13. Man's Duty to God: the first four Commandments (Qs 45-62)

 

 

Q. 45. Which is the first commandment?

A. The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me. [a]
[a]. Ex. 20:3; Deut. 5:7
Q. 46. What is required in the first commandment?

A. The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly [a].
[a]. I Chron. 28:9; Isa. 45:20-25; Matt. 4:10
Q. 47. What is forbidden in the first commandment?

A. The first commandment forbiddeth the denying [a], or not worshipping and glorifying the true God as God [b], and our God [c]; and the giving of that worship and glory to any other, which is due to him alone [d].
[a]. Ps. 14:1
[b]. Rom. 1:20-21
[c]. Ps. 81:10-11
[d]. Ezek. 8:16-18; Rom. 1:25
Q. 48. What are we specially taught by these words, "before me," in the first commandment?

A. These words, before me, in the first commandment teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other God [a].
[a]. Deut. 30:17-18; Ps. 44:20-21; Ezek. 8:12
Q. 49. Which is the second commandment?

A. The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven 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: thou shalt not bow down thy self to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. [a]
[a]. Ex. 20:4-6; Deut. 5:8-10
Q. 50. What is required in the second commandment?

A. The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in his Word [a].
[a]. Deut. 12:32; Matt. 28:20
Q. 51. What is forbidden in the second commandment?

A. The second commandment forbiddeth the worshipping of God by images [a], or any other way not appointed in his Word [b].
[a]. Deut. 4:15-19; Rom. 1:22-23
[b]. Lev. 10:1-2; Jer. 19:4-5; Col. 2:18-23
Q. 52. What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment?

A. The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God's sovereignty over us [a], his propriety in us [b], and the zeal he hath to his own worship [c].
[a]. Ps. 95:2-3, 6-7; 96:9-10
[b]. Ex. 19:5; Ps. 45:11; Isa. 54:5
[c]. Ex. 34:14; ICor. 10:22
Q. 53. Which is the third commandment?

A. The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. [a]
[a]. Ex. 20:7; Deut. 5:11
Q. 54. What is required in the third commandment?

A. The third commandment requireth the holy and reverend use of God's names, titles [a], attributes [b], ordinances [c], Word [d], and works [e].
[a]. Deut. 10:20; Ps. 29:2; Matt. 6:9
[b]. I Chron. 29:10-13; Rev. 15:3-4
[c]. Acts 2:42; I Cor. 11:27-28
[d]. Ps. 138:2; Rev. 22:18-19
[e]. Ps. 107:21-22; Rev. 4:11
Q. 55. What is forbidden in the third commandment?

A. The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of anything whereby God maketh himself known [a].
[a]. Lev. 19:12; Matt. 5:33-37; Jas. 5:12
Q. 56. What is the reason annexed to the third commandment?

A. The reason annexed to the third commandment is, that however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment [a].
[a]. Deut. 28:58-59; ISam. 3:13; 4:11
Q. 57. Which is the fourth commandment?

A. The fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. [a]
[a]. Ex. 20:8-11; Deut. 5:12-15
Q. 58. What is required in the fourth commandment?

A. The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his Word; expressly one whole day in seven, to be a holy sabbath to himself [a].
[a]. Ex. 31:13, 16-17
Q. 59. Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly sabbath?

A. From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly sabbath [a]; and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian sabbath [b].
[a]. Gen. 2:2-3; Ex. 20:11
[b]. Mark 2:27-28; Acts 20:7; ICor. 16:2; Rev. 1:10
Q. 60. How is the sabbath to be sanctified?

A. The sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days [a]; and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God's worship [b], except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy [c].
[a]. Ex. 20:10; Neh. 13:15-22; Isa. 58:13-14
[b]. Ex. 20:8; Lev. 23:3; Luke 4:16; Acts 20:7
[c]. Matt. 12:1-13
Q. 61. What is forbidden in the fourth commandment?

A. The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission or careless performance of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or recreations [a].
[a]. Neh. 13:15-22; Isa. 58:13-14; Amos 8:4-6
Q. 62. What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment?

A. The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment are, God's allowing us six days of the week for our own employments [a], his challenging a special propriety in the seventh, his own example, and his blessing the sabbath day [b].
[a]. Ex. 20:9; 31:15; Lev. 23:3
[b]. Gen. 2:2-3; Ex. 20:11; 31:17