Lesson 1: The 2nd Commandment

Idolatry

Exodus 20:1-3 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.

VERSES 1-3 ESTABLISHED THE 1st COMMANDMENT = One God!

Now Verse 4 – 6 gives us the second…

Exodus 20:4-6 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.

WE WERE DESIGNED FOR ONE GOD!

Polytheistic Philosophies never render peace of mind… You’re never sure where you stand… For example: Paul on Mars Hill: Athens, Greece

Acts 17:23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. (over 200 Idols on MARS HILL)

Even Jesus alluded to the unstableness of polytheism:
Luke 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

POLYTHEISM IN THE HEART CAN CREATE IT IN THE EMOTIONS: (Life is off center)

James 1:8 A double minded man [is] unstable in all his ways.

Back to the text: –> REMEMBER ONE POINT: The Commandments shall the character of the giver!

Exodus 20:2 I [am] the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. —> GOD DID NOT WANT THIS FORGOTTEN!

Look at these words of Moses years later…
Deuteronomy 4:14-16 And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it. Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day [that] the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire: Lest ye corrupt [yourselves], and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,

:23-25 Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, [or] the likeness of any [thing], which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee. For the LORD thy God [is] a consuming fire, [even] a jealous God. When thou shalt beget children, and children’s children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt [yourselves], and make a graven image, [or] the likeness of any [thing], and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger: ( THERE WAS NO IMAGE AT THE MT.)

THE BIBLE SAID OUR ONE GOD IS A JEALOUS GOD: (Heb) = “Zealeos” ZEALOUS

It is interesting that in the O.T. we view God as awesome, even mean…
But in the N.T. we view him as a “doting grandpa”: Grace to the extreme

BUT GOD IS NOT OUT OF BALANCE… and he is still jealous of us in the N.T.
Romans 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in [his] goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

Our one God is “RICH IN MERCY” AND an just “chastiser” also (of his sons)

WATCH THIS INTERESTING COMPARISON BETWEEN THE 1st & 2nd = Last COMMANDMENT!

I John 5:20-21 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, [even] in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

THIS ONE COMMANDMENT HAS MORE RELATED VERSES THEN ANY OTHER:

Why are humans so fascinated by idols?

Commandment #1 = Tell us “WHO” to worship #2 = tells us “HOW” to worship

John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.

GOD IS A JEALOUS GOD: He wants us to know TRUTH = not just 1/2 truth!
— which distorts our view of God —

CAN WE LOOK AT HIM ONE MORE TIME…
Colossians 1:12-20 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence. For it pleased [the Father] that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, [I say], whether [they be] things in earth, or things in heaven.

Who is the subject here? –> The Son! That he might have the preeminence

Our ONE God has decided to ELEVATE the role of the SON as KING OF KINGS!

Colossians 2:6-10 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

THE SUBJECT HERE IS THE GODHEAD: Receive Christ = One God concept!

Paul warned of the Trinitarian Doctrine 300 years before it existed
ON CHRIST THE SOLID ROCK I STAND — ALL OTHER GROUND IS SINKING SAND!

We won’t see any father on the throne… only Jesus

THE ONLY IMAGE OF GOD THAT WE ARE PERMITTED IS: JESUS CHRIST!

**** That’s why we must confess him at the outset of Salvation! ****

All other images, imaginations etc… carry a severe judgment (only #2)
VERSE 4 = NO GRAVEN IMAGES then… EX: 20:5 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; —> 3rd & 4th GENERATION

JESUS IS THE ONE TRUE GOD! HE ALONE IS WORTHY!

AUGUSTINE SAID IDOLATRY: “is worshipping something that should be used and using something that should be worshipped”

THAT IS WHAT COMMANDMENTS 1 & 2 TEACH US! (if we have ears to hear)

Some OBVIOUS idols of our day:
—-> Clothes, money, status, house, lands, cars, careers, education, sex, politics, science etc… — ALL SHOULD BE USED, NOT DEIFIED!

EVEN OUR FAMILIES OR RELATIVES CAN BECOME A GOD TO US:??

(by placing them above God in the priority chain)

Matthew 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

THE COMMAND AGAINST IDOLATRY HOLDS: -> No matter how precious the Idol

We religious folks have to be careful to keep things in balance…
Be careful that: Preachers, Churches, Holiness Doctrines, Singers, Teachers etc… DON’T OCCUPY A DISPROPORTIONATE ROLE
KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING!

God told Moses to make a Brazen Serpent 1 time:
They worshipped it 700 years until Hezekiah destroyed it!

:: B O T T O M L I N E ::

HAVE YOU TURNED OVER THE KEYS YET? (every house has rooms & closets)

—–> Sometimes we gave the FRONT DOOR key to him at conversion
———> (but we keep a little key for ourselves)
————-> HE WANTS IT… AND HE IS RELENTLESS ABOUT IT!

NO MATTER WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE HAVE DONE, WHO WE KNOW…

HE WILL SHARE HIS THRONE WITH NO ONE – NO OTHER GOD’S SHALL BE BEFORE HIM!

As his children: EVERY desire, passion, ambition… Must become HIS.

Rev. David Seamans tells this story…

In 1946, the British Divided India / Pakistan: (Hindu’s / Moslem’s killed each other)
The HINDU’s went South to India >>The MOSLEM’s went North to Pakistan (almost 1 million killed in war)
Mrs. Cliff Robinson said the Young Moslem Revolutionary Army came down the street and went house to house killing Hindu’s.
**** THERE WERE 4 CHRISTIAN HOMES IN A ROW: with RED CROSSES DISPLAYED ****
They stopped to talk at each door: (BIG ARGUMENT AT 3rd HOUSE)
THEN THE WHOLE FAMILY WAS SHOT AND KILLED
WHY? —> They were Christians… But they had been making Hindu idols on the side for money.

MANY FOLKS ARE HIDING IDOLS BEHIND CROSSES! (but God can see)

It reminds me of the Psalmist words…
Psalms 106:36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.