*Does your soul find its rest in God?* Do you love Him with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength? Or is your love divided? “The first commandment was “You shall have no other gods before Me” (20:3). But in what sense did God mean “before Me”? The second commandment clarifies: “I the Lord your God am a jealous God” (20:5). In other words, “You, Israel, are My wife (Jer. 2:2; Ezek. 16:8). If your heart goes after another, I get angry, and it is part of My holiness for Me to do so (Josh. 24:19; Ezek. 39:25). Your heart, your supreme loyalty, your love, your affection, your devotion, your enjoyment belong supremely to Me.” Thus, the aim of the first commandment (“You shall have no other gods before Me”) was not only a call for God to be supremely exalted in Israel, but for Israel to be supremely satisfied in God.” — Piper, Providence, 113. “The tenth commandment (“You shall not covet”) demands, “Don’t desire anything besides Me in such a way that the desire would undermine your satisfaction in Me. Let all your other desires for My gifts be expressions of your desire for more of Me.” — Piper, Providence, 115. Saint Augustine’s way of saying this was to pray, “He loves Thee too little who loves anything together with Thee” — Augustine, Confessions, bk. 10, chap 29. Joshua 23:11 says “guard your souls exceedingly to love Yahweh your God.” And Joshua 22:5 says, “Cling to Him and . . . serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” “The purpose of God’s providence in the conquest of Canaan was to put His power and His name on display in justice and mercy so that His people would be stunned at the freedom and glory of His grace. Then, in that stunned and humble amazement at His mighty grace, they would cling to Him as their life (Deut. 30:20) and serve Him forever in a way that makes clear He is an all-satisfying treasure. The purpose of God’s providence was that His glory would be exalted as His people treasured and enjoyed Him as their supreme portion (Ps. 73:26). This is what it would mean to “cling to Him and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Josh 22:5).” — Piper, Providence, 122.
“The first commandment was “You shall have no other gods before Me” (20:3). But in what sense did God mean “before Me”? The second commandment clarifies: “I the Lord your God am a jealous God” (20:5).
In other words, “You, Israel, are My wife (Jer. 2:2; Ezek. 16:8). If your heart goes after another, I get angry, and it is part of My holiness for Me to do so (Josh. 24:19; Ezek. 39:25). Your heart, your supreme loyalty, your love, your affection, your devotion, your enjoyment belong supremely to Me.”
Thus, the aim of the first commandment (“You shall have no other gods before Me”) was not only a call for God to be supremely exalted in Israel, but for Israel to be supremely satisfied in God.”
— Piper, Providence, 113.
“The tenth commandment (“You shall not covet”) demands, “Don’t desire anything besides Me in such a way that the desire would undermine your satisfaction in Me. Let all your other desires for My gifts be expressions of your desire for more of Me.”
— Piper, Providence, 115.
Saint Augustine’s way of saying this was to pray, “He loves Thee too little who loves anything together with Thee”
— Augustine, Confessions, bk. 10, chap 29.
Joshua 23:11 says “guard your souls exceedingly to love Yahweh your God.” And Joshua 22:5 says, “Cling to Him and . . . serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
“The purpose of God’s providence in the conquest of Canaan was to put His power and His name on display in justice and mercy so that His people would be stunned at the freedom and glory of His grace. Then, in that stunned and humble amazement at His mighty grace, they would cling to Him as their life (Deut. 30:20) and serve Him forever in a way that makes clear He is an all-satisfying treasure. The purpose of God’s providence was that His glory would be exalted as His people treasured and enjoyed Him as their supreme portion (Ps. 73:26). This is what it would mean to “cling to Him and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Josh 22:5).”
— Piper, Providence, 122.