The Second Commandment

"You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, The Lord your God am a jealous God"   Exodus 20:4

 

Is idolatry a rare occurrence these days or does it abound prolifically in today’s world?

Do idols have supernatural power?

Does everyone have a self image and is it idolatry?

How does a person develop a self image?

What does it mean that God is a jealous God?

 

For Israel the golden calf was a confused concept of what Israel thought to be God Himself. It was a substantial thing made of wood and gold plated because they had to relate to something tangible that they could make themselves. Their concept was shaped by their past experience.

 

Our working model self image is an outcome of what is reflected back to us by others throughout our life - of -who -we -are, which has a mixture of either helpful and loving feedback or harmful and negative feedback. This working model of a self image is incomplete and distorted however it is perceived. Its perception of itself is flawed. It is always looking in a mirror at itself and doesn’t know who it is seeing.

 

We can be tempted to make a better self image for ourselves by having a better position in life, by way of a more prestigious job or status of some kind, and life can become an endless pursuit for this kind of self-worth

 

The truth is we have been created in God’s image to become the unique person we were created to be. To find that we have to go on a journey of trust in God to reveal to us our special giftings and abilities as well as our shortcomings

 

Click here to see a chart showing the progression of the Commandments