The Literal Commandment
"You shall not worship their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their deeds; but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their sacred pillars in pieces. But you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water; and I will remove sickness from your midst. There shall be no one miscarrying or barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days." (Exodus 23:24-26)
The literal commandment is that we should "serve the LORD" our G-d. How we should serve Him is not specified in this passage.
Messiah Says
Messiah explicitly affirmed this commandment. He even used it as a defense against the temptations of the devil.
Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'" (Mark 12:28-30)
Although Messiah was likely quoting Deuteronomy 6:13 and not Exodus 23:25, the requirement to serve G-d is the same in both instances.
Pictures of Messiah
This commandment pictures Messiah's perfect and unyielding service to the Father. Messiah says:
"He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me." (John 12:48-50)
Messiah speaks only what the Father has commanded Him. James, the brother of the Messiah, states, "If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well." (James 3:2) Messiah was indeed that perfect Man.
How Messiah Fulfilled
Messiah fulfilled this commandment by serving the Almighty perfectly.
Traditional Observance
This commandment is traditionally observed by the twice-daily recitation of prayers.
G-d's people recognize that speaking G-d's truth is the first step to conforming their lives to a G-dly standard. Thus they twice-daily recite prayers that are primarily quotations from Scripture.
Other Notes
We are able to fulfill this commandment today and receive the blessing and encouragement of honoring, praising, worshiping, and serving the Almighty.
The recitation of G-d's words from Scripture is always a source of blessing. G-d Himself declares:
So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)
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