Exodus 20:2-3
I am your Lord God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.
In the first commandment, God is saying that He is freedom itself and that He draws us away from the prison of desires that try to make us engage in lying, cheating, stealing, and other evil actions. He calls us to a path of self-control. He wants us to choose to follow His commandments rather than give in to the fallen spirits.
"I am your Lord God who has brought you out of the land of Egypt." God is saying He's different from other gods who are just evil entities that manipulate us into obedience. He invites us to willingly choose obedience to Him.
God, the spirit of love, truth, and justice, calls on us to journey with Him through the desert. The desert for us is self-discipline aimed at self-improvement or what we call sanctification — leading to the promised land through salvation. God is also telling us that He empowers us to self-reflect, allowing us to question our motivations and actions instead of blindly chasing our passions.
To you, "Egypt" means an unfamiliar or unwelcoming place where we are taken advantage of. It's a realm of mistreatment, inflicted either by yourself or others. A mental or emotional space breeding sorrow and despair.
"The House of Bondage" represents captivity and enslavement — a mental state where you feel forced to engage in actions that harm your spirit or physical wellbeing. It's the experience of being cornered into doing what you don't want to do.
"You shall have no other gods before me." God wants to free us from the grip of temptation's control. He will not force us to submit but instead invites us to follow Him willingly. This commandment frees those who choose to obey God willingly, giving them the ability to choose rightness, even when personal desires align with what is known to be wrong.
This and all the commandments are relevant because the word Israel means to wrestle or struggle with God. Anyone who tries to do right is wrestling with God on the inside and will struggle to follow His word against their dark nature. In this sense, we too are the people of the Exodus being led out of slavery by the calling of God's voice.
This commentary is the basis to the children's poem book God's Law Revealed in Poems now available on Amazon. If you read and enjoy this book, please leave a review on Amazon to help others guide their children towards the light.