Westminster Shorter Catechism Question for the Week
Q.47. What does the first commandment forbid?
A. The first commandment forbids denying God or not worshiping and glorifying Him as the true God and our God. It also forbids giving worship and glory which He alone deserves, to anyone or anything else.
To deny that God exists is a violation of the first commandment. But as we mentioned with last week’s question, we need to do more than assent to God’s existence, we need to worship Him. Failing to worship Him as he should be is a violation of this commandment.
And as the catechism also tells us, this commandment also limits who or what we can worship. If, after we have worshiped the true God, we then worship anything else in addition to God, we are also guilty of violating this commandment.
Joshua makes this last point when he challenges the people to make a choice: serve God or serve the false gods. You can do one or the other, but not both.
14 “Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
