jehovah.

Admittedly, the bible mentions other "gods", but it seems rather obvious that Almighty Jehovah ("God the Father") has no peers.
...(1 Corinthians 8:5) there are those who are called “gods,” whether in heaven or on earth

Jesus as "a god": (John 1:1; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:18)
Angels as 'gods': (Psalm 82:1)
Satan as a 'god': (2 Corinthians 4:4)
Human judges as "gods": (Psalm 82:6-8)

Jehovah is "the one true God" in the sense that He has no rival.
...(Psalm 86:8,10) There is none like you among the gods, O Jehovah... You are God, you alone.
...(Exodus 22:20) One who sacrifices to any gods but Jehovah alone is to be devoted to destruction.


The Scriptures quite plainly show that true worship is uniquely devoted to the person of Almighty Jehovah God the Father. His Son, Jesus, personally taught that Jehovah deserves a unique form of "sacred service".
...(Matthew 4:10) Jesus said... ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’
...(Luke 4:8) Jesus said... ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’
...(Exodus 20:5) I Jehovah your God am a God exacting exclusive devotion

Learn more:
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/ti/index.htm?article=article_05.htm
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_03.htm
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/dg/index.htm?article=article_03.htm
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_04.htm
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/20050422/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.co.uk/e/19951101/article_02.htm

Answer 2

That commandment is a relic of a time in Jewish history when the Jews were accustomed to worshiping many gods...the God they finally stuck with was El, who was (is, whatever) a god of war.

So, in its original context, it asks for the Jews to ingore other Gods and worship only El, who was presumably a superior God. Once Judaism became more monotheistic, the meaning changed to mean "Don't worship any other gods, I'm the only God that exists."

Of course, nowadays people have reinterpreted it - they'll say that people hold money or power or sex as their "god," and that God wants them to worship only him and not greed or lust or whatever. I think that's a bit of a stretch considering the original intent of the commandment, but it is in the nature of organized religion to reinterpret their own holy writings.

If you're interested in reading more of the details, I suggest buying "A History of God" by Karen Armstrong. It goes into Jewish, Christian and Muslim histories of the concept of God.

Answer 3

It means there is ONE God and only ONE

Mark 12:28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
Mark 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

this was a commandment repeated everyday

Deu 6:3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
Deu 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Deu 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

Answer 4

try reading the next sentence, which makes clear that you are not permitted to worship anything except the god of the old testament.

if you are suggesting that this commandment allows wriggleroom inasmuch as one can have a god which one doesn't worship ...

how exactly would it be a god if you did not worship it?

Answer 5

the definition of "having other gods" means the most important thing in your life. you can have only one god. which means its the most important thing to you. you cant have 2 gods. only one can be the most important.

Answer 6

This can be translated to mean gods "besides Me".

You overlook one important issue though. This was only commanded of Israel and no one else.

.

Answer 7

U can make anything your god. But there is only 1 GOD.

Answer 8

Yes.

It is also a clear admission by that "god" that there are indeed other "gods".

Strange book, that Bible.

Answer 9

It is so clear that i won't let you tell me what it means because that is God's job only