What are we specially taught by these words before me in the first commandment?

Which Bible passages support this answer?

The Westminster Assembly attached these Scripture proofs to answer 48. Read them together and ask what each one shows about the answer.

1. Ezekiel 8:5-18

   ⁵He said to me, “Son of man, look up toward the north.” So I looked up toward the north, and I noticed to the north of the altar gate was this statue of jealousy at the entrance. ⁶He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the great abominations that the people of Israel are practicing here, to drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see greater abominations than these!” ⁷He brought me to the entrance of the court, and as I watched, I noticed a hole in the wall. ⁸He said to me, “Son of man, dig into the wall.” So I dug into the wall and discovered a doorway. ⁹He said to me, “Go in and see the evil abominations they are practicing here.” ¹⁰So I went in and looked. I noticed every figure of creeping thing and beast—detestable images—and every idol of the house of Israel, engraved on the wall all around. ¹¹Seventy men from the elders of the house of Israel (with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan standing among them) were standing in front of them, each with a censer in his hand, and fragrant vapors from a cloud of incense were swirling upward. ¹²He said to me, “Do you see, son of man, what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in the chamber of his idolatrous images? For they think, ‘The Lord does not see us! The Lord has abandoned the land!’” ¹³He said to me, “You will see them practicing even greater abominations!” ¹⁴Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the Lord’s house. I noticed women sitting there weeping for Tammuz. ¹⁵He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see even greater abominations than these!” ¹⁶Then he brought me to the inner court of the Lord’s house. Right there at the entrance to the Lord’s temple, between the porch and the altar, were about 25 men with their backs to the Lord’s temple, facing east—they were worshiping the sun toward the east! ¹⁷He said to me, “Do you see, son of man? Is it a trivial thing that the house of Judah commits these abominations they are practicing here? For they have filled the land with violence and provoked me to anger still further. Look, they are putting the branch to their nose! ¹⁸Therefore I will act with fury! My eye will not pity them nor will I spare them. When they have shouted in my ears, I will not listen to them.” (NET)

2. Psalm 44:20-21

   ²⁰If we had rejected our God, and spread out our hands in prayer to another god, ²¹would not God discover it, for he knows a person’s secret thoughts? (NET)

What does this answer mean?

The words 'before me' teach that God sees all things. He takes notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other god. No idol is hidden from him, whether it is a statue or something loved in the heart.

What can we ask our children?

1. What do the words 'before me' teach us about God?
2. Can we hide anything from God?
3. How should knowing God sees everything shape what we love?