Q&A 92 What does the Lord say in his law?

God spoke all these words:

 

"The First Commandment"

I am the Lord your God,

who brought you out of Egypt,

out of the land of slavery.

You shall have no other gods before me.

 

"The Second Commandment"

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.

 

"The Third Commandment"

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God,

for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless

who misuses his name.

 

"The Fourth Commandment"

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.

 

"The Fifth Commandment"

Honor your father and your mother,

so that you may live long

in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

 

"The Sixth Commandment"

You shall not murder.

 

"The Seventh Commandment"

You shall not commit adultery.

 

"The Eighth Commandment"

You shall not steal.

 

"The Ninth Commandment"

You shall not give false testimony

against your neighbor.

 

"The Tenth Commandment"

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

 

¹ Ex. 20:1-17; Deut. 5:6-21

 

Q&A 93 How are these commandments divided?

 

Into two tables.

The first has four commandments,

teaching us what our relation to God should be.

The second has six commandments,

teaching us what we owe our neighbor.¹

 

¹ Matt. 22:37-39

 

Q&A 94 What does the Lord require in the first commandment?

That I, not wanting to endanger my very salvation,

avoid and shun

all idolatry,¹ magic, superstitious rites,²

and prayer to saints or to other creatures.³

 

That I sincerely acknowledge the only true God,⁴

trust him alone,⁵

look to him for every good thing⁶

humbly⁷ and patiently,⁸

love him,⁹ fear him,¹⁰ and honor him¹¹

with all my heart.

 

In short,

that I give up anything

rather than go against his will in any way.¹²

 

¹ 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 10:5-14; 1 John 5:21

² Lev. 19:31; Deut. 18:9-12

³ Matt. 4:10; Rev. 19:10; 22:8-9

⁴ John 17:3

⁵ Jer. 17:5, 7

⁶ Ps. 104:27-28; James 1:17

⁷ 1 Pet. 5:5-6

⁸ Col. 1:11; Heb. 10:36

⁹ Matt. 22:37 (Deut. 6:5)

¹⁰ Prov. 9:10; 1 Pet. 1:17

¹¹ Matt. 4:10 (Deut. 6:13)

¹² Matt. 5:29-30; 10:37-39

 

Q&A 95 What is idolatry?

 

Idolatry is

having or inventing something in which one trusts

in place of or alongside of the only true God,

who has revealed himself in his Word.¹

 

¹ 1 Chron. 16:26; Gal. 4:8-9; Eph. 5:5; Phil. 3:19

 

 

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