The Small Catechism – part 19
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Exodus 20:2
Series: Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Click for a recording of today's lesson.
From the Confessions: The Small Catechism, The First Commandment
You shall have no other gods.
What does this mean?
Answer: We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.
Pulling It Together: The commandments bring God to the forefront of our hearts and minds; the actual commandments seem almost secondary. They are commanded because of the nature of God. So, his nature must be considered first. The one who commands is the God who commanded Moses to go and speak to the people of Israel. Moses wondered the name he should tell Israel when they asked whom it was who had sent him. God replied, “I am who I am.” Tell them, “I am” sent you (Exodus 3:13–14). The commandments begin with this reminder of who it is that commands us. I am commands. The name of God, which we often see as Yahweh or Jehovah, is always replaced with Lord, out of reverence for the name of God and the Second Commandment. This is who commands us, not the so-called gods of the land. The one who has called us into relationship, revealing his personal name, is the one who now commands us.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for showing me who you are. Amen.
Click here for resources to learn the Ten Commandments.
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Author
Rev. Dr. Mark E. Ryman has served as Pastor for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC, since 2021. Previously, Pastor Ryman served congregations in North Carolina and Ohio, as well as a call to specialized ministry with Sola Publishing.
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