The Law and First Commandment

92 What is the law of the LORD?

92 God spoke all these words:

92 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

92 1. You shall have no other gods before me.

92 2. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

92 3. You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

92 4. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

92 5. Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

92 6. You shall not murder.

92 7. You shall not commit adultery.

92 8. You shall not steal.

92 9. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

92 10. You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. 1

93 How are these commandments divided?

93 Into two parts.

93 The first teaches us how to live in relation to God; the second, what duties we owe our neighbour. 1

94 What does the LORD require in the first commandment?

94 That for the sake of my very salvation I avoid and flee all idolatry, 1 witchcraft, superstition, 2 and prayer to saints or to other creatures. 3

94 Further, that I rightly come to know the only true God, 4 trust in him alone, 5 submit to him with all humility 6 and patience, 7 expect all good from him only, 8 and love, 9 fear, 10 and honour him 11 with all my heart.

94 In short, that I forsake all creatures rather than do the least thing against his will. 12

95 What is idolatry?

95 Idolatry is having or inventing something in which to put our trust instead of, or in addition to, the only true God who has revealed himself in his Word. 1

Footnotes

Question 92 · Footnote 1

Exodus 20:1-17

And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. "You shall have no other gods before me. "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. You 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, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. "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. "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. "You shall not murder. "You shall not commit adultery. "You shall not steal. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's."

Deuteronomy 5:6-21

"'I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. "'You shall have no other gods before me. "'You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You 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 fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. "'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. "'Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. "'Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. "'You shall not murder. "'And you shall not commit adultery. "'And you shall not steal. "'And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. "'And you shall not covet your neighbor's wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.'

Question 93 · Footnote 1

Matthew 22:37-40

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

Question 94 · Footnote 1

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 10:5-14

Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play." We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

1 John 5:21

Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

Question 94 · Footnote 2

Leviticus 19:31

"Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 18:9-12

"When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you.

Question 94 · Footnote 3

Matthew 4:10

"'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'"

Revelation 19:10

Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God." For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Revelation 22:8-9

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God."

Question 94 · Footnote 4

John 17:3

And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

Question 94 · Footnote 5

Jeremiah 17:5

Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD.

Jeremiah 17:7

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.

Question 94 · Footnote 6

1 Peter 5:5-6

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

Question 94 · Footnote 7

Romans 5:3-4

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

1 Corinthians 10:10

nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.

Philippians 2:14

Do all things without grumbling or questioning,

Colossians 1:11

May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,

Hebrews 10:36

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

Question 94 · Footnote 8

Psalms 104:27-28

These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.

Isaiah 45:7

I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things.

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

Question 94 · Footnote 9

Deuteronomy 6:5

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Matthew 22:37

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

Question 94 · Footnote 10

Deuteronomy 6:2

that you may fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long.

Psalms 111:10

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 9:10

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Matthew 10:28

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

1 Peter 1:17

And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,

Question 94 · Footnote 11

Deuteronomy 6:13

It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.

Matthew 4:10

"'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'"

Deuteronomy 10:20

You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear.

Question 94 · Footnote 12

Matthew 5:29-30

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Matthew 10:37-39

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Acts 5:29

But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.

Question 95 · Footnote 1

1 Chronicles 16:26

For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.

Galatians 4:8-9

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?

Ephesians 5:5

For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous ( that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Philippians 3:19

Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

Commandments