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!

Romans 12:2 ~ Buying into "the lie"

Romans 12:2 - “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

A follow up to what I said in my last blog (Heart intents vs. Gods will)

There are some things happening in the life of those that I have loved (still love just not as close as I once was with them) where they have taken what God has forbid and repackaged it in a "christian" way. By that, I mean that they take the world put a "God" twist on it and justify the use of it for a "witnessing" tool.

I have seen it taken as far as something that's blatantly anti-god and seen it acknowledged as that. Then ... promoted as the world being foolish and we can use there foolishness for Gods glory, and even as a worshiping tool. My heart is so grieved by this.

Proverbs 9:6 Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding.

The Lord in his word is so very clear about what we are to do with the world and yet why are some so willing to "conform" to what God tells us to flee from?
Its because living for God requires us to do as the bible says instead of what we would desire. Of course sin looks fun and we want it....more than that, we desire it. If sin looked ugly and harmful to begin with, denying our flesh would not be a daily, moment by moment struggle.

If we repackage the world "aka sin" by sticking a "WWJD sticker" on it, then we can tell ourselves that makes us OK.

But its a lie. Satan.... (the father of all lies) can lure us best into believing its OK when there's "christian" bent to it. He hopes that we don't know Gods word well enough to say "wait a minute, I think the bible says otherwise". Its easy to be blinded by the "WWJD sticker" and ignore the sin its stuck too.

Lets remember that its better to error on the side of fleeing, than the side of accepting, whenever there is even a small chance there could be a lie involved. This doesn't mean we can't enjoy life. But give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and grace. Enjoy the things that God gave us as He means them to be used. But don't mistake the happiness that some things bring as a licence to sin when when they cease to glorify God.

Lord, thank you for the truth and your forgiveness when I stop looking to it. Please fill my heart and mind with Your word and show me and others the lies. Don't let me become lenient in my service to You, or my desire to follow after you. Lord please soften and convict the heart of those who are doing grievous things. God only you can. Praise you for that!

The 2nd commandment is based on a lot of what I have said today and I hope to do that tomorrow.

Oct 25: EDIT: Clearly tomorrow has come and gone, but I would like to get all the info and study that I have done on it on here but thats taking longer than expected :D

Heart intents vs. Gods will

Proverbs 19:20-21 - “Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.”

I recently had a "conversation" with someone who's "perspective" was that despite what Gods word said (like literally) that God would overlook the specific dismissal of His word/law and instead look at the purpose within their heart.

Their argument went something like this.....

"When you read the bible... you have to figure out what Gods purpose was in saying that...... I "think" He didn't mean that literally (AS IN ONE OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS that we were discussing) But I think "Gods heart" in saying that was.... we are to use it as a kind of guideline... and since I know that my reason (for ignoring direct commandment) is that God knows I want to glorify Him, it doesn't apply."

Which is prime reason for me starting ten commandment study for myself.
#1 what the heck is "Gods heart" I don't remember reading that phrase in the bible...I have read about is HOLY WILL AND PERFECT PURPOSE
#2 when you completely discard the specific and "no beating around the bush" language of something as simple and straight forward as the ten commandments, just so that you can reinterpret them to justify your sin... whats next?
#3 Specific commandment being discussed is repeated many other times within the bible AND having the same context and guidelines... so are you going to reinterpret the entire bible?

I can understand that there are some things that God spoke in parables... such as plucking out eyes and cutting off limbs... but I am not sure there was any fogginess with the basics of what God requires of you.

The idea that you can twist Gods word into what you think He might mean by it and then use that version based on you trying to get to "gods heart" and then modeling your heart off it.... well its scary to me... in fact that's where today's verse comes in...

NOTE.... THE BIG FAT "but" in the middle of that 2nd verse. Yes, man has purpose in his heart..... BUT, as in "completely disregard mans purpose" and know that doesn't change Gods will or purpose.

So how do we know what Gods will and purpose is for our lives? We find it.... IN THE BIBLE ALONE... so when there is a direct commandment on how to do a specific thing... THATS GODS PURPOSE.

OK I know I have been venting a bit today... but this person knows better and yet they will not listen to the first part of the verse because they are wise in there own eyes and "knowledge of God's heart"

Let this story be a warning/example/encouragement-to-do-better to those that read it. Don't let your purposes be erased by a "BUT". Strive to obey God the way that He requires and not the way you want.

God thank you for the clear directions that you do give us and Lord let that be in my heart to do, Lord please speak to the heart of the one that I write about. Thank you for your loving forgiveness that abounds in my life.

Ten commandments ~ #1

Exodus 20:3 -“You shall have no other gods before Me.

Deuteronomy 5:7 ~ ‘You shall have no other gods before Me.

So with that what is the first commandment forbidding ?

OK clearly the first commandment is that you shall have no other Gods. But that seems like too simple of an answer.

The "before Me" was kind of intriguing to me...It seems to mean that we are to have no other "gods" in our life because everything we say/do is done before (in front of) Him. Which means anything that gets in the way of our main duty which is to glorify God according to His holy will and commandments then becomes a "god".

Now what is it requiring? That's the answer that I wanted to get into and why I have put this off about 2 weeks.

(OK I could retype this but I am liking the wording and way it is put in the larger catechism)

Q. 104. What are the duties required in the first commandment?

A. The duties required in the first commandment are, the knowing and acknowledging of God tobe the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly,by thinking, meditating, remembering, highly esteeming, honoring, adoring, choosing, loving, desiring, fearing of him; believing him; trusting, hoping, delighting, rejoicing in him; being zealous for him; calling upon him, giving
all praise and thanks, and yielding all obedience and submission to him with the
whole man; being careful in all things to please him, and sorrowful when in
anything he is offended; and walking humbly with him.

Now I think that most people that have not experienced the grace of God would consider that list to be overwhelming and more than they are capable of. But its a wonderfully extensive list! I love knowing that with Gods help, strength, and grace, that I can do those things but receive the blessings that come with modeling my life that way.

(Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.)

Thank you God that you are so wonderfully graceful to me and that there is so much joy in obeying you!

Ten commandments ~ To start with

This is the way that God starts the ten commandments:

Exodus 20:1-2 And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

I was going to start on the first commandment today but I think there are a few things I should go into to prepare.

OK, well as far as I can see God set the commandments up to be either something he commands or forbids. That it means it should mean more then just "thou shall not". So what is it that He is saying or implying that we should be doing.

Thing to note: God thought these to be so important that He made an appointment to say them and then spoke them out loud to Moses.

I see the page hits on this going up so I know that there are those out there reading it.. please feel free to comment if there is something I missed or that spoke specifically to you.

Also I wanted to add that are those out there that would say that we are no longer under "Gods law" since Jesus came and died for us, and to those I ask which one of these commandments do they think that God no longer holds valid?

Last note: God is reminding us in this that HE is the one that freed us from "the bondage"(aka sin)

God thank you! Please open your word to me and let me understand your will even better than before!

Matthew 22:37-40 -- Commandments

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Today I have had the luxury of spending most the day in my bible.. while this doesn't happen often its always nice when I get a large amount of time to do that!

Which should mean that I have some super great wonderful devotional today... well I wish that were the case. I have spent most of the day going over and over my bible cross referencing it ect... And some how I feel like I know even less... LOL.. though I am told this is a common thing.

I have been going over the ten commandments... actually for quite a few days. I was even pleasantly surprised when they showed up in the worship service on Sunday... isn't God good at that :D

But the fact that God had the ability to put 10 "rules" out there and spent almost half of those rules on how to worship Him.... well its intriguing to me. I know that if made up 10 rules from my house... I am not sure that they would be about me ?

So maybe I will take the next few days going over those.... But for todays verse I used the verses that Jesus said about the ten commandments. He summed them up rather well. Even though there are "10" they could be expanded in several areas... as well as summed up like Jesus said.
Rule one... LOVE GOD.... rule two.... LOVE OTHERS

Thank you Father for your word and the vastness of it. God please speak to me and other though it and let my actions and thoughts glorify you!