Exodus 20 v. 1 - 6 v. 4 "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:
1. THE COPY THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE - "Thou shalt not make" v. 5 "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;" POEM
(a) To make an accurate image of the living God is impossible -
John 4 v. 24 "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."
Romans 1 v. 23 "And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things."
(1) God is infinite and cannot be represented by anything finite
(2) God is spiritual and cannot be represented by anything physical
(3) God is unlimited and cannot be represented by anything limited
(4) God is everywhere and cannot be represented by anything local
(5) God is eternal and cannot be represented by anything temporal
(b) To worship any attempted image is unlawful "Thou shalt not make, thou shalt not bow down thyself to them"
Leviticus 26 v. 1 "Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God."
Deuteronomy 16 v. 22 "Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth."
Psalm 97 v. 7 "Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods." We are forbidden to:-
(1) Materialize God - Hebrews 11 v. 6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
(2) Localize God - Ps 139 v. 7 "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?" Jonah
(3) Characterize God - i.e. to create God in man's image - Rom 1 v. 23 "And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things."
(4) Trivialize God - Isaiah 55 v. 8 & 9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."
(c) To worship an image in place of God is irrational - Hebrews 3 v. 3 & 4 "For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God."
(1) A blacksmith cannot fire it up - Isaiah 44 v. 12 "The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint."
(2) A carpenter cannot nail it up - Isaiah 44 v. 13 & 14 "The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house. He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it."
(3) A cook cannot cook it up - Isaiah 44 v. 15 "Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto."
1 Kings 8 v. 27 "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?"
2. THE CONCERN THAT'S IMPRESSIVE - v. 5 "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;"
(a) The danger of false worship - John 4 v. 20 - 24 "Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."
(b) The deceit of false worship - i.e. gods of:-
(1) Pleasure - 2 Timothy 3 v. 4 "Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;"
(2) Power - 2 Timothy 3 v. 2 "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,"
(3) Profit - 1 Timothy 6 v. 10 "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
(4) Praise - John 19 v. 12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar."
(c) The denial of false worship - God as God demands our:-
(1) Total life (2) Total love (3) Total loyalty - v. 5 "for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God"
(d) The detesting of false worship - the destruction of (1) Egyptians - (2) Canaanites,(3) Nadab and Abihu - Leviticus 10 v. 1 - 3 "And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace."
Numbers 3 v. 4 "And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father." (4) Israelites themselves - Babylon - captivity -
2 Corinthians 11 v. 2 "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ."
3. THE CONDEMNATION THAT'S IMPOSING v. 5 "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;"
Deuteronomy 24 v. 16 "The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin."
Romans 5 v. 12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" - the influence of sin - influence is very:-
(a) Personal (b) Powerful (c) Practical - Matthew 28 v. 19 & 20 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
(d) Pivotal - Deuteronomy 6 v. 6 & 7 "And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."
e.g. O.T. King Uzziah became proud - 2 Chronicles 26 v. 16 "But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense." ,
his son Jotham - 2 Chronicles 27 v. 2 "And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah did: howbeit he entered not into the temple of the LORD. And the people did yet corruptly." - stopped going to the temple,
his son Ahaz became an idol worshipper - 2 Chronicles ch 28
v22 And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD: this is that king Ahaz.
23 For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.
24 And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made him altars in every corner of Jerusalem.
25 And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers.
4. THE COMPASSION THAT'S IMMEASURABLE - v. 6 "And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments." God's mercy is:-
(a) Free - Hosea 14 v. 4 "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him." - Romans 3 v. 24 "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:"
(b) Full - it reaches all:-
(1) Dimensions - Exodus 34 v. 6 "And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth," - Psalm 86 v. 5 "For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee."
(2) At all seasons - night and day - Psalm 42 v 8 "Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life."
Lamentations 3 v. 23 "They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."
(3) To all classes - poor - 1 Samuel 2 v. 8 "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them."
prisoner - Psalm 69 v. 33 "For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners."
dejected - Isaiah 54 v. 8 "In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer."
(4) In all times - Old - Psalm 25 v. 6 "Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old." - New - Psalm 40 v. 3 "And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD."
(c) Faithful - Psalm 103 v. 17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;" - in :-
(a) Daily supplies - Genesis 48 v. 15 "And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,"
(b) Gospel liberties 1 Cor 16v9 "For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries."
(c) Preventing evils - Psalm 3 v. 3 "But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head."
(d) Deliverance - 2 Timothy 4 v. 17 "Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion."
(e) Restraint - Genesis 20 v. 6 "And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her." Abimelech
(f) Guidance - i.e. providence - Acts 17 v. 26 "And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;" -
counsel - Psalm 73 v. 24 "Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory." -
Psalm 31 v. 3 "For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me."
(g) Correction - Hebrews 12 v.10 "For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness."
(h) Pardon - Micah 7 v. 18 & 19 "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."
(i) Sanctification - Lev 20 v. 8 "And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you."
2 Thess 2 v. 13 "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:"
(j) Answered prayer - Psalm 4 v. 1 " Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer."
(k) Salvation - Titus 3 v. 5 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"
