The Westminster Shorter Catechism
Q52. What are the reasons annexed to the Second
Commandment?
A. The reasons annexed to the
Second Commandment are, God’s sovereignty
over us,[1]
—His
propriety in us,[2]—and the zeal He hath to His
own worship.[3]
[1] Psalm 95:2–3, 6; [2] Psalm 45:11; [3] Exodus 34:13–14.
The reasons annexed to the Second Commandment are found in the words: “for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God…” (Ex 20:5). Three things may be gleaned from this statement.
Firstly, it speaks of God’s sovereignty over us: “I the LORD.” As a sovereign King over us, God has the right to require
us to worship Him in the manner that pleases Him. And since God is infinitely
greater than us, it is impossible for us to know how to worship Him, unless He
reveals to us how we should do so.
Secondly, the phrase, “thy God,” speaks of God’s propriety in us, or His
ownership of us. As our Creator and Redeemer, God has every right to insist
that our worship reflect a creaturely submission coupled with the gratitude of
the redeemed. The Psalmist’s call to worship is based on this thought: “O come, let us worship and bow down:
let us kneel before the LORD our
Maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep
of his hand” (Ps 95:6–7). Ironically,
shortly after the Israelites came out of Egypt, Aaron made a golden calf, and
consented with the people: “this be thy God [or gods]… which brought thee up
out of the land of Egypt” (Ex 32:4). When the people worshipped the image, they
not only denied that God was their Redeemer but also denied that He was their
Creator, since they gave homage to a created thing. “They made a calf in
Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.… They forgat God their saviour” (Ps
106:19, 21).
Thirdly, it speaks of God’s zealousness for His own worship and institutions:
“am a jealous God.” God is transcendently holy, and so He will not allow the
inventions and devices of sinful men to intrude into His worship. While many
churches today regard the mode of worship to be a secondary matter, God regards
it a matter of grave importance. He calls those who violate His instruction of
worship as “them that hate me” (Ex 20:5b). On the other hand, those who obey
His commandment are said to be those who love Him.