The Second Commandment

Today, we look at the Second Commandment: "You shall not make yourself a carved image nor any likeness of that which is in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the water beneath the earth. You shall not prostrate yourself to them nor worship them, for I am Hashem, your God--a jealous God, who visits the sin of fathers upon children to the third and fourth generations, for My enemies; but Who shows kindness for thousands to those who love Me and observe My commandments." (Jewish Translation) This Commandment prohibits all idolatry. It is forbidden to believe in idols, to possess them, or to worship them.

In Bible days, people believed that each nation had its own gods and they had limited powers over certain territories. People worshiped their gods for prosperity and fertility. These gods did not make moral demands on the people; they only wanted worship. A person could get wealth using deception and believe that his god had blessed them. The Hebrew God YHWH was very different. YHWH demanded holiness and ethical behavior. This seems very obvious to us, but let us examine our lives. Do we use any method available to get blessed and then ask God to sanction it? Does your church use activities for church growth based on their popularity as opposed to their spiritual content? If we are going to serve God, we must eliminate all idols. You can start right but then allow an idol to slip in; be on constant guard. Check your intentions and actions.

Today, it is very easy to break the Second Commandment. Ask for the Holy Spirit's piercing examination of your motives and actions. If you find an idol, quickly repent. Idolatry must be completely put away from your self. Be careful to make it a regular practice to check to make sure that nothing has been placed before God. You will be blessed when you do; and remember Hashem is a jealous God.