The New City Catechism — Week 9
Question 1 — What does God require in the first, second, and third commandments?
Answer — First, that we know and trust God as the only true and living God. Second, that we avoid all idolatry and do not worship God improperly. Third, that we treat God’s name with fear and reverence, honoring also his Word and works.
Deuteronomy 6:13–14 (ESV)13It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. 14You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you—
God has set a standard for the lives of His people. When we look at the Old Testament, and the Law given to Israel, we see the Ten Commandments as the foundational piece from which all the Law rests.
The Bible gives us a concise list to help us when we start the journey of following Christ and make a heart-decision to give our lives over to Him. The Ten Commandments help every believer live a life that honors God and others and also to live a moral life.
Consider the first three,
3“You shall have no other gods before me.
4“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. – Exodus 20:3–7 (ESV)
First, for a people that was delivered from the most powerful force on the earth, Egypt, why would God require such a commandment in Exodus 20:3? It is because there has always been and always be the temptation to be like the nations and worship their gods. But the Bible tells us there in only one, true, and living God. All others are made to deceive mankind and lead them in a direction opposite of God.
The Second commandment builds upon the first. The God of Creation is not made by human hands nor has a need to even be served by us (Acts 17:24-25). He is entirely different from all the other gods of the nations, because all are made by human efforts. Idolatry was a major problem among the nations and God foresaw it would also be a problem with Israel. So he establishes this second commandment built upon the first. You shall not worship idols.
The Third is a call for God’s people to cherish and value the name of God above all else. Because God’s name is so precious and valuable to us, we should be careful in the ways we use it and never take it in vain. Where we might evoke the names of celebrities, politicians, or personal heroes, we should be careful when using the name of our God. Deuteronomy 6:13-14 tells us to fear God. Fear is healthy for any believer because (1) we recognize the power and might our God possess, (2) fear is a form of reverence. God is our God, and we respect & love Him above all else.
So this week, as you reflect on the first Three commandments, pray and ask God to use the Ten to shape your life, your relationship with God, and how they might make you a better follower and disciple of Jesus Christ.