Q. 45. What is the first commandment?
A. The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
1. Is it an essential duty of religion to worship God? Yes: for those have no hope that are without God in the world Eph. 2:12. Are we concerned to be right in the object of our worship? Yes: We must know what we worship, John 4:22. Does the first commandment direct us in this? Yes: for the first of all the commandments is this, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, Mark 12:29.
2. Does God lay a stress upon our having him for our God? Yes: Hear, O my people, and I will speak; I am God, even thy God, Ps. 1:7. And upon our having him only? Yes: Hear, 0 my people, and I will testify unto thee; there shall no strange god be in thee, neither shall thou worship any strange god, Ps. 81:8, 9. Did Israel need this commandment? Yes: for their fathers served other gods, Josh. 24:2. And were they tempted to serve other gods? Yes: the gods of the people that were round about them, Deut. 13:7.