The Second Commandment

Good morning, Church!

I want to start our time together with a lighthearted story. There was a little boy named Jimmy who had a deep love for drawing. One day, after church, he decided to draw a picture of God. His mother, seeing him furiously scribbling with his crayons, chuckled and said, "But Jimmy, no one knows what God looks like!" Without missing a beat, Jimmy replied, "Well, they will when I'm finished!"

This humorous anecdote brings us to our focus today, which is on the second commandment: "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or 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 or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments." (Exodus 20:4-6, ESV).

This commandment makes it clear that God should not and cannot be represented by an image or idol. In the Bible, we see the devastating effects when the Israelites failed to follow this commandment.

In Exodus 32, while Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the commandments from God, the Israelites made a golden calf and began to worship it. When Moses returned and saw this, he was so distraught that he threw down the tablets of stone and broke them at the foot of the mountain. God's wrath was kindled against the Israelites, and He sent a plague upon them because they made the calf.

The tale of King Nebuchadnezzar, recounted in Daniel 3, also gives a stark example of the dangers of idolatry. The king constructed a huge golden statue and demanded that all bow before it or face death in a fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused, honoring the second commandment even at the risk of their lives.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul addressed this commandment while speaking to the Athenians in Acts 17:29: "Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man."

It's essential to understand that idols aren't limited to golden calves or towering statues. Anything that takes God's place in our hearts can become an idol. It could be money, fame, relationships, work, or even our worries and fears. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Let us pray: "Dear Lord, help us to always honor and obey Your commandments. Forgive us for the times we have allowed other things to take Your place in our lives. Help us to remove anything that has become an idol in our hearts and focus our attention and love solely on You. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Let's go into this week with a commitment to uphold the second commandment and keep God at the center of our lives.

God bless you all!