Commandment #2, No Graven Images
Top Ten: Commandment #2, No Graven Images
Main Verse: Exodus 20:4-6; and Various
Review:
First Commandment:
- You shall have no other gods before me
- This is a statement about divine aseity
- Keep the Following in Mind
- The Law fits into a larger Biblical Narrative
- God’s Law Reveal His love and His Character
We don’t have God’s love because we obey His commandments. We have God’s commandments because we have received His love.
Second Command (Exodus 20:4)
You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
Why Idols in the Ancient World?
- To help one understand and control the natural world
- To help a group consolidate social power
- To help on connect with another world
In the Text (Exodus 20:4-6)
Understanding how idols operate will help us avoid breaking the second commandment
- Idols poorly take on the job that belongs to us humans (Gen 1:26-27)
- Idols open us to demonic forces (Deut. 32:16-17, Rev. 9:20, 1 Cor 10:14, 21-22)
- Idols disrupt our relationship with God (Jonah 2:8)
- Idols create a cycle of sin that hurts our children and grandchildren (Exodus 20:5; Col. 3:5, Gal. 5:19-21)
- Idols are made by us (Isa 44:9-20, Psalm 35:15-18)
Application:
- Notice the potential hotspots for idol to creep into your life
- Seeking Knowledge
- Seeking Power
- Seeking Pleasure