Verse for the Day, 14 August 2014.

Exodus 20:4-6, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or 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.  (5)  You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,  (6)  but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

The second commandment follows on from the first, God not only commands that the Israelites, and in fact all mankind, worship Him alone; He also forbids them to engage in any form of idol worship.

Why was this commandment given?

There are many reasons, but we shall confine ourselves to four reasons.

Idolatry is forbidden because of what ultimately lies behind idolatry. Idolatry is one of the ugliest and most heinous sins because we are seeking to control God, reduced God and replace God. Listen to the words of Paul in Acts 17:22-25, “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” To make an idol is to seek to determine with our own minds what God looks like, what God is capable of doing, where God should live and how God should be served. The root of idolatry is our pride, whereby we seek to put ourselves in the position of God and God in our position, we seek to have authority over God, we desire to control God.

To make an idol and to bow down in worship of an idol is to engage in a practice that is regarded as an abomination in God’s sight, it stirs God to immediate wrath. Why? By bowing down to an idol and proclaiming it to be our god, we are ascribing all that which belongs to God, that which God is and does, to an object of our own imagination and making. We are taking the indescribable glory and majesty of God and giving it, ascribing it to a piece of wood, stone, or precious metal. Isaiah 42:8, “I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.” There can be nothing more offensive that we could do towards God, than to take what He is and give it to another. God is entirely unique, infinite and beyond all human comprehension, thus idolatry is the height of foolishness, pride and rejection of and rebellion against God.

Idolatry is in many cases the worship of the evil one and his agents. Leviticus 17:7, Deuteronomy 32:17, Psalm 106:37, 1 Corinthians 10:20, 1 Timothy 4:1 and Revelation 9:20, clearly teach that much which lies behind idolatry is demonic, satanic and evil. It is a tool used by the evil one to lead us away from God and into destruction.

This second commandment is a commandment of love and life. We were created by God, for God, so as to love God and to give glory to God alone. Idolatry leads us away from this created purpose. In love God gives us this commandment so that we might be warned of the great sinfulness and danger of idolatry and keep clear of it, seeking to love and worship Him alone. If we do this, then we will know the blessing, favour and love of God. If we should turn away from God to idols, then we will find ourselves in direct rebellion against God, and thus we will be consumed and terrified forever, by the wrath of God. Thus God gives us this commandment so as to preserve our lives. It is only in worshipping God and God alone that we will find the life we were created to know and enjoy, idolatry will only serve to rob us of life and joy and lead us to eternal misery. This is a commandment of love and life.

Our true, only, unique God, besides You there is no other, You alone are all glorious and majestic, You alone are God. We desire to give You all the praise, worship and adoration, for You alone are worthy of it. We pray that You may keep our hearts, minds and lives from going after other idols, help us to understand how sinful and offensive idolatry is to You and how damaging it is to us. Please keep our lives fixed upon You. Amen.