The 2nd Commandment

Welcome—why the Ten Commandments?

Influential: perhaps no other ethical code has had a greater influence; Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard Law Professor, said that the ten commandments are a “precursor to all Western Law.” Our understanding of social equality, property rights, sexual ethics, and the value of the family are all influenced by this remarkable text.

Integral to Christianity, these aren’t just ten random rules. They offer a pathway into understanding ultimate reality. I know that sounds like an unbelievable claim, hyperbolic perhaps, but when you study these words, and when you start to see God’s logic behind them, and the psycho-spiritual and social realities they correspond to, you’ll come to realize that these words point us towards freedom and truth.

So let’s dig into the second commandment.

• Influential in the world: perhaps no other ethical code has had a greater influence; Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard Law Professor, said that the ten commandments are a “precursor to all Western Law.” Our understanding of social equality, property rights, sexual ethics, and the value of the family are all influenced by this remarkable text.

As we approach the second commandment, it will be worth spending a minute or so ensuring that we understand it correctly—because its connected to the first commandment (read verses 3-5a). The thing to notice is the grammatical link: in verse 5, the “you shall not bow down to them” is plural, so it refers back to the “other gods” of verse 3 (also plural) rather than the “image” of verse 4 (singular). So there must be a connection between these two, such that to break the second command is also to break the first. So when you create an image that seeks to depict God, you ending up worshiping a false god.

• Integral to Christianity: these aren’t just ten random rules. They offer a pathway into understanding ultimate reality. I know that sounds like an unbelievable claim, hyperbolic perhaps, but when you study these words, and when you start to see God’s logic behind them, and the psycho-spiritual and social realities they correspond to, you’ll come to realize that these words point us towards freedom and truth.

How does this work? Well, let’s unpack this in stages.

So let’s dig into the second commandment.

As we approach the second commandment, it will be worth spending a minute or so ensuring that we understand it correctly—because it’s connected to the first commandment (read verses 3-5a). The thing to notice is the grammatical link: in verse 5, the “you shall not bow down to them” is plural, so it refers back to the “other gods” of verse 3 (also plural) rather than the “image” of verse 4 (singular). So there must be a connection between these two, such that to break the second command is also to break the first. So when you create an image that seeks to depict God, you ending up worshiping a false god.

How does this work? Well, let’s unpack this in stages.

Whenever we create an image of God, we misrepresent Him. The reason why any image will always misrepresent is simple: God is the infinite and invisible Creator. Any depiction of him is necessarily material, local, and created. Created things cannot represent the Creator. By definition, any image of God will necessarily misrepresent Him.

Now, for the Israelite this was a radical idea. Every religion around them would have used idols to depict their gods—the Egyptians, the Canaanites, and the various religions of the ANE all would have had carved images that represented their gods. Often, the image chosen was designed to praise the god. So, for example, a popular choice was a young bull—famous for its power. The Israelites had experienced the power of the Lord in rescuing them from Egypt, why not depict him as a young bull?

Whenever we create an image of God, we misrepresent Him. The reason why any image will always misrepresent is simple: God is the infinite and invisible Creator. Any depiction of him is necessarily material, local, and created. Created things cannot represent the Creator. By definition, any image of God will necessarily misrepresent Him.

And the answer, is that any depiction of him will be limited and skewed. Images of God misrepresent. In the book of Exodus, God reveals himself in many ways—as a Father, a Warrior, and a Redeemer to mention just a few. So to create an image limits and therefore misrepresents him.

Now, before we move on and dismiss these guys as hopelessly unsophisticated, we would do well to consider what images of God we have created. Not material images perhaps, but mental images. It’s common to hear people talk about their mental image of God using phrases like this: “well, the God I believe in is a God of love. The God I know is an artist. The God I know is a God of peace.” Those things are certainly true, but they are not all that God is. I think, just as people in the ANE visually carved images of God that they liked, so we mentally carve out images of God that we like. Typically, we want a god that suits us, that meets our needs, that cares about our values, and that furthers our agenda.

Now, for the Israelite this was a radical idea. Every religion around them would have used idols to depict their gods—the Egyptians, the Canaanites, and the various religions of the ANE all would have had carved images that represented their gods. Often, the image chosen was designed to praise the god. So, for example, a popular choice was a young bull—famous for its power. The Israelites had experienced the power of the Lord in rescuing them from Egypt, why not depict him as a young bull?

Is it possible that what often looks like genuine spirituality is actually just psychological projection? As humans, we absolutise our ideals. We collate them into a deity. We make gods in our image, projecting our desires into our theology. So I think it’s worth asking: what image of God do we have? When you conceive of God in your heart and mind, who springs to mind?

And the answer, is that any depiction of him will be limited and skewed. Images of God misrepresent. In the book of Exodus, God reveals himself in many ways—as a Father, a Warrior, and a Redeemer to mention just a few. So to create an image limits and therefore misrepresents him.

Now, before we move on and dismiss these guys as hopelessly unsophisticated, we would do well to consider what images of God we have created. Not material images perhaps, but mental images. It’s common to hear people talk about their mental image of God using phrases like this: “well, the God I believe in is a God of love. The God I know is an artist. The God I know is a God of peace.” Those things are certainly true, but they are not all that God is. I think, just as people in the ANE visually carved images of God that they liked, so we mentally carve out images of God that we like. Typically, we want a god that suits us, that meets our needs, that cares about our values, and that furthers our agenda.

Is it possible that what often looks like genuine spirituality is actually just psychological projection? As humans, we absolutise our ideals. We collate them into a deity. We make gods in our image, projecting our desires into our theology. So I think it’s worth asking: what image of God do we have? When you conceive of God in your heart and mind, who springs to mind? False images misrepresent God.

Can I suggest a thought experiment that will help you discern whether your mental image of God is accurate? A god of your own making will never contradict you. A god of your own making will always endorse you, affirm you, agree with you—but never teach you, contradict you, or offend you.

So the prohibition is there because false images of God misrepresent. But the other side to this prohibition is that images misrepresent the way we relate to God. So, when God builds relationship with His people, He doesn’t use images—He uses words. We relate to God, not by vision, but by voice.

Think about what’s happening right now—God is present at Sinai, but all everyone sees is a thick cloud. It’s what they hear that matters—and right now they are hearing God speak to them as he seeks to build relationship with them. God doesn’t relate to us through images but through words—instead of looking to discern his form, the Israelites need to listen to his voice. The God of the Bible is a speaking God, and we relate to Him by His Spirit through His Word.

False images misrepresent God. The other side to this prohibition, I think, is that when God builds relationship with His people, He doesn’t use images—He uses words. We relate to God, not by vision, but by voice. Think about what’s happening right now—God is present at Sinai, but all everyone sees is a thick cloud. It’s what they hear that matters—and right now they are hearing God speak to them as he seeks to build relationship with them. God doesn’t relate to us through images but through words—instead of looking to discern his form, the Israelites need to listen and hear his voice.

The other side to this, is that when God builds relationship with His people, He doesn’t use images—He uses words. We relate to God, not by vision, but by voice. Think about what’s happening right now—God is present at Sinai, but all everyone sees is a thick cloud. It’s what they hear that matters—and right now they are hearing God speak to them as he seeks to build relationship with them. God doesn’t relate to us through images but through words—instead of looking to discern his form, the Israelites need to listen and hear his voice.

We see this demonstrated clearly later on in Exodus: Moses says that he wants to see the glory of God. But when God does meet with Moses, he arrives in a cloud! So how does Moses see his glory? By hearing his voice—from the cloud, the Lord proclaimed his name to Moses, listed his attributes so that Moses might see God’s character.

We see this pattern again and again, because God relates to us, not through images, but through words.

The other side to this prohibition, I think, is that images misrepresent the way we relate to God. So, when God builds relationship with His people, He doesn’t use images—He uses words. We relate to God, not by vision, but by voice. Think about what’s happening right now—God is present at Sinai, but all everyone sees is a thick cloud. It’s what they hear that matters—and right now they are hearing God speak to them as he seeks to build relationship with them. God doesn’t relate to us through images but through words—instead of looking to discern his form, the Israelites need to listen and hear his voice. The God of the Bible is a speaking God, and we relate to Him by His Spirit through His Word. We see this demonstrated clearly later on in Exodus: Moses says that he wants to see the glory of God. But when God does meet with Moses, he arrives in a cloud! So how does Moses see his glory? By hearing his voice—from the cloud, the Lord proclaimed his name to Moses, listed his attributes so that Moses might see God’s character. We see this pattern again and again, perhaps most famously with Thomas. Thomas, as you may know, was the disciple who refused to believe that Jesus had been raised from the dead. Thomas said, “unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Jesus arrives, tells Thomas to do just that—and, to Thomas’s credit, he falls down at Jesus’ feet in worship. Jesus responds by saying, “because you have seen me you believed; blessed are those who have not seen me and believed.” Jesus doesn’t think you need to see him in order to believe in him. It’s no mistake that, right after this incident with Thomas, John gives us the purpose of his gospel: read verses 30-31. It’s as you read John’s Gospel that your faith in Christ will be ignited and fanned into flame. Faith comes through hearing the Word of God. Because God relates to us, not through images, but through words.

Think about the difference between scrolling through Instagram, and having a phone conversation. Instagram is an online photo-sharing service. It enables users to take photos and then share them on sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Instagram gives you some beautiful images to look at—but those images can be misinterpreted. But in a phone conversation, the speaker can emphasize how they communicate so as to ensure they are being correctly understood. Words are far more accurate than pictures when it comes to building a relationship. Now, it’s easier being on Instagram and scrolling through endless photos than having a rich, personal phone conversation. But images will never be able to build relationship in the way that words can.

God relates to us, not through images, but through words. It seems that there is a strong desire to see God, to have visions, to get a preview into heaven. Occasionally a book is released about someone who died and went to heaven for half an hour or 90 minutes or something, and of course it becomes a bestseller. Why? Because we often aren't content to relate to God in the way He has designed. Because we are lazy, sentimental—we’d prefer visions and images as opposed to prayer, reading, and meditation.

So false images misrepresent God, and they also misrepresent the way we relate to God.

Can I suggest a thought experiment that will help you discern whether your mental image of God is accurate? A god of your own making will never contradict you. A god of your own making will always endorse you, affirm you, agree with you—but never teach you, contradict you, or offend you.

So the prohibition is there because false images of God misrepresent. But another reason for this prohibition is that images misrepresent the way we relate to God. When God builds relationship with His people, He doesn’t use images—He uses words. We relate to God, not by vision, but by voice.

Think about what’s happening right now—God is present at Sinai, but all everyone sees is a thick cloud. It’s what they hear that matters—and right now they are hearing God speak to them as he seeks to build relationship with them. God doesn’t relate to us through images but through words—instead of looking to discern his form, the Israelites need to listen to his voice. The God of the Bible is a speaking God, and we relate to Him by His Spirit through His Word.

We see this demonstrated clearly later on in Exodus: Moses says that he wants to see the glory of God. But when God does meet with Moses, he arrives in a cloud! So how does Moses see his glory? By hearing his voice—from the cloud, the Lord proclaimed his name to Moses, listed his attributes so that Moses might see God’s character.

We see this pattern again and again, because God relates to us, not through images, but through words.

Think about the difference between scrolling through Instagram, and having a phone conversation. Instagram is an online photo-sharing service. It enables users to take photos and then share them on sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Instagram gives you some beautiful images to look at—but those images can be misinterpreted. But in a phone conversation, the speaker can emphasize how they communicate so as to ensure they are being correctly understood. Words are far more accurate than pictures when it comes to building a relationship. Now, it’s easier being on Instagram and scrolling through endless photos than having a rich, personal phone conversation. But images will never be able to build relationship in the way that words can.

God relates to us, not through images, but through words. It seems that there is a strong desire to see God, to have visions, to get a preview into heaven. Occasionally a book is released about someone who died and went to heaven for half an hour or 90 minutes or something, and of course it becomes a bestseller. Why? Because we often aren't content to relate to God in the way He has designed. Because we are lazy, sentimental—we’d prefer visions and images as opposed to prayer, reading, and meditation.

So false images misrepresent God, and they also misrepresent the way we relate to God.

The reason false images distort us is because we become what we worship. Idolatry changes us—we will eventually resemble what we revere. Take a look again at the commandment, verse 5 (read). This image was something that was used for worship. But any false image of God, whether a material image or a mental image, distorts our worship. And the thing about worship, is that it’s always transformative. The things or images that we bow down to and worship, that we serve and revere, will inexorably shape and influence us. If we worship a distorted mental image of God, we will become distorted ourselves.

The example that demonstrates this powerfully happens in just a few chapters—’ll summarise the story: Moses finishes giving them the law, and goes up the mountain to receive the written text of the Ten Commandments. Moses leaves Aaron in charge. They get tired of waiting for Moses, and so they collect all their gold and make a golden calf—a young bull. A symbol of power—and they plan to hold a festival to the Lord. Aaron, the leader, fashions it and designs it, and they people say, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” And their religious festival turns into a debauched party—characterized by drinking, eating and sexual immorality. It seems like this change has come from nowhere—unless we remember that we become what we worship. You see, the young bull wasn’t just a symbol of power, it was also a symbol of virility—of sexual power. And so the false image of a sexually active bull deity distorted the Israelites not just in their thinking but even in their psychology and ethics. In that passage, the Lord even describes them using language that describes cows: they turn away, they are stiff-necked, and their behaviour is chaotic and unrestrained. The Israelites became just like the young bull they were worshiping. False images of God always do that—they will always introduce distortions that will not only impact your thinking but also your emotions and behaviour.

It might be that you have a mental image of God that is false. It might be that what you think is accurate about God is actually false. It’s possible that even those of us who have placed our faith in God have a slightly distorted view of him. So it’s important that we all reflect on our view of God. Because your view of God will shape your life; your view of God will influence what kind of person you become over time. So is our view of God accurate? Is our view of God correct, or has it been culturally conditioned? Has it been distorted by the zeitgeist of our age?

AW Tozer, in The Knowledge of the Holy: What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God. We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God.

And before moving on, it’s worth noting that we’re not just talking about a false image of god, but also an idol that has replaced God. An idol is potentially anything that we relate to with the verbs “bow down and worship”. These things, the objects or people that we serve and value will profoundly shape us. Let’s apply this for a bit—what are the things that you serve and value? What are the things that you bow down to and worship? And how are those things influencing and shaping you?

• Money—if this is what you serve and value, then everything else becomes subordinated to this ‘deity’ ; money becomes the operating principle around which you organise your life.

The reason false images distort us is because we become what we worship. Idolatry changes us—we will eventually resemble what we revere. Take a look again at the commandment, verse 5 (read). This image was something that was used for worship. But any false image of God, whether a material image or a mental image, distorts our worship. And the thing about worship, is that it’s always transformative. The things or images that we bow down to and worship, that we serve and revere, will inexorably shape and influence us. If we worship a distorted mental image of God, we will become distorted ourselves.

• Academic achievement / career advancement—if this is what you build your life upon, where you locate your identity, then you’ll neglect key areas of your life in order to succeed here (relationships with God and people). You will overwork, you’ll become exhausted, burnt out, and socially isolated

• Health / physical attractiveness —the thing that matters most to you is your body; your commitment to having the ideal body dictates what you eat, what you wear, and how you look

• Relationships —the desire for the approval and love of others controls the way you behave. You’re unable to say ‘no’ to requests, you’re constantly worried about how others are perceiving you, about what is happening on your social media sites

The example that demonstrates this powerfully happens in just a few chapters—’ll summarise the story: Moses finishes giving them the law, and goes up the mountain to receive the written text of the Ten Commandments. Moses leaves Aaron in charge. They get tired of waiting for Moses, and so they collect all their gold and make a golden calf—a young bull. A symbol of power—and they plan to hold a festival to the Lord. Aaron, the leader, fashions it and designs it, and they people say, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” And their religious festival turns into a debauched party—characterized by drinking, eating and sexual immorality. It seems like this change has come from nowhere—unless we remember that we become what we worship. You see, the young bull wasn’t just a symbol of power, it was also a symbol of virility—of sexual power. And so the false image of a sexually active bull deity distorted the Israelites not just in their thinking but even in their psychology and ethics. In that passage, the Lord even describes them using language that describes cows: they turn away, they are stiff-necked, their behavior is chaotic and unrestrained. The Israelites became just like the young bull they were worshiping. False images of God always do that—they will always introduce distortions that will not only impact your thinking but also your emotions and behaviour.

How is your devotion to these things distorting you—spiritually, psychologically, ethically?

False images distort. A distorted view of God will inexorably lead to a distortions in other parts of our lives. And so maybe that’s where you want to begin—where are there distortions in you? Spiritual, psychological, or ethical—and can you trace those distortions back towards you mental image of God?

And before moving on, it’s worth noting that we’re not just talking about a false image of god, but also an idol that has replaced God. An idol is potentially anything that we relate to with the verbs “bow down and worship”. These things, the objects or people that we serve and value will profoundly shape us. Let’s apply this for a bit—what are the things that you serve and value? What are the things that you bow down to and worship? And how are those things influencing and shaping you?

Money—if this is what you serve and value, then everything else becomes subordinated to this ‘deity’ ; money becomes the operating principle around which you organise your life.

Academic achievement / career advancement—if this is what you build your life upon, where you locate your identity, then you’ll neglect key areas of your life in order to succeed here (relationships with God and people). You will overwork, you’ll become exhausted, burnt out, and socially isolated

Health / physical attractiveness —the thing that matters most to you is your body; your commitment to having the ideal body dictates what you eat, what you wear, and how you look

Relationships —the desire for the approval and love of others controls the way you behave. You’re unable to say ‘no’ to requests, you’re constantly worried about how others are perceiving you, about what is happening on your social media sites

How is your devotion to these things distorting you—spiritually, psychologically, ethically?

It might be that you have a mental image of God that is false. It might be that what you think is accurate about God is actually false. It’s possible that even those of us who have placed our faith in God have a slightly distorted view of him. So it’s important that we all reflect on our view of God. Because your view of God will shape your life; your view of God will influence what kind of person you become over time. So is our view of God accurate? Is our view of God correct, or has it been culturally conditioned? Has it been distorted by the zeitgeist of our age?

Read verse 5a-b, “for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.”

We see here that false images provoke God’s wrath because he desires exclusivity. God wants wholehearted allegiance—he doesn’t want to share his people with false gods or have false images damage the relationship. We may only have a negative paradigm for the word jealous, but here it refers to a pure and holy desire to have an exclusive love-relationship with his people. Just as a husband would be zealous to maintain the exclusive love of his wife, so too the Lord God is zealous to an exclusive love-relationship with us.

AW Tozer, in The Knowledge of the Holy: What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God. We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God.

› Anticipate objection

You might be sitting thinking whether it’s right for God to be jealous. You understand his desire for spiritual monogamy but it still sounds a bit egocentric. But it’s absolutely right for God to feel like this towards us—and more than simply being ethical, it’s actually loving. Here’s what I mean:

• If God is God, then he is utterly worthy of worship. If God is the Creator, then it is right that we give Him credit and honour him appropriately. God is the source, the sustenance, and the purpose of all his creation. So it’s right for God to desire our exclusive allegiance. But, more than this, God’s jealously for us is also loving because devotion is therapeutic.

• Remember that idolatry deforms us. When we conceive of God wrongly, or when we worship him falsely, or when we place our hope and trust and value in something other than God, we introduce distortions into our lives. Our idols destroy us. They destroy how we relate to others. They weaken and poison us. And so the God of love is absolutely opposed to our self-destructive idolatry. And he’s committed to get us towards the truth, which heals. When our hearts and minds are informed by truth, when we are worshiping God as we should, we experience renewal and transformation. True worship results in genuine flourishing. By pursuing our hearts to worship Him, God is also securing our healing.

Sadly, though, we aren’t always devoted to God. We’ve all, in one way or another, created a false mental image of God or completely rejected him in the pursuit of idols. As a result, God is just to punish—take a look at God’s response to idolatry (read 5c-6).

Idolatry, relating to God through false images, provokes his wrath. God will punish generation after generation (“to the third and fourth generation”) if they keep doing the same sorts of sins that prior generations did. If the children continue to do the sins their parents did, they will receive the same punishments as their parents.

And before moving on, it’s worth noting that we’re not just talking about a false image of god, but also an idol that has replaced God. An idol is potentially anything that we relate to with the verbs “bow down and worship”. These things, the objects or people that we serve and value will profoundly shape us. Let’s apply this for a bit—what are the things that you serve and value? What are the things that you bow down to and worship? And how are those things influencing and shaping you?

Money—if this is what you serve and value, then everything else becomes subordinated to this ‘deity’ ; money becomes the operating principle around which you organise your life.

Academic achievement / career advancement—if this is what you build your life upon, where you locate your identity, then you’ll neglect key areas of your life in order to succeed here (relationships with God and people). You will overwork, you’ll become exhausted, burnt out, and socially isolated

Health / physical attractiveness —the thing that matters most to you is your body; your commitment to having the ideal body dictates what you eat, what you wear, and how you look

So that’s the command: we are not to create an image of God. To do so is to inevitably create a false image, and in the end it is to worship a false God—and to do that is to experience deep distortion. Notice also: to worship falsely, to worship an idol, is to hate God (see that in verse 5?).

Relationships —the desire for the approval and love of others controls the way you behave. You’re unable to say ‘no’ to requests, you’re constantly worried about how others are perceiving you, about what is happening on your social media sites

How is your devotion to these things distorting you—spiritually, psychologically, ethically?

False images distort. A distorted view of God will inexorably lead to a distortions in other parts of our lives. And so maybe that’s where you want to begin—where are there distortions in you? Spiritual, psychological, or ethical—and can you trace those distortions back towards you mental image of God?

False images distort.

There’s a riddle embedded in this command. We’re given a command that we know we can’t keep, a command that highlights the fact that we essentially hate the true God. Just as the Israelites gave in to their own desires, just as they ended up creating God in their image, so we do too. We see the distortions in our own lives. We know and feel the gap between what we know with our heads and what we desire with our hearts; we experience the internal fragmentation of sin. And our sin provokes God’s wrath. He is right to be angry. Yet, surprisingly, this command ends with a meditation on God’s love (read verse 6).

So the riddle is this: how can God love those who have hated him by committing idolatry? We offend God, and we dehumanize ourselves in the process. How can he show us such love? And what about his wrath?

The bible’s answer is as simple as it is stunning: we create false images of God, but he sends us a true image of him. And where the false image distorted, the true image restores.

NIV

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

Read verse 5a-b, “for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.”

NIV

We see here that false images provoke God’s wrath because he desires exclusivity. God wants wholehearted allegiance—he doesn’t want to share his people with false gods or have false images damage the relationship. We may only have a negative paradigm for the word jealous, but here it refers to a pure and holy desire to have an exclusive love-relationship with his people. Just as a husband would be zealous to maintain the exclusive love of his wife, so too the Lord God is zealous to an exclusive love-relationship with us.

Anon, 2011. The New International Version, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. We see here that false images provoke God’s wrath because he desires exclusivity. God wants wholehearted allegiance—he doesn’t want to share his people with false gods or have false images damage the relationship. We may only have a negative paradigm for the word jealous, but here it refers to a pure and holy desire to have an exclusive love-relationship with his people.

Anticipate objection

You might be sitting thinking whether it’s right for God to be jealous. You understand his desire for spiritual monogamy but it still sounds a bit egocentric. But it’s absolutely right for God to feel like this towards us—and more than simply being ethical, it’s actually loving. Here’s what I mean:

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Jesus is the true image of God, the exact representation of his being. If you want to see an image of God—look at Jesus. If you want to know what God is like—look at Jesus. If you want to worship God—worship Jesus.

if God is God then he is utterly worthy of worship. If God is the Creator, then it is right that we give Him credit and honour him appropriately. God is the source, the sustenance, and the purpose of all his creation. So it’s right for God to desire our exclusive allegiance. But, more than this, God’s jealously for us is also loving because devotion is therapeutic.

But look again at , because there we see that Jesus not only perfectly reveals the Father, but that he also has provided purification for our sins. When Jesus died on the cross, he took our place. He bore our sins Himself, so that we might be forgiven and purified. Jesus dealt with our sin and guilt, and he offers forgiveness and renewal to all who would trust in him.

And that’s right because, of course, if God is God then he is utterly worthy of worship. It’s also good that God feels this way because remember—idolatry deforms us. So devotion is actually therapeutic. When our hearts and minds are informed by truth, when we are worshiping God as we should, we experience renewal and transformation.

Remember that idolatry deforms us. When we conceive of God wrongly, or when we worship him falsely, or when we place our hope and trust and value in something other than God, we introduce distortions into our lives. Our idols destroy us. They destroy how we relate to others. They weaken and poison us. And so the God of love is absolutely opposed to our idolatry. So devotion is actually therapeutic. When our hearts and minds are informed by truth, when we are worshiping God as we should, we experience renewal and transformation. True worship results in genuine flourishing. By pursuing our hearts to worship Him, God is also securing our healing.

Finally, we see that the answer to the riddle is Jesus. It’s as we serve and worship Jesus, instead of experiencing distortion, we actually experience healing. Just as idolatry distorted, so now true worship purifies. So as you reflect on the second commandment, don’t just think about how we shouldn’t create a false image—think about how God sent us His very own image, His Son. Because it’s as we look to Jesus, it’s as we trust in His death, and as we worship him with our hearts, that we will experience forgiveness and restoration.

Sadly, though, we aren’t always devoted to God. We’ve all, in one way or another, created a false mental image of God or completely rejected him in the pursuit of idols. As a result, God is just to punish—take a look at God’s response to idolatry (read 5c-6).

Idolatry, relating to God through false images, provokes his wrath. God will punish generation after generation (“to the third and fourth generation”) if they keep doing the same sorts of sins that prior generations did. If the children continue to do the sins their parents did, they will receive the same punishments as their parents. But to this is contrasted God’s real wish: to show “covenant loyalty” [NIV “love”] to “a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” By the greatest numerical contrast in the Bible (three//four to thousands), God identifies his real desire: to have his people remain loyal so that he might lavish his love on us.

Stuart, D.K., 2006. Exodus, Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

So that’s the command: we are not to create an image of God. To do so is to inevitably create a false image, and in the end it is to worship a false God—and to do that is to experience deep distortion. Notice also: to worship falsely, to worship an idol, is to hate God (see that in verse 5?).

So there’s a riddle embedded in this command. We know we’re unable to keep the second command: Just as the Israelites gave in to their own desires, just as they ended up creating God in their image, so we do too. We see the distortions in our own lives—we’re often unable to think, feel, or choose the things we know are right. We feel the gap between what we know with our heads and what we desire with our hearts; we experience the internal fragmentation of sin. And our sin provokes God’s wrath. He is right to be angry. But this command ends with a meditation on God’s love (verse 6).

So the riddle is this: how can God love those who create false images of him? We offend God, and we dehumanize ourselves in the process. How can he show us such love? And what about his wrath?

The bible’s answer is as simple as it is stunning: we create false images of God, but he sends us a true image of him. And where the false image distorted, the true image restores.

John 1:18 NIV

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

John 1

Hebrews 1:3 NIV

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

No-one has ever seem the infinite, invisible Creator—but when Jesus appeared, He made God known. Jesus is the true image of God, the exact representation of his being. If you want to see an image of God—look at Jesus. If you want to know what God is like—look at Jesus. If you want to worship God—worship Jesus.

But look again at , because there we see that Jesus not only perfectly reveals the Father, but that he also has provided purification for our sins. When Jesus died on the cross, he took our place. He bore our sins Himself, so that we might be forgiven and purified. Jesus dealt with our sin and guilt, and he offers forgiveness and renewal to all who would trust in him.

Finally, we see that the answer to the riddle is Jesus. It’s as we serve and worship Jesus, instead of experiencing distortion, we actually experience healing. Just as idolatry distorted, so now true worship purifies. So as you reflect on the second commandment, don’t just think about how we shouldn’t create a false image—think about how God sent us His very own image, His Son. Because it’s as we look to Jesus, it’s as we trust in His death, and as we worship him with our hearts, that we will experience forgiveness and restoration.

The 2nd Commandment

False images misrepresent

False images misrepresent

False images distort

False images distort

False images provoke

False images provoke

The true image restores

The true image restores