Exodus 20:4-6

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Goodcheer68

Puritan Board Sophomore
I read this commandment as stating two things. 1. Don’t make images of any kind depicting God and 2. Don’t worship or bow down to those images. Others don’t distinguish these ideas and see these verses as forbidding only those images made for the purpose of worship.

Is the distinction I make in the original text? If so could you point me to some short resources that breaks that down, or if someone is able to summarize that here that would be great! BTW I read Deut 4:15-19 in the same way. @iainduguid
 
The "other" idea assumes it is possible to have a "divinely oriented thought" that is not ipso facto religious or worshipful. This is preposterous.

If I think about my wife or child, and do not have any connection in that thought to my relationship to that person, is it possible for my thinking to be judged "fine?"

If I somehow did have that thought, wouldn't it be fair to say that I had improperly objectified someone, regarded her as less than she was worth by (even for a moment) reducing her from her rightful status?

I regard the above analysis respecting a human being as undeniably true, as "self-evident." And if it is the case in regard to my fellowman, so much the more in regard to the Supreme Being, the Ultimate Personhood (Tri-personal, to be exact).

For a man to "objectify" God is the essence of idolatry. The language (letters and syntax) of the 2C isn't going to decide whether one is free to narrow the scope of the command, to allow the "objectification" of God; or determine if it is possible for a creature of God to put himself in the position of a "neutral" observer.

Reverence is a state of mind. God deserves my ceaseless admiration more than even my wife does. For the properly reverent person, only a low view of God (lower than one questing ever higher) can even conceive of confining him to a finite (and inaccurate) depiction.

If HE has come to us, and offered an approved sign HE thinks is suitable for puttng us in mind of him, his being and his character; if HE has put his revelation in written form, and given us minds with the ability to access the truth about him (in a way that won't kill us)--this condescension should satisfy us, and not drive us to "improve" on it.

How could we? All such efforts on our part would only deform what was given us, even assuming the unfallen human nature. How much more the fallen, sinful nature?

The first commandment teaches that there is a God, to the exclusion of all other gods, and in contrast to no God at all. He is the incomparable Deity, Is.40:18; 46:5.

The second commandment teaches that we must worship him (whether?) and what manner of worship is acceptable (how?), by negation of all the contrary. If everything not permitted and prescribed and authorized is some form of idolatry, then God is approachable only on his own terms.

Only the pure worship of God, only coming by means of his appointed Mediator, will bring about pleasure in the experience, his pleasure resulting in our pleasure. Otherwise, there is only the inevitable expectation of judgment, Heb.10:27, "for our God is a consuming fire," (12:29).
 
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