The apostle Paul warned, “For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Ephesians 5:5). Idolatry is often connected with coveting-the desire to have more of the things the rich and famous have. How does the Second Commandment apply in our modern, materialistic world? People today still tend to worship the works of their own hands ( Jeremiah 1:16). Idolatry and the Second Commandment today We are to live godly lives and reflect the light of God “that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). We are to let Christ live in us-to strive to live always as He lived ( Galatians 2:20 1 John 2:6 1 Peter 2:21). Instead we are to worship God in spirit and truth.God wants us to become like Him in character, love, choices, attitudes and approaches. We are also told not to worship angels or saints. God does not want to be worshipped as pagan gods were. But there is a sense in which we humans are in the image of God.Īt the creation, God said: “‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image in the image of God He created him male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:26-27). Obviously, we are not to worship human heroes or stars or to love ourselves with a narcissistic self-love. Take a deeper dive into this subject in our article “ Jealous God? What Does That Mean?” The image of God But His loving jealousy is never like the selfish and vindictive jealousy humans display. When we are unfaithful to Him, we damage our relationship with Him, and this does make Him jealous.

Why does God call Himself a “jealous God” (Exodus 20:5)? God loves us zealously, and He knows that if we choose to worship false gods or to reject the ways He tells us to worship Him, we are hurting ourselves. The apostle Paul agreed that the idols are nothing, but pointed out that “the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons” (1 Corinthians 10:20). For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens” (1 Chronicles 16:25-26). David contrasted the true Creator God with the powerless false gods: “For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised He is also to be feared above all gods. The Second Commandment, of course, also prohibited idolatry of pagan gods that are not gods at all. Is a cross a “graven image”? Are religious pictures “graven images” or “any likeness”? For biblical studies on these subjects, see our articles “ Is It Okay to Wear a Cross? Why or Why Not?” “ What Did and Didn’t Jesus Look Like?” and “ Where Did the Popular Image of Jesus Come From?” We are not to use statues, pictures, jewelry or anything else to represent God or as a physical aid in worshipping Him. Nothing we can make can compare with Almighty God-human handiwork would only give us a false image of the true God. God commands us not to make idols or any representation of Him. This also fit within the meaning of the Second Commandment (Deuteronomy 27:15). A different Hebrew word ( maccekah) more specifically applied to a metal image, called a “molten image” (KJV) or a “molded image” (NKJV). In passages like Isaiah 44:15 it referred to an idol carved from wood, but it was also used of metal images as in Isaiah 44:10. It is translated from the Hebrew word pecel, This meant a carved image or idol. “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” (Exodus 20:4).īut what is a graven image? The New King James Version translates it “carved image,” and many modern English versions use the word idol. The venerable King James Version used older wording that many still hear quoted today: For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” What is a graven image? “You shall not make for yourself a carved image-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 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. The Second Commandment against idolatry is recorded in Exodus 20:4-6:

Thou shalt not worship any graven image