One of most popular TV shows of the past two decades was American Idol. Hundreds of people auditioned to compete for a million dollar prize and a recording contract. A few became famous stars, but the truth is, most were not heard from much afterward. Many people want to be rich and famous. The amazing thing is that people will follow them as if their own lives depended on it. They make heroes out of entertainers, TV and movie stars, recording artists, athletes, book writers, politicians, and, yes, even preachers. Let’s face it, we often make heroes out of people who don’t really deserve it. The real heroes are the soldiers, police, fire fighters, EMTs, and other public servants who put their lives on the line to protect us. Sadly, too much of the time they go unsung.
In this ten part series we are studying the Ten Commandments. In installment one we analyzed the first commandment. In this section we will look at the second, which is closely linked to the first since they both involve the worship of the true God or false gods.
4 You shall not make for yourself an idol (graven image), or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD (YAHWEH) your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. (Exodus 20:4-6)
The Lord God commanded His people not to make any type of idol or graven image. It was the common practice in ancient times for people to sculpt statues of stone and carve images of wood in the likenesses of what they imagined their gods and goddesses looked like. Often they were housed in temples where they would go to bow down and make sacrifices to the images. As we mentioned in part one, as amazing as it seems, millions of people today still make and worship idols, even here in the USA. This practice is called idolatry.
But the Lord says, “You shall not make for yourself an idol.” Just what does that mean and why is it forbidden? We will analyze this second commandment and look at other relevant Scriptures to learn the answer. Essentially there are three reasons why idolatry is wrong and why we should avoid them.
1. People should not make idols because they divert them from worship of the One True LORD (YHWH – Yahweh) God.
In the last installment we surmised that most Americans’ familiarity with Moses and the Ten Commandments comes from watching Cecil B. DeMille’s classic 1956 movie, “The Ten Commandments.” It is usually shown on network television every year around Passover and Easter. Of course, that film took liberties with the biblical story of the Exodus of the people of Israel from captivity in Egypt, adding a romantic angle to the plot. Nonetheless, it was generally true to the story. One of the most dramatic moments in the movie is when Moses (Charlton Heston) went upon Mount Sinai where the Lord gave him the Ten Commandments.
And what did the impatient Israelites do while Moses was gone? Did they pray for him? Did they wait expectantly for what God was going to tell them? No, they melted down their gold bounty and formed a Golden Calf. They bowed to it in worship, danced around it, and did immoral acts that were abominable to God. Even Moses’ brother and right-hand man Aaron joined in the revelry. (Exodus 32)
Naturally, when he returned to the camp, Moses was furious. So much so that he … well you read what Exodus 32:19-20 reports:
19 It came about, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses’ anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it.
Paul spoke of the Israelites in the wilderness in his first letter to the Corinthians (10:6-13). Note in verses 9-10, he reminded the Corinthians of the price of idolatry for Israel. 23,000 died at one time by a plague. Others were killed by “fiery serpents,” and still others by “the Destroyer” (the death angel).
6 Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY.” 8 Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. 9 Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. 10 Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
So what did Paul implore them to do?
14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry! (1 Cor. 10:14)
So just how can we define what is an “idol?” Actually an idol is anything of this world that a person most highly esteems and is of ultimate value in his or her life instead of the Living God. Idols come in all sorts of forms. Some are made of stone or carved from wooden objects. We already mentioned the huge Hindu temple in Lilburn, Georgia. Buddhist temples have also been built in numerous locations in America. Islamic mosques are springing up all over. Wiccans regularly gather in fields to worship the moon goddesses and her consort the horned god. New Orleans is a center for voodoo which originated in Africa and is most common in Haiti (by the way, zombies are real).
Cults and their unethical religious leaders (most of whom started with occultism), though less talked about in Christian circles than in the previous century, are still active in this country (egs.: Mormonism; Jehovah’s Witnesses; Oneness Pentecostalism). Some elevate their human leaders to levels nearly equal to Christ (egs.: Scientology [L. Ron Hubbard]; Unification Church [Rev. Sun Myung Moon]). And, though its faddish popularity has waned over the last decade, thousands of Americans are still involved in various aspects of the New Age Movement and the occult.
Not all forms of idolatry are blatantly religious or “spiritual.” Some other ways people commit idolatry include their own personal aggrandizement (narcissism). Many love money and material possessions (these often pray toward Wall Street). And have you ever been to Las Vegas? The first time I went there I was stunned! The hotels and casinos are gargantuan. It is like Disneyland on steroids. It is a city literally built on greed and extravagance.
And we can’t ignore the way some people focus their lives on sex and pornography. Hugh Hefner even wrote a treatise defending his lascivious lifestyle. He called it the “Playboy Philosophy.” Sadly, many Americans accepted it and paid a steep price with AIDS, STDs, and abortions. Another form of idolatry involves worshipping another person in a romantic relationship. No love relationship should ever override one’s love for God and His Word. Many times I have seen young people from Christian backgrounds abandon their faith in order to marry someone from another religion.
Drugs and alcohol are other types of defacto-idolatry that enslave millions. Karl Marx famously declared that “religion is the opiate of the people.” He got it all wrong. For growing numbers, “opiates (drugs and alcohol) are the religion of the people.”
And let’s not forget how people idolize celebrities and athletes. Some literally follow certain stars with total fanaticism. I recall some years ago actually seeing a “Church of Elvis” in Portland, Oregon (I don’t know if it still stands). All one needs to do is read the news to realize how foolish such celebrity worship really is. And when was the last time you went to a football game? Did you look around at the behavior of some of the fans? For some, their whole life is wrapped around the success or failure of their favorite team.
In any case, an idol is whatever is of ultimate value in life if it is not God alone. We cannot let anything or anyone divert our attention from giving the glory to God and His son Jesus Christ!
2. People should not make idols because doing so will lead their children and future generations astray.
In verse five, the Lord makes an ominous statement. He says:
5 You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD (YAHWEH) your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me.
The LORD God declares that He is a “jealous God.” We normally think of the word, “jealous” in a negative sense. People who are jealous are usually envious of someone else because they possess something they want for themselves. It may be they want the other one’s money, talent, physical strength, age, or loved one. The last one usually involves what is called a “love triangle.” All of these forms of jealousy generally are unhealthy for one’s emotional life. They can lead to dangerous attitudes and actions, including hate and murder. We will delve into these issues in later installments of this series.
But when God says He is a “jealous God,” it does not mean He is like a human who may be “green with envy.” God lacks nothing that any other being could possibly possess. However, it does means He wants and deserves our full love and devotion. No other “god” or object is worthy of that worship. It is His alone to receive, and when anyone fails to give it to Him He is grieved. He loves His people and deeply desires their love in return.
The LORD goes on to warn that false religion will, in a sense, put a powerful curse on future generations (though we are all cursed by Adam’s sin). That is to say, the children of idolaters will most likely follow in their father’s steps. It also means the consequences of not following the LORD will negatively effect generations to come. In my experience, I have found it is hard to witness to someone raised in other religions. Their faith and worldview have been molded from their childhood, so it is difficult to break through their mindset. And it is not just religious idols (including atheism) that are passed from generation to generation. Other kinds of idols, such as materialism, narcissism, success, sensualism (sex , alcohol, or drugs), political power, etc., flow down from parents to their children and grandchildren.
The only way to break the chain is for the idolater to turn to Christ. He is the one power strong enough to break the bonds of idolatry so people will turn to the True God. By surrendering to Christ, people can disrupt the line of sin that stems from the transgressions of the fathers. God is willing to receive any and all who, by faith, accept His grace and become His children.
3. People should not make idols because they should love and obey God only.
In most of this second commandment, the LORD couched His commandment in a negative assertion, “You shall not….” However, he closed this commandment with a positive admonition of how to demonstrate, in practical ways, the worship of the True God. He says in verse six: but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
The word translated here as “lovingkindness” in the NASB is the Hebrew term hesed. It also may be translated as “mercy” or “grace.” It is perhaps the closest thing in the Old Testament Hebrew language to the New Testament Greek word agape (God’s love). In the last installment we looked at Deuteronomy 6:4-5. The Jews call it the Shema (Literally “hear” or “the call”).
4 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD (YAHWEH) is our God, the LORD is one! 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
Look carefully at Matthew 22:34-40. One of the Pharisees, trying to test Jesus as to His knowledge and rabbinical credibility, asked Him which was the greatest commandment.
34 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. 35 One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”
Notice how Jesus responded.
37 And He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment.39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
Jesus taught that the key to obedience of the Ten Commandments, and the rest of the Law, is the Law of Love. If we love the Lord with our whole heart, we will naturally want to do what is pleasing to Him. And if we love our fellow man, we will want to do what is right by them. If we truly love God we will never desire or be caught in the trap of idolatry.
Conclusion
Think a moment about yourself. Who or what is the most important thing in your life? What may tempt you to be your idol? I doubt you actually would worship an idol of stone or wood (though it is entirely possible). But what of any of the other objects of adoration we mentioned? We all have our potential idols: money, vice, success, fame, etc. In any case, we must renounced them and give our full love and worship to Jesus alone!
© 2018 Tal Davis