## No Graven Images

## Exodus 20:4-6

Last week we began looking at the passage of Scripture in the Old Testament that we refer to as the 10 commandments. All too many folks believe that the Old Testament, and especially the section we are looking at right now, is no longer valid for today. However, I believe that it is of extreme importance that we have a standard of behavior. Without God’s standard, man determines what is right and what is wrong...and that is precisely why we are in such a mess today!

In the first command we saw that there is but One God, and it is to be our first priority to worship and honor Him with our lives. This second command seems to be very similar to the first. But, this command speaks of how we are to worship Him. It tells us not to try to create Him in our likeness. Where the first command warned against worshipping a false god, this command warns us against worshipping the True God in a false manner.

Let me ask you a question this morning. How big is your God? For some their gods are tangible. Something that they can handle and control. For others their gods hang on the walls or fit into their pockets.

I. The Requirements of this Command.

A. Don't create material images of God.

1. The word in Greek for idol means: to "cast a shadow."

2. The Hebrew word for "graven" literally means: "to hammer out."

B. This command forbids the making of images to use in worship of God.

C. Some O.T. examples of idol worship.

1. The Israelites at Sinai.

a. The people convinced Aaron to fashion a golden calf.

b. This was a god like the Egyptians had worshipped.

(EXO 32:5-6) "AND WHEN AARON SAW IT, HE BUILT AN ALTAR BEFORE IT; AND AARON MADE PROCLAMATION, AND SAID, TO MORROW IS A FEAST TO THE LORD. {6} AND THEY ROSE UP EARLY ON THE MORROW, AND OFFERED BURNT OFFERINGS, AND BROUGHT PEACE OFFERINGS; AND THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND TO DRINK, AND ROSE UP TO PLAY."

2. The Bronze Snake only a symbol. (from Num. 21)

(2 KI 18:4) "HE REMOVED THE HIGH PLACES, AND BRAKE THE IMAGES, AND CUT DOWN THE GROVES, AND BRAKE IN PIECES THE BRAZEN SERPENT THAT MOSES HAD MADE: FOR UNTO THOSE DAYS THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DID BURN INCENSE TO IT: AND HE CALLED IT NEHUSHTAN."

3. Gideon’s ephod: they attached some supernatural power to it because of Gideon.

"AND GIDEON MADE AN EPHOD THEREOF, AND PUT IT IN HIS CITY, EVEN IN OPHRAH: AND ALL ISRAEL WENT THITHER A WHORING AFTER IT: WHICH THING BECAME A SNARE UNTO GIDEON, AND TO HIS HOUSE." (JUDG 8:27)

D. Moses warned the nation of Israel concerning the worship of idols before they were to enter into the promised land.

(DEU 4:15-16) "TAKE YE THEREFORE GOOD HEED UNTO YOURSELVES ... LEST YE CORRUPT YOURSELVES, AND MAKE YOU A GRAVEN IMAGE, THE SIMILITUDE OF ANY FIGURE, THE LIKENESS OF MALE OR FEMALE,"

II. The Reason for this Commandment.

A. Idols limit our concept of who God is.

1. In His nature: He is alive, personal.

2. In His action: He is almighty.

(EXO 20:5A) "THOU SHALT NOT BOW DOWN THYSELF TO THEM, NOR SERVE THEM: FOR I THE LORD THY GOD AM A JEALOUS GOD..."

B. They limit our concept of where God is.

(PSA 139:7-10) "WHITHER SHALL I GO FROM THY SPIRIT? OR WHITHER SHALL I FLEE FROM THY PRESENCE? {8} IF I ASCEND UP INTO HEAVEN, THOU ART THERE: IF I MAKE MY BED IN HELL, BEHOLD, THOU ART THERE. {9} IF I TAKE THE WINGS OF THE MORNING, AND DWELL IN THE UTTERMOST PARTS OF THE SEA; {10} EVEN THERE SHALL THY HAND LEAD ME, AND THY RIGHT HAND SHALL HOLD ME."

1. God is not confined to buildings!

2. God is not confined to objects!

C. The worship of idols also leads to judgment.

EX. 20:5B-6 "...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; {6} AND SHOWING MERCY UNTO THOUSANDS OF THEM THAT LOVE ME, AND KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS."

III. Our Response to this Commandment.

A. "Clean house " on the idols in your life.

(1 COR 12:2) "YE KNOW THAT YE WERE GENTILES, CARRIED AWAY UNTO THESE DUMB IDOLS, EVEN AS YE WERE LED."

(PSA 115:8) "THEY THAT MAKE THEM ARE LIKE UNTO THEM; SO IS EVERY ONE THAT TRUSTETH IN THEM."

(JER 2:5) "THUS SAITH THE LORD, WHAT INIQUITY HAVE YOUR FATHERS FOUND IN ME, THAT THEY ARE GONE FAR FROM ME, AND HAVE WALKED AFTER VANITY, AND ARE BECOME VAIN?"

B. Worship God only.

1. Worship means: give my highest love and devotion.

(ROM 1:25) "WHO CHANGED THE TRUTH OF GOD INTO A LIE, AND WORSHIPPED AND SERVED THE CREATURE MORE THAN THE CREATOR, WHO IS BLESSED FOR EVER. AMEN."

2. The only image that we are to worship is Christ.

(COL 1:15) "WHO IS THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD, THE FIRSTBORN OF EVERY CREATURE:"

(HEB 1:1-3) "GOD, WHO AT SUNDRY TIMES AND IN DIVERS MANNERS SPAKE IN TIME PAST UNTO THE FATHERS BY THE PROPHETS, {2} HATH IN THESE LAST DAYS SPOKEN UNTO US BY HIS SON, WHOM HE HATH APPOINTED HEIR OF ALL THINGS, BY WHOM ALSO HE MADE THE WORLDS; {3} WHO BEING THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS GLORY, AND THE EXPRESS IMAGE OF HIS PERSON, AND UPHOLDING ALL THINGS BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER, WHEN HE HAD BY HIMSELF PURGED OUR SINS, SAT DOWN ON THE RIGHT HAND OF THE MAJESTY ON HIGH;"

(JOHN 1:18) "NO MAN HATH SEEN GOD AT ANY TIME; THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHICH IS IN THE BOSOM OF THE FATHER, HE HATH DECLARED HIM." (JOHN 10:30) "I AND MY FATHER ARE ONE."

(JOHN 14:9) "JESUS SAITH UNTO HIM, HAVE I BEEN SO LONG TIME WITH YOU, AND YET HAST THOU NOT KNOWN ME, PHILIP? HE THAT HATH SEEN ME HATH SEEN THE FATHER; AND HOW SAYEST THOU THEN, SHOW US THE FATHER?" (2 COR 4:6) "FOR GOD, WHO COMMANDED THE LIGHT TO SHINE OUT OF DARKNESS, HATH SHINED IN OUR HEARTS, TO GIVE THE LIGHT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST."

3. God gave us His image in His Son, we are to worship Him and Him alone!

C. The only acceptable worship is in Spirit and in Truth.

"GOD IS A SPIRIT: AND THEY THAT WORSHIP HIM MUST WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH." (JOHN 4:24)

Some folks have replaced God with their own image. Not necessarily something carved from wood or stone, but not the True and Mighty God of the Bible either. Have you ever heard someone say of the Word of God. "Oh, I can’t believe that God is like that!" "My God is a loving God who would never hurt anyone."

If not that, maybe something similar. What’s wrong with saying that? It is replacing God with one created in our own image! You see we turn things around and decide who and what our God will be. That is the very thing that God warned us about.

Do you know Jesus Christ as your Savior? Are we worshipping Him in Spirit and in Truth? If not, why not come today and settle things with the Almighty God of all eternity?