Making God in our image
Reading: Exodus chapter 20 verses 4-6.
ILL:
• A husband came down to breakfast and was delighted to hear his wife say;
• "Darling you are a model husband'.
• Now he was so flattered by the remark;
• That latter on that day he decided to look up the meaning of the word in his Oxford dictionary.
• He found the page and began reading:
• "Model, a small plastic imitation of the real thing".
The second commandment is a reminder to us:
• That when we allow idolatry into our lives,
• We are swapping the genuine for an inferior artificial imitation of the real thing.
Ill:
Dad and coins with grandchildren.
• They thought they were getting a bargain,
• But really they were selling themselves short!
• When people allow idolatry into their lives;
• They may feel they are getting a bargain, but ultimately they are selling themselves short!
Strangely enough:
• The 2nd commandment;
• Is probably one of the most violated commandments today!
• That may seem strange to us probably non of us have a replica god in our homes,
• But as we shall see there are many ways to “make an idol”.
THE BIBLE IS VERY CLEAR - GOD DENOUNCES IDOLATRY.
• In the second commandment;
• God clearly deplores idolatry:
• No-one who reads this commandment cannot mistake his reaction to it.
• For in it He provides his people with some clear and specific guidelines.
(1). Don't make idols (vs 4).
“You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.”
Ill:
A father took his son to a large city museum;
• Thinking that the visit would entertain the boy.
• But for two hours the lad did nothing but sigh and complain.
• Finally in desperation the boy said to his dad;
• “Dad, let’s go someplace where things are real!”
The Israelites (Hebrew) people again and again:
• Would swap their relationship with the ‘real’ invisible living God,
• For a visible deity made of wood, metal or stone.
• Idolatry in the Old Testament was essentially focused on an image;
• A statue or something that represented a god or goddess.
Ill:
Some translations actually use the phrase ‘graven image’:
• The Hebrew word used is ‘pesel’ and is used 52 times in the Old Testament;
• And is a word often used by the prophets.
• Originally meant;
• ‘Anything carved from wood or stone’, but later meant metal figures as well.
(b). The Old Testament also uses another word over 50 times for idolatry, ‘g’lul’;
• Which means; ‘something uncarved, shapeless e.g. mountain or a meteorite’.
• Many of these false gods were linked to creation e.g. sun god or the rain god etc.
(c). If you add those two words with other Hebrew words
• That get translated as idolatry in our English Bibles:
• You will have almost two hundred references to this commandment.
Often these Hebrew words are used by God through his prophets inter-changeably.
• They make a simple and important point;
• The Israelites were commanded by God to keep away from idols;
• They were to worship the creator not the creation;
• And reflect him in their standards of living.
TWO REASONS THEY WERE NOT TO MAKE IDOLS:
(1). God is almighty:
• The second commandment contains a;.
• "Classical three-tier Hebrew cosmology,"
• The Hebrews believed the universe to have three levels:
• The heavens, the earth and the waters beneath the earth.
Others in the know apply this more specifically, saying that:
• When you talk about creatures above the earth,
• It means spiritual forces;
• Creatures on the earth;
• Means material things;
• What is under the earth;
• Means the place of death and the strange life hereafter.
One of the problems with images is:
• An image may be linked to nature, or a nation or an era. But it is always so limiting;
• It fixes the object it is supposed to represent into a limited form.
Ill:
• An image constructed in the desert wilderness of Sinai;
• Would have been no use in the ghettoes of a sophisticated city like Alexandria.
• An idol fashioned in ancient Babylon would be of little significance;
• For the modern Jewish community of say, New York.
• The idols that would mean so mush to a country peasant;
• Would bear no relevance to an educated city person.
In contrast the God of the Hebrews is Almighty God:
• He is not limited by time;
• He is the God of all history (not just Biblical history).
• He is the God of all people;
• Not just Jewish people.
• He cannot be limited by time, geography, culture or anything else,
• He is immutable!
Ill:
St Augustine, the brilliant early Church father;
• Was one day walking along the seashore,
• He came across a boy who had dug a hole next to the edge of the water.
• He was furiously going back and forth from the sea to the hole, with his little bucket
• Filling it up with sea water and then emptying it in the hole.
• Augustine asked him; “What are you trying to do?”
• The little boy responded: “I’m pouring the sea into this hole”.
• Likewise it impossible to pour an ocean of God;
• Into an image or idol.
This piece of advice, all comes down to one thing:
• In every single area of the universe (heavens, earth, under the earth).,
• You can't use anything else to represent the Creator.
• Never represent the Creator by anything created.
• That's the fundamental rule.
Ill:
The great composer J.S. Bach,
• He headed his compositions: "J.J." "Jesus Juva" which means "Jesus help me."
• He ended them "S.D.G." "Soli Dei gratia" which means "To God alone the praise."
• When it comes to worship; it is ‘To God alone the praise.’
• Rule is do not give that glory, that worship top another!
(2). God reveals himself in his word:
• When Moses came down from mount Sinai (Exodus 20):
• He did not bring down with him a visible representation of God;
• Instead he carried two tablets of stone.
• On them was written the words of God.
• In other words God had chosen to reveal himself by his word;
• That is always God’s way of revelation.
• He would later choose prophets (messengers) to bring folks back to himself;
• He did not choose artificers or connoisseurs of the fine arts.
• We experience God through his word;
• And what he says he means!
Ill: Doctors: What They Say and What They Mean:
• What they say: “It could be one of several things.”
What they mean: “I haven’t the foggiest idea what’s wrong with you.”
• What they say: “I’d like to run that test again.”
What they mean: “We have lost your blood sample.”
• What they say: “These pills have very few side effects.”
What they mean: “You may experience sudden hair growth on the palms of your hands.”
• What they say: “There’s a lot of this going around.”
What they mean: “We’ll give it a name as soon as we figure out what it is.”
The unchanging God has revealed himself though his word:
• That principle still applies today.
• Written word: Bible and the living word: Jesus!
(2). Don't worship idols (vs 5).
• Second, God says,
• "Not only should you not make idols, you shall not bow down to them or worship them."
Someone here might be thinking:
• What relevance does this old law have with my life today.
• It might have been needed back then to a bunch of uneducated wanderers in the desert,
• But I live in the western world in the 21st century;
• What’s it got to do with me?
Ill:
• The year was 1917.
• The place Moscow.
• The situation: men were manning barricades,
• Preparing to fire the first shots of what would be a world revolution.
• At the same time and in the same city;
• Church dignitaries were holding a meeting.
• The purpose of their gathering was to decide;
• What colour of robes were to be worn at a certain ecclesiastical gathering.
• Sadly those clergy men had missed the point!
• They bore no relevance to their times and circumstances.
• Maybe someone here tonight feels the same way about this commandment.
• It bears no relevance to their times and situation.
• If you are thinking that way;
• Think again!
It may be true that we do not face a pantheon of false gods like the Israelites did:
• But we face daily pressures from a pantheon of false values;
• Materialism, love of leisure, sensuality, worship, love of self and many others as well.
• You do not have to look very far to see the things which people live for:
• Relationships, work, possessions, prestige, sport and leisure,
• These things in themselves are not nescercery wrong;
• But out of balance they can dominate our lives and become our idols.
Quote: A definition:
“Anything or anyone that we value more than God,
That replaces God in our desires and affections becomes an idol”.
Idolatry is misdirected worship:
• Worship isn't just singing.
• It's the thing we live our lives for, it is an attitude of mind and heart.
• We've all heard of car enthusiasts who have been described as 'worshipping their cars'.
• Or football supporters e.g. ‘the reason to live’, ‘MUFC the religion’.
• Both worship and idolatry go way beyond words and home in on our actions;
• The thing we live our lives for, it is an attitude of mind and heart.
Ill:
• Surprised to see an empty seat at the F.A. Cup final,
• A diehard fan remarked about it to a woman sitting nearby.
• "It was my husband's," the woman explained, "But he died."
• "I'm very sorry," said the man.
• "Yet I'm really surprised that another relative, or friend,
• Didn't jump at the chance to take the seat reserved for him."
• "Beats me too," she said.
• "But they all insisted on going to the funeral."
Idolatry is misdirected worship:
• It’s about getting our priorities wrong.
• Putting others people or other things before God.
The. Bible actually lists numerous things under the heading of idolatry;
• Quote: Colossians chapter 3 verse 5:
• “Don't be greedy, which is the same as worshiping idols.”
• Quote: Message: “Grabbing whatever attracts your fancy.
• That's a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God.”
• Whenever these desires and things take the centre stage in our lives;
• They replace the true and living God, and so what we then have is an idol.
Ill:
• In Berlin art gallery is a painting by German painter Adolf Menzel (1815-1905).
• It is only partially finished.
• The painting was intended to show Fredrick the Great speaking with some of his generals.
• Menzel painted generals and background,
• But decided to leave the king until last.
• He actually put the outline of Fredrick in charcoal,
• But before he finished the picture he died!
• Sadly many Christians come to the end of life;
• Without ever having put Christ the king into his proper place, centre stage.
Quote:
• In his book, God's Good Life, Dr David Field says; that an idol is
• “Anything which detracts from the heartfelt devotion that properly belongs to God'”.
• That is a good definition.
• God is the one who deserves all our devotion simply because he is God.
(3). Don't miscalculate God's reaction (vs 5)
• In his denunciation of idolatry, God says, "Don't miscalculate my reaction to it."
• Exodus chapter 20 verse 5 says, "I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God."
• There are two things in verse 5;
• That many people have a problem with.
(1). God is Jealous.
Ill:
Two shopkeepers were bitter rivals.
• Their stores were directly across the street from each other,
• And they would spend each day keeping track of each other’s business.
• If one got a customer,
• He would smile in triumph at his rival.
• One night an angel appeared to one of the shopkeepers in a dream and said:
• “I will give you anything you ask,
• But whatever you receive, your competitor will receive twice as much.
• Would you be rich?
• You can be very rich, but he will be twice as wealthy.
• Do you wish to live a long and healthy life?
• You can, but his life will be longer and healthier.
• What is your desire?”
• The man frowned, thought for a moment, and then said,
• “Here is my request: Strike me blind in one eye!”
Jealousy to us is negative, a negative, unhealthy trait:
• But we are creatures with a sinful nature;
• That sinful nature affects us by tainting and spoiling all areas of our lives.
• When jealousy rears its ugly head it is like a boomerang;
• That not only harms its victim but comes back to strike the one who produced it.
• So we don't like to think of God in that respect.
• And many people find the idea of God being jealous abhorrent.
Perhaps we can understand the word better if we change the word:
• In both English and Hebrew;
• The word ‘Jealous’ has the same root word as the word; ‘Zealous’.
• In fact in reference to God and the Bible;
• The two words can be inter-changed.
When we read of God being jealous:
• It is with a pure, wholesome jealousy;
• Or a ‘zealousness’:
• The word ‘Zealous’ means "A passionate PURE, desire to hold on to us.
• A strong eager, WHOLESOME enthusiasm for us.”
• This is the sense in which God is jealous.
• With all the intensity and integrity of his being,
• Ill: As a loving parent is zealous for the well-being and safety of their physical children.
• So too, our heavenly father is zealous for the health (physical & spiritual) of his children.
• And so God will defend and insist on his rightful place at the centre of the universe,
• On the throne of his creatures' hearts.
2nd Problem:
(b). God punishes others (vs 5b).
I do not leave unpunished the sins of those who hate me, but I punish the children for the sins of their parents to the third and fourth generations
• Many people read that and respond,
• "If that's your God, you're welcome to him. I'll have a different one, thank you."
Ill:
But think for a moment, if you go to a psychologist,
• Chances are you'll engage in psychotherapy;
• That will identify your emotional aberration by looking into your past
• The therapist may ask questions about your parents and grandparents.
• That psychologist affirms the truth of the nature of God,
• Because to a great extent you've become what you are;
• Because of your parents' and grandparents' influence.
In effect God says,
"If 1 do not have my rightful place in people's lives, if other things take my place, the ramifications and repercussions pass inevitably from generation to generation."
Ill:
• Bob James who said;
• Recently I laid a small circle of poison around a hill of ants.
• Thinking the tiny granules of poison were food,
• The ants began to pick them up and carry them throughout the colony.
• I returned later to see how well the poison was working.
• Hundreds of the stinging ants were carrying the poison down into their hill.
• Then I noticed a hole in the circle of poison.
• Some of the poison was moving the opposite way,
• Away from the hill. Some other creepy crawlies;
• Had found this "food" and were stealing it from their ant neighbours.
• Thinking they were getting the other ants' treasure,
• They unwittingly poisoned themselves and their loved ones!
In effect God says,
"If 1 do not have my rightful place in people's lives, if other things take my place, the ramifications and repercussions pass inevitably from generation to generation."
• Quote: “No-one sins in a vacuum.”
• Ill: Like ripples in a pond, our actions always affect other people.
So in effect God is saying in this verse,
"If 1 do not have my rightful place in people's lives, if other things take my place, the ramifications and repercussions pass inevitably from generation to generation."
(4). Don't forget God's grace (vs 6).
• In addition God says, "Don't forget my grace!"
• In marked contrast to the statement about punishing the next generation,
• He goes on to say,
• "I show love."
Verse 6:
“Showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments”
”But I lavish my love on those who love me and obey my commands, even for a thousand generations”.
Note the contrast between verses 5 and 6:
• The structure of the verse deliberately contrasts three or four generations;
• With thousands of generations.
• The effects of sin may effect a few;
• But the blessings of God affect many.
Ill:
Apostle Paul’s words in Romans chapter 5 verse 20.
• N.I.V: "Where sin [and accordingly judgment] increased, grace increased all the more"
• The Message: “When it's sin versus grace, grace wins hands down.”
Ill:
• Fridtjof Nansen was an Norwegian explorer and statesman,
• He lived Norway between 1861-1930.
• He tried to measure an extremely deep part of the Arctic Ocean.
• The first day he used his longest measuring line but couldn't reach the bottom.
• He wrote in his log book. "The ocean is deeper than that!"
• The next day he added more line but again had to record, "Deeper than that!"
• After several days of adding more and more line;
• He gave up without learning its actual depth.
• All he knew was that it was beyond his ability to measure it.
• How ever hard he tried, his conclusion was “Deeper than that!”
When it comes to the love, mercy, kindness and grace of God:
• They are always deeper than we can ever measure.
• They are limitless, boundless, beyond description.
• And verse 5 is a reminder that God;
• Shows this love, kindness, mercy, and grace to thousands upon thousands;
Ill:
• At age 16 Andor Foldes was already a skilled pianist,
• But he was experiencing a troubled year.
• In the midst of the young Hungarian’s personal struggles,
• One of the most renowned pianists of the day came to Budapest.
• Emil von Sauer was famous not only for his abilities;
• He was also the last surviving pupil of the great Franz Liszt.
Von Sauer requested that Foldes play for him.
• Foldes obliged with some of the most difficult works of Bach, Beethoven, and Schumann.
• When he finished, von Sauer walked over to him and kissed him on the forehead.
• “My son,” he said, “when I was your age I became a student of Liszt.
• He kissed me on the forehead after my first lesson, saying,
• ‘Take good care of this kiss—it comes from Beethoven,
• Who gave it to me after hearing me play.
• ‘ I have waited for years to pass on this sacred heritage,
• But now I feel you deserve it.”
In a far greater way than Emil von Sauer:
• God passes on a special heritage - His blessing!
• According to verse 6; the condition is we keep idols from entering our lives!
And finally:
The New Testament has some great doxologies and benedictions:
• We often say 2 Corinthians chapter 13 verse 14;
• Commonly called ‘The grace’.
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all”.
• Another well-known blessing is found at the end of the book of Jude;
• Another well known one, is found in the book of Hebrews chapter 13 verse 20.
One piece of advice I have never heard publicly announced:
• Is found at the end of the New Testament book called First John.
• In English it is only 21 letters long,
• Those 21 letters make up four words in length that say:
• “Keep yourself from idols”.
IF YOU KNOW THE FIRST LETTER OF JOHN:
• Not once in that letter does John ever talk about idolatry, e.g. images, statues etc.
• Although he lived in a city that was full of them.
• Ephesus contained the temple of Diana and was one of the wonders of the ancient world.
• He may have had this in mind, but his admonition comes without any explanation.
I would suggest another interpretation:
• I believe John means idols are ‘false conceptions of God’.
• Again and again in his letter John has warned his readers;
• To abstain from any form of worship that draws them away from Jesus Christ!
• John’s message in this letter is; ‘it is all about Jesus’.
• ‘He is the true God and he alone is the eternal life’
• So don’t get sidetracked, put him first!
So his closing advice:
• N.I.V: “Keep yourself from idols”.
• The Message: “Be on guard against all clever facsimiles”.
• C.I.V: “Keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts”
