Second Commandment

Posting Date: Oct.29 2007 8:30 pm

Exodus 20:4-6, Deuteronomy 5:8-10 ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

What can I say.. I have been studying this particular commandment for a little over a month now. As I have gotten into it, cross referenced it, found other verses in the bible to back it up.

I think the place to start is to look at the fact (again) that God set up a few(10) particular commandments... then he used the first half to tell us how to live our lives for Him.(glorify God)

1 Cor. 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God

Our main purpose in life is to glorify God.

That's what we were made for. TO WORSHIP and clearly that's what everyone has a longing to do. Be it a christian or a workaholic ect... We all have the need, the drive to let something be the focal point in our lives. Be it greed, lust, drugs, a good time, it can be all kinds of things. And our desire for those things keep us from doing what it is that God calls us to. Which is to worship Him.

So back to the commandments, God uses the first 4 to tell us not only that we are to worship Him, but HOW he wants us to do that. Note that God mentions that He is a "jealous God". So why cant we just worship God the way we want? Because that's selfish, then it becomes about what we want it to be and not about giving glory to God. He commands us to stay away from anything that could take our attention away from Him. Exodus 20:23 You shall not make anything to be with Me,

Deut. 12:29-32 “When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

Clearly God does not want anything made that will cause people to turn away from him. Its not that God doesn't want us to be creative. He doesn't want any images/likeness/idols that are here on earth to be mistaken for Him. So Hes saying DONT MAKE THEM. He is also saying DONT BOW DOWN TO THEM. (what hes forbidding) HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THEM!

Note: in the other verses above, God is saying that He knows that they(idols) are being made anyway, but keep them as far away from you as possible, don't learn about them and in no way use them in your worship of Him. He is warning us to stay away from them, more than that he is commanding us to stay away from them.

1 John 5:18-21 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

So to wrap up, what is it that God is requiring?

Matt. 28:20 to observe all things that I have commanded you.

In the 2nd commandment we are required to not associate with idols as well as not worship/bow down to them and we are to obey Gods commandments.

OK this has taken me almost 2 weeks to write and more than a month to study, I feel I am truly not being able to be as clear as it had become to me. But I hope and pray that it will bless those of you that come and read it. As always I am glad for the comments/questions that are left and those that would rather email in private.. thats just fine too!

More to come on the 3rd commandment, I hope its sooner than 2 weeks. I am truly being blessed by getting in Gods word on a daily basis. I wish I had the time to be able to share daily what I am blessed with, but I have 5 kids a husband ( not to mention a daily pile of life to sort though) so I encourage everyone.. even if its one verse a day.. open your bible and read it. i have links to verse a day RSS feeds or emails that you can receive. Just ask!!

God will bless the time that you give to Him!


Praise you Lord for the blessings of love, faithfulness and forgiveness. God give me the grace to share you with others!