An Explanation of Luther's Small Catechism Part 8

Thou shalt have no other G.o.ds before me.

_What is meant by this commandment?_

We should fear, love and trust in G.o.d above all things.

THE GREAT COMMANDMENT. This is the great commandment of the Law, because it includes all the rest. [Matt. 22:37,38] Obedience to all the commandments must proceed from the love of G.o.d which the first commandment requires. [Rom. 13:9,10] Hence the explanation of the other nine begins with the words, "We should so fear and love G.o.d."

This Commandment _forbids_ us to wors.h.i.+p false G.o.ds, and _commands_ us to wors.h.i.+p the true G.o.d by fearing, loving and trusting in Him above all things.

I. WHAT IS FORBIDDEN.

1. ALL IDOLATRY. "Thou shalt have no other G.o.ds." Idolatry is committed by all who put anything in G.o.d's place, the highest place in the heart.

"Whatever we set our heart upon is our G.o.d."

_Open Idolatry_ [Exod. 32:1-9, Ps. 135:15-17, Isa. 42:8, Rom. 1:22-23]

is committed by those who wors.h.i.+p imaginary beings, the sun, moon, or stars, animals, dead ancestors, idols made with hands, images,[3]

pictures, the Virgin Mary, saints, angels, the devil, or any other creature.

[Footnote 3: When G.o.d gave the commandments to Israel, He forbade them to make any graven images or likenesses. G.o.d being a Spirit, the making of an image of G.o.d would at that period necessarily have resulted in idolatry. But since Christ has come in the flesh and was visible among men, we are permitted to make pictures and images of Him. Luther preached very forcibly against those persons who, during his absence from Wittenberg, destroyed the pictures and images in the churches. He said that we make a picture of Christ in our heart whenever we think of Him, and put pictures of Him in the Bible and other books; and that therefore it is not wrong to place pictures or images of Him in our churches, so long as we do not wors.h.i.+p them.]

_Secret Idolatry_ is committed by all who put (a) Self, [Prov. 3:6, 6.+, Jer. 9:23, 24] (b) Fellow-men [Acts 5:29+, Matt. 10:28+, Matt. 10:37+, Ps. 146:3-5] or (c) Objects of this world [I John 2:15-17+] (money, fame, business, pleasure, etc.) above G.o.d, by fearing, loving, or trusting in them more than in G.o.d.

2. G.o.dlessness. [Sam. 2:30, Ps. 10:4] Neglect to wors.h.i.+p the true G.o.d, unbelief, scepticism, superst.i.tion, Infidelity, and atheism are a transgression of this commandment.

3. Double service. [Matt. 6:24+] G.o.d forbids us to have other G.o.ds before or besides Him, He demands our whole heart.

II. WHAT IS COMMANDED.

We should give G.o.d the highest place in our hearts, and "fear, love and trust in. Him above all things." [Matt. 4:10+]

1. WE SHOULD FEAR G.o.d ABOVE ALL THINGS. We should be more afraid of His anger than of anything else in the whole world. [Gen. 39:9+, Ps. 33:8, 9.] Rather than disobey Him, we should be willing to suffer ridicule, persecution, loss of money, property, position, or friends, and even death itself. [Matt. 10:28+, Acts 5:29]

_Why_. We should fear G.o.d above all things, 1. Because He is omniscient, and we cannot hide anything from Him, not even our thoughts. [Ps. 139:1, 2+] 2. Because He is holy, and hates everything that is evil. [Lev.

19:2] 3. Because He is just, and will punish every sin. [Ps. 5:4]

_How_. As Christians, our fear of G.o.d should be a child-like and not a slavish fear. Child-like fear is fear mingled with love. We should refrain from evil not simply from fear of punishment, but from fear of offending the G.o.d whom we love. [Rom. 8:15+] "Slavish fear Is afraid G.o.d will come; child-like fear is afraid He will go away."

2. WE SHOULD LOVE G.o.d ABOVE ALL THINGS, "with all our heart, and with all our mind and with all our soul." [Matt. 22:37] Our first aim and our highest delight should always be to do G.o.d's will. [I John 5:3+] We should be far more anxious to please Him than to please ourselves or any of our fellow-men. We should love Him far more than we love any one else [Matt. 10:37+] (parents, brothers, sisters, friends, etc.), or any earthly objects [I John 2:15+] (money, pleasure, business and the like).

_Why_. We should love G.o.d above all things 1. Because He is most worthy of our love. [Ps. 73:25, 26+] 2. Because He first loved us, [I John 4:19+, I John 4:9+] and gave His Son to die for us. 3. Because our highest happiness is found in loving Him.

_How we should show our Love_. We should show that we love G.o.d above all things 1. By leading a G.o.dly life. [II John 6] 2. By loving the things of G.o.d, especially the Church and the Gospel. [John 8:47] 3. By loving our fellow-men for His sake. [I John 4:20+]

3. WE SHOULD TRUST IN G.o.d ABOVE ALL THINGS. We should rely with all our heart upon His love and care, [Prov. 3:5+] placing our chief dependence on Him, and not on our own wisdom, skill, or strength, or upon men, money etc.

_Why_. We should trust in G.o.d with all our heart because 1. He loves us.

[Rom. 8:32] 2. He knows all our wants. [Matt. 6:32] 3. He knows what is best for us. 4. He is able to do all things. 5. He has promised to care for us. [Heb. 13:5, Isa. 54:10, Isa. 41:10]

_How we should show our Trust_. If we trust in G.o.d above all things we will show that trust, 1. By freedom from unbelieving care and worry.

[Matt. 6:25, I Pet. 5:7+] 2. By reliance upon G.o.d's help and protection at all times. [Ps. 33:18, 19] 3. By committing the entire ordering of our lives to Him. [Ps. 37:5+]

We have all broken this first commandment; for we have not always and everywhere feared, loved and trusted in G.o.d above all things.

QUESTIONS--1. Why is this the Great Commandment? 2. Why does the explanation of all the other commandments begin with the words, "We should so fear and love G.o.d"? 3. What does this first commandment forbid? 4. What does it command? 5. What two kinds of Idolatry are there? 6. Mention some forms of open idolatry. 7. Mention some forms of secret idolatry. 8. What does it mean to fear G.o.d above all things? 9.

Why should we fear him? 10. How should we fear Him? l1. What does it mean to love G.o.d above all things? 12. Why should we love G.o.d above all things? 13. How should we show our love to G.o.d? 14. What does it mean to trust in G.o.d above all things? 15. Why should we trust in G.o.d above all things? 16. How should we show our trust in G.o.d? 17. Have we kept this commandment?

SCRIPTURE VERSES.--Prov. 3:5, 6. Trust In the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Acts 5:29. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey G.o.d rather than men.

Matt. 10:28, And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in h.e.l.l.

Matt. 10:37. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

1 John 2:15. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Matt. 6:24. No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve G.o.d and mammon.

Matt. 4:10. Thou shall wors.h.i.+p the Lord thy G.o.d, and him only shalt thou serve.

Gen. 38:9. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against G.o.d?

Ps. 139:1, 2. O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and my uprising, thou understandest my thoughts afar off.

Rom. 8:15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

I John 5:3. For this is the love of G.o.d, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Ps. 73:25, 28. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth; but G.o.d is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

I John 4:19. We love him, because he first loved us.

I John 4:9. In this was manifested the love of G.o.d towards us, because that G.o.d sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

I John 4:20. If a man say, I love G.o.d, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love G.o.d whom he hath not seen?

I Pet. 5:7. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Ps. 37:5. Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pa.s.s.

READING.--The Golden Calf, Exod. 32; or, The Golden Image, Dan. 3.

ILl.u.s.tRATIONS.--_Secret_ Idolatry: Goliath, I Sam. 17:41 _seq_; Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 4:25 _seq_.; Herod, Acts 12:21-23; The Rich Young Ruler, Matt. 19:16-22; The Rich Fool, Luke 12:15-21. _Slavish Fear_: Adam, Gen. 3:10-11. _Child-like Fear_: Joseph, Gen. 39:9. _Love to G.o.d_: Abraham, Gen. 22:1-14; Peter and John, Acts 4:19, 20; Jesus, John 4:34.

_Trust in G.o.d_: David Fighting Goliath, I Sam. 17. Daniel in the Lion's Den, Dan. 6.