Second Commandment
Ex 20:4-6
Introduction: This second command precedes all other eight commandments. In God’s sight the Idol worship leads to all sins. If a person keeps himself away from Idol worship, he will keep himself from every sinful life.
1. NOT TO MAKE ANY IDOL V.4.
It is forbidden to make any image or picture of the Deity, in any form, or for any purpose; No carve, no graven, no painting. Images make men to estimate Him according to their own reason. It is wrong for men to seek the presence of God in any visible image, because He cannot be represented to our eyes. However the second commandment doesn’t forbid making an image of something for artistic purposes; God commanded Israel make images of Cherubim (Exodus 25:18; Exo_26:31). But forbids to make images as an “aid” to worship. John 4:24, Romans 1:22-23. To whom can we liked him? Isaiah 40:18,25.
V.5. NOT TO BOW DOWN, NOT TO SERVE
The curse of our country is idol worship, liked with superstitions, linked with myths and stories about divinity. Idol worship led to the Varna system (Caste System), led to the slavery.
God's glory is diminished by Idol worship, Leads altogether aside, and assign to them the supreme power. How wretched in India, how many gods, deities for all activities.
Pride makes a God of ourselves, covetousness makes a God of money, sensuality makes a God of the belly. Whatever is loved, feared, delighted in, or depended on, more than God, that we make a god. God in our fancies, our worship must be governed by the power of faith, not by the power of imagination. not have any image before them for the directing, exciting, or assisting their devotion. Idol worship leads to God visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation - Severely punishing.
Keeping mercy for thousands of persons, thousands of generations, of them that love me and keep my commandments - As the first commandment requires the inward worship of love, desire, joy, hope, so this the outward worship of prayer and praise, and solemn attendance on his word. This mercy shall extend to thousands, much further than the wrath threatened to those that hate him, for that reaches but to the third or fourth generation.
2. Jealous and Merciful God v.5, 6.
Though Jealousy is an ugly word. “It is the green-eyed monster,” said Shakespeare in Othello. Jealousy is horrible trait. A jealous God! How can a God who is holy, just, loving, gracious, merciful, and long-suffering possibly be jealous? Dt. 4:24
“God’s jealousy is love in action. He refuses to share the human heart with any rival, not because He is selfish and wants us all for Himself, but because He knows that upon that loyalty to Him depends our very moral life. God is not jealous of us: He is jealous for us.”
In OT jealous is to become intensely red. It seems to refer to the changing color of the face or the rising heat of the emotions which are associated with intense zeal or fervor over something dear to us. It can be “zeal.” God is zealous—eager about protecting what is precious, special possession, and unique treasure to Him. (Psalm 135:4).
Jealousy can be either good or bad. The marital relationship is best way to understand the difference between sinful jealousy and righteous jealousy. Husband can be jealous over his wife in a wrong way or in a right way. If anger comes merely of her talking to another man, that would be self-centered possessiveness and unreasonable domination—sinful jealousy. It stems from selfishness or insecurity rather than from real commitment to her and to what is right. If anger comes when a man actually trying to alienate wife’s affections and seduce her, then it is righteously jealous. It is selfishness, suspicion, distrust, possessive, demanding, and overbearing; and repulsive. It stifles freedom and individuality, degrades, demean, breeds tension, discord, destroys friendships and marriages.
No man wants to share his wife with another man, and neither does God. He expects exclusive devotion from her. When she goes after other lovers, when she worships other gods and thus commits spiritual adultery, He is said to be jealous. “And I will betroth you to Me forever” (Hosea 2:19). And aroused His jealousy with their graven images (Psalm 78:58, 1 Corinthians 10:22).
God’s name is the epitome of who and what He is, and He says His name is Jealous. Jealousy is not merely a passing mood with God. It is the essence of His person. He cannot be other than jealous. Since He is the highest and greatest being there is, infinitely holy and glorious, He must be passionately committed to preserving His honor and supremacy. He said about Himself:
I am the LORD, that is My name;
I will not give My glory to another,
Nor My praise to graven images (Isaiah 42:8).
God is sovereign and supreme over all. He must be faithful to Himself and maintain His high and holy position, “I shall be jealous for My holy name” (Ezekiel 39:25). His jealousy does not grow out of insecurity, anxiety, frustration, covetousness, pride, or spite, as ours usually does. It is the natural and necessary by-product of His absolute sovereignty and infinite holiness.
We live in a pagan society where money is god and material possessions, comforts and pleasures are chief objects of man’s worship. Satan holds the adoration of some and superstition grips the hearts. God looks for a nucleus of people who will be jealous for the Lord God of hosts, who will stand against every expression of idolatry, who will look solely to the Lord and His Word for guidance and strength.
Martyrs of Sebaste: King Lucius offered scarifies to his gods, army to worship but 40 soldiers of Cappadocia, declined. They were jailed, given chance to renounce faith and go back to life before put into frozen lake. At sunset they were stripped and escorted shivering to the middle of a frozen lake. A heated bathhouse stood ready at the shore for any of them who were prepared to renounce their. As bitter winter wind whipped across the ice, in the whistling wind the soldiers heard singing:
“ Forty good soldiers for Christ!
We shall not depart from You as long as You give us life.
We shall call upon Your Name whom all creation praises:
Fire and hail, snow and wind and storm.
On You we have hoped and we were not ashamed!”
One of the forty crawling toward the bathhouse died before reaching bathhouse. Then jailer wrenched off his armor and coat, dashed to the edge of the lake, lifted his right hand and cried, “Forty good soldiers for Christ!” All forty were dead by the next day.
