October 25
Message: Images and Idols
Time: Most likely this book was penned by Moses. The book covers a period of approximately eighty years, from shortly before Moses’s birth (c. 1526 BC) to the events that occurred at Mount Sinai in 1446 BC. The Bible's message of redemption appears in Exodus as well: though the children of Israel were enslaved in a foreign land, God miraculously and dramatically delivered them to freedom, provided the Law, established the system of sacrifice, and gave instructions on building of His tabernacle. God began to fulfill His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
What the Lord is Saying:
I've always been a little confused by this commandment. I think one reason is it seems on the surface to be closely linked to the first commandment of having no other Gods. Both commandments seem to be linked by worship. We are to worship only God and not other gods and this includes here gods that we might fashion or make to mirror even a likeness of God in our lives. Now, the first commandment is a little more focused on rival gods that are mentioned at times like the scripture I gave from Judges 2:11-15. Many religions of the world hold to a myriad of gods. There are different gods for different needs. I think overall this is what the first commandment is talking about.
So in this 2nd commandment, it even more clearly speaks of worship in verse 5. God our Lord is a jealous God and only He is to be worshipped. He says that we are not to worship or serve these carved images or idol that we make. The message is clear and simply - only worship God and only worship Him as He is.
And yet there seem to be many applications of this verse today. What is key is whether the object we are talking about is worshipped.
One of the concerns I have had over the years is the Catholic church because it appears that people are worshipping Mary or a Saint. I saw this article and it states that this is not happening but rather what is occurring is revering people for their faith in God. This article asks to consider the context or what was occurring at the time of the giving of these commandments.
October 26
When the Jews were under the bondage of the Egyptians there was a temptation to worship the animal like gods of the Egyptians. Many of the Egyptian gods were made in the images of jackals, birds and other animals. In the above text God is making an direct condemnation of this practice when he says do not make a graven image of anything in heaven, the earth, under the earth and in the water.
Now I can't personally think of people right now that are tempted to fashion a god from the image of an animal. Some say that the application today of this command is the way in which we worship idols such as money, sex, status. From that standpoint, I think what we tend to do is instead of making God number one, it seems that money, sex, or status is made number one in our lives. In a way I think there is some merit in these objects being considered as idols. People I think do start to define their lives by these idols of money, sex, and status and think that life can only be good when we have these.
Going back to examining the context of Exodus 20, the article goes on to say that graven images are not bad always, as it is recorded in Exodus 25:17-22 about the figures of cherubs (angelic beings) that were woven into the fabric of the curtain on the tabernacles. The thought being that the figure was an aid in the worship of God. But others argue that this is artwork and is not the same as having a statue of Mary or wearing a Saint Christopher medal around your next with the idea that the medal will keep you from harm.
It seems like what has occurred over time is we have started with something that originally was not meant to be worshipped, but over time we have been tempted through practice to focus on the object and therefore turn it into an image or idol that we do in fact worship. And this seems to me to be the intent of the commandment that was given. It is to remind us of our tendency as humans to make something more than it was meant to be and turn it into an object that we do in fact worship.
October 27
Let's face it, we are visual people and God knew this. Again, as I think of these commandments that He gives us, it is because we need to be confronted with these reminders because our tendency is to do the opposite or to do what we are told not to do. As humans, we like images and like to see with our eyes. God knew this and yet God doesn't want us to try to make something in our life that ends up replacing him. Or take his place.
I must be careful to define God by His Word. Because I know I have at times expressed to people the God I want rather than the God who is.
Summary: I need to accept God as He is, and be careful of not making something He is not or placing other things in my life as more important than Him. I must guard against this always. Pictures, statues, symbols, art, people are not bad in and of themselves. They can all help point me to Him, but be careful about placing too much emphasis on these things I see.
Promise: From Tabletalk -- "In light of the second commandment regarding the prohibition of graven images, we should think carefully about the use of images in all of life. Images can be powerful conveyors of truth or error, so let us consider and be discerning about what we set before our eyes and the eyes of our families at all times."
Prayer: O God, I am continually reminded of how I need to be careful. It is so easy to define you according to what I like or what I want you to be. Lord, there are people that have been swept away in this and have ended up worshipping pictures, people, or other gods; help me God to love these people. Help me to not be critical of them but if they speak to me, I want to be ready to defend You. Keep me going back to Your word to defend You and help me to rightly understand Your word.
Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of July is about the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.
Bringing me to Christ
The Restraint of the Law - the law is given for lawless, unholy, disobedient people, to restrain us from acting on our sinful thoughts. Restraint and Guilt - the law is meant to restrain Christians and non-Christians alike; so that others may see Christ. The Law's Revelation of Sin - The Law reveals sin, at times making it more desirable, and show the sin which people commit and the complete standard it expects. The Law and Our Powerlessness - We are powerless over the Law and Sin revealed. It is in Christ that we receive forgiveness and the power to resist sin. The Law our Guardian - The law is not a tool of justifying me, but rather it is an instrument to bring me to Christ and show me my need for Him.
Guiding our Lives
The Guidance of the Law - The Law is a guide in our lives for what pleases God and what it looks like to walk in holiness. The Antinomian Error - We were slaves to sin, but now we are slaves to obedience and righteousness. Judaizing Legalism - The error of Judaizing Legalism is the idea that obedience brings about God's acceptance of us for salvation. The Deadliest Form of Legalism - This legalism is that one would get too focused on external practices instead of focusing on the heart.
The Law is our Guide
The Centrality of Love - Love and the law go hand in hand. We do not belong to God unless we love our neighbor, and we cannot love our neighbor without knowing and doing God‘s law and loving him. Finding Guidance in the Law - God's Word, all if it, is a guide to my life and I am to meditate on it continually. The One and Only God - I seek to trust and love God above all else today.
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