January 13, 2008

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 Scripture KJV

Reverend David S. Huffer

Westwood Baptist Church - 2124 Davis Road
 Waynesboro, VA

Ten Commandments #2

No Graven Images

Exodus 20:4-6

Last week we began looking at the passages of Scripture in the Old Testament that we refer to as the Ten Commandments.

·         All too many folks believe the Old Testament, especially the section we are looking at right now, is no longer valid for today.

·         However, I believe that it is of extreme importance that we have a standard of behavior

DEAR FRIEND – I believe that without God’s standard, man determines what is right and what is wrong;

·         And that is precisely why we are in such a mess today!

In the first command, we saw that there is but One God, and it is to be our first priority to worship and honor Him with our lives.

·         The second command seems to be very similar to the first.

·         But this command speaks of HOW we are to worship Him

It tells us not to try to create Him in OUR likeness.

·         Where the first command warned against worshipping a false God

·         This command warns against worshipping the TRUE GOD in a FALSE MANNER

DEAR FRIEND – Let me ask you a question this morning: HOW BIG IS YOUR GOD?

·         For some their gods are tangible

·         Something they can handle and control

·         For others their gods hang on the walls or fit into their pockets

THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS COMMAND

A. Don’t Create material Images Of God

1.         The word in Greek for idol means: “to cast a shadow”

2.        The Hebrew word for “graven” literally mans: “to hammer out”

B. This Command Forbids The Making Of Images To Use In Worship Of God
 

C. Some O.T. Examples of Idol Worship

1.         The Israelites at Sinai

·           The people convinced Aaron to fashion a golden calf

·           This was a god like the Egyptians had worshipped

Ex.32:5-6 – “So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD." Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”

2.        The Bronze Snake only a symbol  - (Numbers 21)

2 Kings 18:4 – “He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan.”

3.        Gideon’s Ephod: They Attached Some Supernatural Power To It Because Of Gideon

Judges 8:27 – “Then Gideon made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot with it there. It became a snare to Gideon and to his house.”

D. Moses Warned The Nation of Israel Concerning Worship of Idols Before They Entered The Promised Land

Deut. 4:15-16 - "Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female…”

THE REASON FOR THE COMMANDMENT

A. Idols Limit Our Concept Of Who God Is

1. In His nature: God is alive, personal
2. In His action: God is almighty

Exodus 20:5a – “You shall not bow down to them, nor serve them: For I the Lord Thy God am a jealous God…”

B. They Limit Our Concept Of Where God Is

1. God is not confined to buildings!
2. God is not confined to objects!

Psalm 139:7-10 - “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.”
 

C. The Worship Of Idols Also Leads To Judgment

Exodus 20:5b – “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 showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”

OUR RESPONSE TO THIS COMMANDMENT

A. “Clean house” On The Idols In Your House

1 Cor. 12:2 – “You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led.”

Psalm 115:8 – “Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.”

B. Worship God Only

1. Worship means: “to give my highest love and devotion”

Romans 1:24-25 – “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”

DEAR FRIENDS – The “lie” Paul is referring to is idols.

·           God did not give up on humanity

·           He gave them over to their sin

·           He allowed them to go deeper and deeper into sin

·           He gives us an opportunity to see how evil see really is and how desperately wicked people can become

2. The only image we are to worship is Christ

Colossians 1:15 – “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”

Hebrews 1:1-3 – “GOD, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…”

C. The Only Acceptable Worship Is In The Spirit And In Truth

John 4:24 – “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
 

God is not limited by time and space

·           When you are born of the Spirit you can commune with God anywhere

·           Spirit is the opposite of what is material and earthly

·           Truth – is what is in harmony with the nature and will of God

DEAR FRIEND – The issue is not WHERE a person worships, but HOW and WHOM a person worships.

CLOSE

Some folks have replaced God with their own image.

·           Not necessarily something carved from wood or stone

·           But not the True and Mighty God of the Bible either

Have you heard someone say of the “Word of God” – “Oh, I can’t believe God is like that! My God is a loving God who would never hurt anyone!”

·           If not that – maybe something similar?

·           What’s wrong with saying that?

DEAR FRIEND – You see – we turn things around and decide who and what our God will be.

·           That is the very thing God warned us about

DO YOU KNOW JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR?

·           Are we worshipping Him in Spirit and Truth?

If not, why not come today and settle things with the almighty God of all eternity?

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