Indeed, the Second Commandment, as found in Exodus 20:4-5 (KJV), emphasizes the prohibition against the creation and worship of graven images or idols. Here is the passage:
Exodus 20:4-5 (KJV): "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."
This commandment reinforces the exclusive worship of God and the rejection of any form of idolatry. The prohibition extends to any representation or image, whether in heaven, on earth, or in the waters below. The language used emphasizes the seriousness of this command, stating that God is a jealous God and warns of consequences for those who engage in idol worship.
The idea behind this commandment is to prevent the Israelites from creating physical representations of God or other deities, as such images might distort the true nature of the divine and lead to the worship of created things rather than the Creator. It underscores the importance of maintaining a pure and direct relationship with the unseen, spiritual God rather than relying on tangible images or idols.
The God Has No Shape
The God Has No Shape (Deuteronomy 4:15-18) “On the day the Lord God (Almighty) spoke to you from the fire at Mount Horeb, you did not see him (Moses) – there was no shape for God. So be careful! Don’t sin and destroy yourselves by making false gods or statues in the shape of any kind of living thing. Don’t make an idol that looks like a man or a woman, or like animals on the earth, or like a bird that flies in the sky. And don’t make an idol that looks like anything that crawls (reptiles) on the ground or like a fish in the sea.
Certainly, Deuteronomy 4:15-18 underscores the intangible and formless nature of God, emphasizing the prohibition against creating images or idols to represent the Almighty. Here is the passage:
Deuteronomy 4:15-18 (KJV): "Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spoke 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, The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air, The likeness of any thing that crept on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth."
This passage refers to the moment when God spoke to the Israelites from Mount Horeb, emphasizing that there was no visible form or shape associated with God during that encounter. The explicit warning is against creating any graven image or idol that resembles humans, animals, birds, or any creature, emphasizing the formless nature of the divine.
The intention behind this commandment is to maintain the uniqueness and transcendence of God, discouraging any attempt to limit the divine to a particular form or representation. The emphasis on avoiding images of creatures on earth, in the air, or in the waters underscores the comprehensive nature of the prohibition, leaving no room for creating physical representations of the Almighty.
Verses For the second commandment in the Old Testament
(Deuteronomy 5:8) “You must not make any idols. Or make any statues or pictures of anything up in the sky or of anything on the earth or of the thing down in the water.
(2 Corinthians 10:7) “You must look at the facts before you. If you fell sure you belong to Christ, and you must remember that we belong to Christ the same as you do.
(1 John 5:21) “So, dear children, keep yourselves away from the false gods (made by human).”
(Psalms 115:4-8) “The “gods” of those nations are only statues that some people have made from gold and silver. Those statues have mouths, but cannot talk. They have eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but can’t hear. They have feet, but cannot walk. No sounds come from their throats. The people who make and trust in those statues (made by humans) will become like them!
(Jeremiah 10:3-5) “The culture of the people are worth nothing. Their idols are nothing more than wood from the forest. Their idols are made by workers with chief chisels. They make their idols beautiful using silver and gold. They use hammers and nails to fasten their idols down as they will not fall over. The idols of the other (different) nations are like a scarecrow in a cucumber fields. They cannot walk. And cannot talk, and the people must be carrying them. So don’t be afraid of their idols. They cannot hurt you and can’t even help you either.”
(Exodus 34:17) says, “Don’t make idols.
(Leviticus 19:4) states that “Do not worship idols. Do not make statues of gods for yourselves (Israelis). I am the Lord your God.
(Isaiah 42:8, 17) “I am Yahweh. That is my name. I will not give my glory to other Gods. I will not let statue take the praise that should be mine. But some of them have left me (lord). They say to their gold statues, ‘you are my gods.’ They trust the false gods (Demi-Gods), but they will be disappointed and shamed.”
(Isaiah 45:16) “Many people make false gods, but each and every one of them will be disappointed. All of them will go away ashamed.”
(Isaiah 46:5-8) “I am the Lord, the only God. There is no other God (Lord) except me. I put your clothes on you, but still you don’t know me. I am doing this so that everyone will know that I am the only God. From the direction of east to the west people will know that I am the Lord and that there is no other God. I made the light and the darkness. And I am one who brings peace, and I cause trouble. I, the Lord, do all these things. May the clouds in the skies above drop goodness on the earth like showers of rain. May the earth open and let salvation grow. And may victory grow with it! I, the Lord, created him.”
God do not like his people to worship other gods
(Ezekiel 8:10) “So I went in and looked. And I saw the statues of all kinds of reptiles and animals that you hate to think about. The statues were such the filthy idols that the people of Israel worshipped. There were pictures of all those animals carve all around on each every wall!
The Second Commandment in the New Testament
(Acts 17:29) “That’s right. We all come from the God. So you (people) must not think that God is like something people imagine or make. He is not made of gold, silver, and stone. In the past, people did not understand the Almighty God, and he overlooked this. But now he is telling everyone in the world to change and turn to him.”
(Acts 19:26-35) “But look at what this man Paul is doing. Listen to what he is saying. He has convicted many people in Ephesus and all over Asia (continent) to change their religion. He says the gods that are made by the people using their hand are not real. I’m afraid this is going to turn people our business. But there is also another problem. Those people will begin to think that the temple of the Great goddess Artemis was not important. Her greatness will surely be destroyed. And Artemis is the goddess that everyone in Asia and the whole world worships.”
(Romans 1:23) states that “Instead of honoring the divine greatness of God, the one who lives forever, they traded it for the worship of idols – things are made to look like humans, who get sick and die, or like the birds, animals, and snakes.”
(Revelation 9:20) states that “The other people (not Israelis) on earth were not killed by these plagues. But these people still didn’t change their hearts and turn away from worshipping the things they had made with their own hands. But they did not stop worshiping demons and idols made from silver, bronze, gold stone and wood – things that cannot see or walk and hear.”
(Revelation 13:14, 15) do says, “This second beast fooled the people who were living on earth by using the miracles that he had been given the power to do for the first beast. And He ordered people to make an idol to honor the first beast, one that was wounded by the sword but didn’t die. The second beast was given the power to give life to the idols of the first beast. Then that idol could speak and order all those who did not worship it to be killed.
Punishment for idol worshipers
(Revelation 14:11) predicts that “And the smoke from their burning pain will rise forever and ever. And there will be no rest, whether it’s day or night, for those who worship the beast and its idol or who wear the mark of its name (beast).”
(Revelation 16:2) predicts that “The first angel left. Then that Angel poured out his bowl on the land. All those who had the mark of the beast and those who worshipped its idol got such scores that were ugly and painful.
Old Testament:
Exodus 20:4-5 (Second Commandment):
Prohibits making idols or any likeness of things in the sky, on earth, or in the water.
Psalms 115:4-8:
Describes the futility of worshipping idols made by human hands, emphasizing their inability to see, hear, walk, or speak.
Jeremiah 10:3-5:
Speaks of the worthlessness of idols made from wood, silver, and gold, highlighting their inability to move, speak, or help.
Isaiah 42:8, 17:
Emphasizes God's exclusive claim to glory, warning against trusting false gods or idols.
Isaiah 45:16, 46:5-8:
Declares the uniqueness of the Lord, stating there is no other God and warning against worshiping false gods.
Ezekiel 8:10:
Describes the abominable statues and idols that the people of Israel worshiped, indicating God's displeasure.
New Testament:
Acts 17:29:
Paul's message emphasizes that God is not like man-made images and calls for a turning away from such misconceptions.
Romans 1:23:
Points out the exchange of the divine greatness of God for the worship of idols resembling humans, animals, and birds.
Revelation 9:20, 13:14-15:
Describes people continuing to worship idols despite plagues and the consequences of creating an idol to honor the first beast.