The covenant established between God and [[Israel]] is reliant upon the recognition by His people that God is the one and only God, and strong warnings were given in the [[Old Testament]] against making and worshiping [[idols]] - a practice which was common at the time even among the Israelites.
{{bible quoteBiblia cotización|''"Turn ye not unto idolsNo se vuelvan a los ídolos inútiles, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the Lni se hagan dioses de metal fundido. Yo soy el S<small>ORDeñor</small> your God."'' - su Dios|booklibro=LeviticusLevítico|chapcap=19|versesversos=4}}
The importance of this law is illustrated by its being the first command of the [[Ten Commandments]] given to Moses. It should be noted that the "other gods" warned against here are not gods at all, but substitutes for God (idols), demons, or simply mythological.