Monotheism--One God

Q: The Ten Commandments…Thou shalt have no other gods before me…so is God acknowledging there are other gods?

A: I can understand at first glance that maybe someone could come to the conclusion that God is acknowledging that there are other gods; however, I think it is important to understand a little of the history of the Ancient Near East.

Israel was unique in the ANE exclusively because they maintained that there is only one God. This position is known as monotheism. Israel was unique because at that time the ANE was riddled with societies that believed in multiple gods. This position is known as polytheism.

The reason I mention this is to provide some context to the question. God was not necessarily acknowledging that there were others gods, as much as he was saying to all the people in the ANE and the world that there is only one God, the God of Israel. In other words, all those “gods” people were worshiping were not really gods at all because there is only one God.

Many people in the ANE participated in all kinds of idol worship and many of the “gods” people worshiped were simply created out of wood or metal. The God of the Bible is not a created object. The Bible is clear that God is the one and only God and all should recognize this fact and worship him.

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