Overview

If the first commandment governs whom we worship, the second governs how. This section (Q49–52) sets out the regulative principle of worship: God is to be worshiped only in the ways He has appointed, forbidding images and all human inventions in His worship, with weighty reasons annexed.

The Questions & Answers

Q49. Which is the second commandment? A. The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Q50. What is required in the second commandment? A. The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in his word.

Scripture Proofs (ESV):

“Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.” (Deut. 12:32, ESV)

Further proofs: Matt. 28:20; Acts 2:42; Deut. 32:46; 1 Tim. 6:13–14.

Q51. What is forbidden in the second commandment? A. The second commandment forbiddeth the worshipping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in his word.

Scripture Proofs (ESV):

“…beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure.” (Deut. 4:15–16, ESV)

“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24, ESV)

Further proofs: Exod. 32:5, 8; Col. 2:18–23; 1 Sam. 15:21–23.

Q52. What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment? A. The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God’s sovereignty over us, his propriety in us, and the zeal he hath to his own worship.

Scripture Proofs (ESV):

“…for I the LORD your God am a jealous God.” (Exod. 20:5, ESV)

Further proofs: Ps. 95:2–3, 6–7; Exod. 34:13–14; 1 Cor. 10:22.

Exposition: The second commandment establishes what is often called the regulative principle: God determines how He is worshiped, and we may worship Him only “as God hath appointed in his word” (Q50) — not “any other way not appointed” (Q51). This forbids not only pagan idols but images of the true God (the golden calf was meant to honor Yahweh, Exod. 32:5, yet was condemned) and every human innovation in worship, however sincere or beautiful. Q52’s reasons are striking: God’s “sovereignty” (He is Lord), His “propriety in us” (we belong to Him), and His “zeal” — He is “a jealous God,” for worship is the deepest expression of love and He will not share it. Note that the commandment itself attaches both warning (to those who hate Him) and vast mercy (“showing mercy unto thousands” who love Him).

Connections

• WLC Q107–110 — the second commandment; the duties required; the sins forbidden; the reasons annexed.
• WCF 21 (Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day) — the regulative principle and the elements of worship.
• Loci: The second commandment; the regulative principle of worship; the sufficiency of Scripture applied to worship.

Pastoral & Practical Significance

The second commandment is a profound mercy, not a restriction: God Himself tells us how to approach Him, so we never have to guess whether our worship pleases Him. Left to ourselves, we would either fashion God in our own image (making Him manageable, like the calf) or invent ever-new techniques to manufacture spiritual experience. The regulative principle frees worship from both — from idolatry and from anxious novelty — by directing us to what God has appointed: His Word read and preached, prayer, praise, the sacraments. The deeper application reaches the heart: every attempt to shrink the infinite God down to an image we can control, or to worship Him on our own terms rather than His, dishonors Him. Yet the commandment’s promise is sweet: to “thousands” who love Him and keep His Word, God shows mercy. Worship Him as He has revealed — in spirit and truth, through the one Mediator — and find Him not diminished by an image but known by His Word.

For Memory & Reflection

• Memorize Q50 and Q51; anchor verse: John 4:24. Together they state the regulative principle.
• Do I approach worship asking “What has God appointed?” or “What do I prefer?”
• In what ways might I try to shrink God to a manageable “image” — an idea of Him I can control — rather than worship Him as His Word reveals Him?