The Small Catechism – part 20
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
Note that Exodus 20:2 does not simply say, “I am the Lord God.” It reads, “I am the Lord your God.” Without God revealing himself to the people of Israel, he may have been any deity, any one of the gods of the land. So, he declares, I am Yahweh (which we translate as "Lord") — your God. This is the same Lord who would one day give himself for the world in an it-is-finished” atonement (Hebrews 10:1–18). The very same Lord your God is the Lord given for you. Because of this covenant God has every right to expect his people to hear and obey. The commandments speak to his authority over us; the relationship speaks to his right to do so. His expectations of us are greatly outweighed by his blessings to us and his giving of himself for us.
Prayer: My Lord and my God, give me the courage to follow you and in doing so, keep your commandments. 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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