One of the Ten Commandments admonishes us not to make "graven images." Indeed, there is a theme in the Bible connecting idols to the worship of false gods. But do you know what that means in your life? I remember reading my First Children's Bible which alerted me to the fact that : one should not make or have graven images. As I looked around the bourgeois living room of my childhood, I got to wondering if God prohibited my mother's little collection of statutes in that room. The mini statue of Le Penseur (The Thinker) by Rodin procured in a museum which inspired me to think deeply, was that a graven image? What about her statue's of birds from around the world? Or, even my mothers kitschy collection of peasant children reminding one of pastoral European times of old?
In my child's mind, this commandment confused me for quite some time. Did the Bible prohibit me from taking that High School sculptor class? What about the viewing of the Egyptian collection of gods at the Metropolitan Museum? All these questions percolated in my mind and, as time went by, and life unfolded, I slowly started to see what an idol really was. I started to be aware of the many things which I might be tempted to do which would lead me away from God, and idols were a part of that.
I started to realize that it was not my mother's statue of a humming bird which would be an afront to God but putting things ahead of God. Not giving Him (God) the place in my life that He deserved was the affront to God! Of course, it is a little more complicated than that. After all, the Bible wouldn't have so many verses concerning idolatry if it were a simple matter. Let's look at a few of those verses and see what we can learn. The first goes back to God's giving of the Law. In Exodus 20:3-5a it says : you shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image-any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.
My first thought is that the giving of the commandments is essentially God addressing our human condition and trying to improve it. If we weren't idol-makers than we wouldn't need this commandment. John Calvin, the Reformation Theologian said it well,"the human heart so to speak, is a perpetual forge of idols." Thinking of this John Calvin quote brings to mind the story of how God's chosen people (the Jews) fashioned a golden calf to worship when Moses was busy conducting godly business. Was it the lack of leadership at that moment that caused the people to sin? Or was it, that as Calvin stated, a perpetual temptation that we must face?
The second verse that I would like to look at is a few chapters from this last quote. In Exodus 25:18 we see God giving specifications for the construction of the Ark of the Testimony. God says, "And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat." A cursory look at this verse might lead one to think that God contradicts Himself. Didn't God just tell us in Exodus 20 not to make images of things in heaven above? The message here clearly is not the carved image but the investment of power and authority over my life which I might give things.
Think that you don't have to worry because you don't make any graven images that you bow down to worship? Think again. I used to read from the book of Judges and think how foolish the Israelites were as they went through cycles of sin and repentance. Until it dawned on me that I did the same thing. Isn't it dawning on you too? As I thought about writing this post, I spoke to people and asked them what have been some of the idols in their life? Here are some of their answers:
1. My relationship (woman, man, child)
2. Sports
3. Entertainment (movies,T.V. or music)
4. Partying
5. Buddha
6. My Career
7. My car
8. Sex
9. Drugs
10. Politics
11.My i-phone and electronics
12.Crystals and stones
Just as the ancient Hebrew nation melted down their golden jewelry and something was fashioned by it, if we put all the things that you value together what would it all add up to? A golden calf of sorts perhaps? The topic of idolatry is important and can impact your relationship with God. In Ezekiel 36:25 God says, Then will I sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Idols are something that separate us from God and we have to be cleansed from them.
Further, in the last verse of The First Epistle of John we are explicitedly warned to guard against idols. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. This Apostle who is described, as "the one whom Jesus loved," had a special closeness to our Lord and is certainly in a position to guide and direct us in such matters. In Colossians 3:5 we learn, that it is necessary to " put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication,uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry."
Ask yourself what things in the above list you may be devoting your life to in an inordinate way. The Bible tells us to "seek ye first the kingdom of heaven." When we put God first, everything else kind of falls into place. We have more holy relationships. We understand what money is and what it is not. We don't live for and through television, movies or music. We enjoy times of good clean fun. (And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him - Colossians 3:17)
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