Exodus 20:4-6 You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those* who love me and obey my commands.
Leviticus 26:1-2 Do not make idols or set up carved images, or sacred pillars, or sculptured stones in your land so you may worship them. I am the LORD your God.
The Israelites had just come from Egypt, a land of many idols and many gods. Because each god represented a different aspect of life, it was common to worship many gods in order to get the maximum number of blessings. When God told his people to worship and believe in him, that was not so hard for them— he was just one more god to add to the list.
But when he said, “You must not have any other god but me,” that was difficult for the people to accept. But if they did not learn that the God who led them out of Egypt was the only true God, they could not be his people, no matter how faithfully they kept the other nine commandments. Thus, God made this his first commandment.
Let’s Bring it Home: Today we can allow many things to become gods to us. Money, fame, work, or pleasure can become gods when we concentrate too much on them for personal identity, meaning, and security. No one sets out with the intention of worshiping these things. But by the amount of time we devote to them, they can grow into gods that ultimately control our thoughts and energies. Letting God hold the central place in our lives keeps these things from turning into gods.
Under Gods command 