Today’s devotion comes from Exodus 20:1-3 which is the beginning of the Ten Commandments.
“Then God spoke all these words, saying,
“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 20:1-3.
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In a nutshell, God is reminding us what He did for us (delivery from spiritual slavery) and is doing for us through the Ten Commandments (delivery from spiritual slavery) as a basis for His first commandment that we hold Him as our only God.
Here is what the Westminster Larger Catechism states about this Scripture.
Question 101: What is the preface to the ten commandments?
Answer: The preface to the ten commandments is contained in these words, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Wherein God manifests his sovereignty, as being JEHOVAH, the eternal, immutable, and almighty God; having his being in and of himself, and giving being to all his words and works: and that he is a God in covenant, as with Israel of old, so with all his people; who, as he brought them out of their bondage in Egypt, so he delivers us from our spiritual thralldom (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/thraldom – “the state of being a thrall; bondage; slavery; servitude”); and that therefore we are bound to take him for our God alone, and to keep all his commandments.
Question 102: What is the sum of the four commandments which contain our duty to God?
Answer: The sum of the four commandments containing our duty to God is, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our strength, and with all our mind.
Question 103: Which is the first commandment?
Answer: The first commandment is, Thou shall have no other gods before me.
Question 104: What are the duties required in the first commandment?
Answer: The duties required in the first commandment are, the knowing and acknowledging of God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly, by thinking, meditating, remembering, highly esteeming, honoring, adoring, choosing, loving, desiring, fearing of him; believing him; trusting, hoping, delighting, rejoicing in him; being zealous for him; calling upon him, giving all praise and thanks, and yielding all obedience and submission to him with the whole man; being careful in all things to please him, and sorrowful when in anything he is offended; and walking humbly with him. Westminster Larger Catechism.
Here is what the Heidelberg Catechism states about this Scripture.
Question 94. What doth God enjoin in the first commandment?
Answer. That I, as sincerely as I desire the salvation of my own soul, avoid and flee from all idolatry, sorcery, soothsaying, superstition, invocation of saints, or any other creatures; and learn rightly to know the only true God; trust in him alone, with humility and patience submit to him; expect all good things from him only; love, fear, and glorify him with my whole heart; so that I renounce and forsake all creatures, rather than commit even the least thing contrary to his will. Heidelberg Catechism.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 