The graven images Exodus 20:1-6
“And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for 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; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”
It’s interesting to see that the first three commandments teach us how we are to love God while the seven teach us how we are to love one another. And when we look at the New Testament we see where Jesus summed them up in Matthew 22 when speaking to the Pharisees and He said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” So, that’s it, love God with everything you’ve got and love your neighbor as much as you want to be loved.
Last time, we looked at the first commandment we saw we are to have no other gods besides Jehovah; and as I said, “Jehovah means, He that was, is and will be” which is the same as saying, He is the eternal God. And then the second commandment tells us that we are never to make any image, whatsoever, to represent God; because we who live within the bounds of time have no way of expressing how great God is and anything we do would be like copying the Mona Lisa on the sidewalk with a piece of chalk. I mean, it would not only be absurd to look at but it would also be an insult to the artist.
So, if the first commandment tells us who is to be worshipped and forbids all false gods then the second one tells us how He is to be worshipped and forbids all false worship.
And behind both of these commandments, there is a call for real commitment. And yet, real commitment is very difficult to talk about, let alone do, because when we read and believe the Bible, we realize there are times when it doesn’t apply to every situation the same way. For instance, in Luke 14:33 Jesus said, “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” Now listen very carefully, did Jesus really mean that or didn’t He?
Now, I’m very grateful that I graduated from three different Bible Colleges because each one of them taught me that what Jesus really meant was; we need to be willing to forsake all we have but we don’t really have to do it. I mean, total commitment and absolute surrender of everything we own is a fantastic idea but I’m not sure many of us are ready, right now, to give everything we have to God. When I was first saved I was; but, back then I didn’t have anything, so, it wasn’t that much of a sacrifice. That’s why someone said, “A lot of us will be going up feet first cause we’ll still be hanging on to our stuff.”
Soren Kierkagaard said, “I went into church and sat on the velvet pew. I watched as the sun came shining through the stained glass windows. The minister dressed in a velvet robe opened the golden gilded Bible, marked it with a silk bookmark and said, "If any man will be my disciple, said Jesus, let him deny himself, take up his cross, sell what he has, give it to the poor, and follow me." And then Kierkagaard said, “I looked around but no one was laughing.”
Then again, there’s the teaching about tithing and this commands us literally to give back ten per cent of everything God gives us and we’re to give it to the Lord’s work either through the offering or how ever else He leads.
But; if we’ve already given everything, then what are we supposed to tithe on? I think there are times when God does call us to surrender everything to Him but there are also times when we have to be good stewards and honor Him with everything we have.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, we’ve got to be careful we aren’t guilty of what the world is always saying; that we’re just going through the motions of what the Bible teaches while living just like the world around us.
Dietrich Bonhoffer said, “When Jesus calls us, He calls us to come and die” and until we’re ready and willing to do that we’ll have no effect on those around us. And Bonhoffer was a man of conviction. He was hung for being involved in an assassination attempt on Hitler but before he got involved with this plot he had wrestled for two years before he came to the conclusion it was better for one man to die than the entire Jewish population be wiped out. So, when he said, “When Jesus calls us, He calls us to come and die” he really meant it. You see, he was a man of conviction.
There are several kinds of convictions. For instance, there are people who will say, they believe but they prefer to keep their beliefs to themselves and they’ll say, “I have my own beliefs and what I believe is between me and my God and I don’t think it’s anybody else’s business.”
Then there are people who say their faith leads them to be involved in all kinds of good works other than church and they serve coffee at the hospital, they volunteer at a nursing home and they do whatever else needs to be done because to them they’re serving God.
Then there are also those who will say anything they think they’re supposed to say; whether they really believe these things or not. For instance, in the New Testament Herod said to the wise men, “Go find the baby Jesus and tell me where He is, so I can come and worship Him.” Well, did Herod really want to worship Jesus? No, of course not, he wanted to kill Him; but he wanted everyone to think he was a nice guy when in fact he was a lying murderer.
So, these are examples of people who say they have convictions that these convictions don’t mean an awful lot in terms of commitment. But; there are also private convictions and these are things we think we believe and will continue to believe until we see things differently.
For instance, when I worked in Toronto for a food processing plant I believed we had the best products on the market and I would tell my customers that my products were worth the twenty cents a pound more than my competitors because they were better and I really believed they were. Then one day we were having a sales meeting and the national sales manager brought out a tray of cold cuts and he said, “Here are five different brands including our own and I want you to see if you can pick our product out from the rest.” We all tasted them and picked the same one; because it was the best and do you know something? It was our major competitor and their product was twenty cents a pound cheaper than ours. Until then, I had a private conviction that we were the best but reality showed me different.
We see the same kind of conviction in scripture when Jesus told His disciples He was going to die and they’d all run away but Peter said, “Everybody else might but I won’t. I’m going to be here to the end, no matter what.” Now, when Peter said that; was he sincere? Of course, he was. He really believed it. But, was it true? No, he thought he believed it but when push came to shove he took off running like all the rest.
So, there are personal convictions, the kind that nobody wants to talk about and there’s private convictions and these are the kind that can change as people learn more about the things they believe in and then there’s a third kind of conviction and this is what’s known as a core conviction. The core is the central or innermost part of anything. And when we talk about the core of something someone believes we’re talking about the way things really are and not just the way we think or wish they were. You see, who I really am; is the product of my core beliefs or convictions.
So, we have three kinds of convictions, our public convictions which are the things we say, our private convictions which are the things we think and our core convictions which are what we actually believe and they’re demonstrated by the things we consistently do.
You see, our public convictions might be false, our private convictions are subject to what’s happening around us but our core convictions are the things that never change; no matter what.
And when Jesus comes to us He isn’t worried about our public or our private convictions but He comes to change our core convictions and when He does that then all the rest follow suite.
You see, this is why you can have two people; who go to the same church and supposedly believe the same things but one of them actually lives what he believes while the other one just talks about it. And let’s face it, we’ve all met Christians who are loving, kind and generous while we also met those who are miserable, stingy and judgmental and yet they both claim to be believers and say they believe the same things. And the real difference between them is whether or not they’ve allowed the Lord to change their lives because when Jesus really gets a hold of our hearts then everything is changed.
So, in the first commandment we saw how God is supposed to be number one in our lives and when He said, “You shall have no other gods before Me” and none of us are dumb enough to say, “I wonder what He meant by that?” Because; no other gods means; no other gods. And we can have a problem because many of the things we have in this world have become a god for others.
For instance, we have a car and for us it’s simply a means of transportation. It keeps us warm in the winter and cool in the summer. And because of where we live and the things we do our car is both a convenience and also a necessity; but; what if we saw our car as a status symbol and somehow we saw it as something that gave us a sense of credibility in the eyes of other people. Well, then our car has become a god. And I could follow that up by saying that anything I have or any talent I think I have where my goal of having this is communicating something that I’m not; then these things have also become gods.
And when you think about it, there are many people who have lost a ton of money because of the recent economic downturn; some of them had been completely committed to materialism and they saw their world come apart while there were others who just saw everything happen as God’s direction for their lives. And what it all comes down to is; how do you see money. After the financial crash in 87 Sam Walton said, “It was paper when we started and it will be paper when we’re finished.”
When everyone has more than they need then the goal seems to be; get more than everyone else because somehow that proves you’re more important. Listen, the bottom line is: money can be the graven image of our day. I mean, it’ll buy you a lot of stuff but it’ll also make you think you’re something you’re not. And God says, “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
But then, the second commandment deals with the way God is to be worshipped or more clearly, how He is not to be worshipped. When I lived in a commune in Toronto we had the third floor east wing of an apartment building and this wing consisted of about eight rooms. Those of us who lived there used seven of the rooms and the last one served as a community chapel as well as a place where we could give people a place to sleep for a night. One night a man who told me he was a prophet came looking for a place to stay and I showed him to the chapel but as soon as he saw the walls he started yelling because there was a picture of Jesus carrying a lamb and another one of the last supper and he accused me of having graven images, shook the dust of his feet and left in a rage.
And yet, in the Old Testament God told the Jews to put cherubim over the mercy seat and pomegranates on the hem of the high priests robe and in the book of Hebrews we’re told these things represented things in heaven. So, it’s not like every piece of artwork is a graven image.
So, what are graven images? They’re either objects or images that people use; to help them focus their attention on God. After all, it’s easier to think of the invisible, if you focus your attention on the visible whether it’s by using statues, pictures or some other kind of image. In other words, they were doing the very thing they were told not to do.
And in verse 4 there are three things mentioned or forbidden that we are told not to worship in the place of God. It says, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.”
And the first thing is; anything that is in heaven. And this tells me that besides God Himself, we aren’t to make any images of anything and this would include the angels. And there’s a lot of misconception when it comes to the subject of angels. In the book of Revelation we see where John met an angel and he was so blown away by its appearance and what the angel revealed that he reacted as though he saw God Himself. “And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, see thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.”
Now listen, I don’t think John was feeling idolatrous here; but he was so overwhelmed by the sight and the actions of this angel that the only thing he thought to do was worship. And what we miss is the fact that angels are such magnificent creatures and they’re also extremely powerful. In the Old Testament we’re told one killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night.
Psalm 8:4-5 says, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.” And then Hebrews 1:14 says of the angels, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” So, if they’re ministering to us then this tells me that when we get to heaven there’s going to be a little bit more to us then we see right now. So, we are not to worship angels or anything else that’s in heaven.
And the second thing; we’re not to worship are things on earth and this is probably a reference to idols. Idols are a man-made physical or mental representation of God to help the worshipper focus their attention on Him. And I’ve seen people worship before religious pictures, candles, incense and statues. And listen, no matter what kind of image anyone could create; it would never do justice to God’s majesty, glory and holiness because we’re sinners and how can a sinner describe or illustrate someone who is sinless.
So, we’re not to worship anything that’s the work of our hands because whether we worship a car, a house, a church building, a career or whatever else none of these things are guaranteed to be here tomorrow.
Listen, idols always disappoint; because they always promise more than they can deliver. Jeremiah 10:14 says: “Those who make idols are disillusioned because the gods they made are false and lifeless.” We’re told; if we wear this label we’ll be popular. If we drink this beer it just doesn’t get any better than this. If we buy this toothpaste we’ll have sex appeal. And all you’ll end up being is a well dressed drunk with shiny teeth; listen, idols will always disappoint.
Idols will always dominate a person. Paul said in I Corinthians 12, “Before you knew Christ you were controlled by dead idols, who always led you astray.” He said they were “controlled” and “always led astray” and people today are controlled and led astray as they become addicted to work, sports, sex, drugs and anything else they commit themselves to. Idols always dominate.
And then idols will also deform people because we become like that which we value most. Ps. 115:8 says, “Those who make idols become like them and so will those who trust in them.” In other words, we begin by shaping the idol but then the idol shapes us.
Back in Exodus 32 the Israelites got into a real problem with idolatry because Aaron didn’t have a backbone and he either didn’t know how or didn’t care about giving these people spiritual direction, so, he really had a problem because these people were ready to rebel against God and follow false gods and they said to Aaron “make us gods.”
Well, he knew that wasn’t right, so he came up with a plan. You see, he still wanted the people to worship God even though they weren’t willing to follow a God they had to accept by faith and especially One who had commanded them how to live.
So the solution that Aaron came up with was this; he would re-shape God into something that was a little more acceptable to these people. In other words, he would make God look like more of what they were looking for in a God. (It kind of sounds like they were at a car lot kicking tires and comparing prices but that was exactly what they were doing. They were shopping for a brand new god.)
So, his first step was to give them something they could see and this way Aaron would be able to bring God down to their level and give them a god who would fit in with what they were looking for. The next step was to figure out what kind of image he’d use to represent God. And Aaron chose to portray God as a calf, a baby cow. And, we wonder; why a calf? Why not a scary lion or a powerful horse? Well, you see, a calf portrays a servant and his only role is to serve you either by giving milk or by making the ultimate sacrifice by giving you meat. So, as far as they were concerned, they were looking for a God who could meet their every need.
And when you think about it, calves don’t really need anything, you just give them a bit of grass to eat and they pretty much take care of themselves. And the only time you have anything to do with them is when you need something from them.
So, this golden calf was ideal because he had such limited expectations, he wouldn’t tell anyone what to do and as far as the people were concerned, they were still worshipping God.
We see this in verse 5-6, “And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, tomorrow is a feast to the LORD. 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.” They started trying to please God but ended up pleasing themselves. And the problem is, the way you see God affects the way you behave.
And that’s why you can be talking to a non-Christian about heaven and hell and they’ll say, “Don’t worry about me. I’ve got it altogether with the man upstairs.” And just like these Jewish idolaters they’ve reduced God to an unknown neighbor.
God says, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” So, there are angels in heaven and idols on earth but what’s in the water under the earth?
The Greeks and probably many of the nations before them had thousands of gods; some were in the heavens, some on earth and many of them came from the waters.
No wonder God said, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.”
You see, the problem with those who worship wrong is they teach those who come behind them to do the same. My dad had to be the worse driver I’ve ever met. When I was a kid he had wrecked 9 cars in 8 years. I think he saw life as a demolition derby and his only goal was to get through it alive. The funny thing was; as he got older he became extremely nervous and he started blowing the horn whenever he saw someone else coming down the road; he was always afraid they’d hit him. I told him one day, “If you don’t stop blowing that horn I might hit you.” You see, as far as he was concerned everybody in the world was a worse driver than he was.
And to be honest; when I first started driving I was no different. I was always on the verge of losing my license for speeding and I remember when I went to work as a salesman and they gave me a brand new car. (Man, was that ever dumb.) I took that car straight up to the 401 to see how fast it would go and when I blew the engine it had 3 miles on the odometer. No one told me you were supposed to break it in first. The problem was; I drove like my father. Driving was a means of recreation not transportation. And, whether we realize it or not, our kids copy the things we do.
Children tend to worship the God of their parents and our communication isn’t always verbal. We had a man who got saved when I was a youth pastor in Guelph and when I went to visit him I saw that he had a fully stocked bar. He said, “I don’t drink anymore but I keep it fully stocked for my guests.” And what he was telling his kids was, “I don’t drink but there’s nothing wrong with drinking.”
And when a professing Christian cheats their company by calling in sick when they’re not; or cuts corners in business by giving less than they sold; or cheats on their taxes because the governments ripping them off anyway or even gets free cable; what he’s saying is, “God’s not watching and I don’t have to worry about it.” And when he says this, his God is nothing more than a golden calf.
Conclusion
It is possible to worship false gods, but it’s also possible to worship the true God falsely and it’s not enough that we attempt to worship God but we have to worship Him His way.
When Christmas comes I could go to the store and buy my wife something I think she’ll really like but whenever I do that she just takes it back and exchanges it for something she likes. So, if I’m smart and sometimes I am; I do the right thing, and that means; I take her shopping let her pick out the gift and then go back, buy it, wrap it and surprise her. You see, it’s always important to do the right thing the right way.
So, while the 1st Commandment tells us who we are to worship; the second one tells us how we are to worship Him. In the first we’re told that our focus must be on God and God alone and in the second we’re told not to use any spiritual substitutes. And listen, anyone who has Jesus in their heart and is filled with the Holy Spirit of God doesn’t need a picture to help him pray.
