you shall not make an image

The book is so much better than the movie. That’s what many people say when discussing a movie that has been based upon a book. In fact, I think that people who say the movie is better than the book are really just admitting that they don’t like to read, and that’s why they like movies better.

Once we put images, pictures, and visible objects with a story it looses something of the imagination that we bring into the story ourselves. Once you see the story on a movie screen then the fun of dreaming up what the story would have looked like is taken away.

I’m using the example of books and movies here because that’s an example that fits our culture. But if we were to take it back to a context that fits the Bible, we would have to be referencing spoken stories handed down by generations of oral tradition and carved figures or scenes that depict the stories. So even back in Bible times visible images were used to represent characters and stories. And just like today, when a spoken story takes on pictures and images, then something of the mystery and wonder gets lost.

Here is what the prophet Isaiah has to say about images.

Isaiah 40:18–26 NIV

18 With whom, then, will you compare God? To what image will you liken him? 19 As for an idol, a metalworker casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. 20 A person too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot; they look for a skilled worker to set up an idol that will not topple. 21 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? 22 He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. 23 He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. 24 No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff. 25 “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

What Idols Represent: Boundaries

Today we consider together the second commandment. You shall not make for yourself a graven image—or an idol—that represents God. There is a lot packed into this one commandment; but I want us to consider the issue of idolatry straight on. And so we are going to focus on what idols represent and why God is so insistent that he should never be associated with any type of image. I think we will discover, then, that once we see what idols represent we will then be able to see examples of idolatry that persist even in our own culture.

two characteristics of God — transcendence and imminence

Why is it that God is so adamantly opposed to idols? Is it that God hates statues or artwork? Is it that God does not want us to use our creative abilities when is comes to religion? Certainly not. We have centuries-worth of hymns and liturgical music because godly men and women have used creative abilities to express the timeless truths of God in music. We have churches and cathedrals dating back hundreds of years with stained glass windows portraying scenes from scripture to help us learn and remember the teachings of scripture. It’s not that God is opposed to artwork. Idols are something different than art. So to make sense of this commandment we need to get to the bottom of understanding idolatry.

idols represent an attempt to take a distant all-powerful (transcendent) God, and make God close and relatable (imminent)

The first thing we can note in this passage about idolatry from the prophet Isaiah is that idols place boundaries. Once God is represented as an idol then there are quantifiable boundaries placed around God. God is the source of everything that has been created. Nothing we have seen or discovered in this vast universe came into existence apart from God. He is the supreme creator. And so when God is depicted or represented in the form or image of anything that has been created, then God is limited or placed within created boundaries. But we understand the truth—that God is above and beyond all that is created in this world. All we have to do is read the rest of Isaiah 40 to get a crystal clear picture of this.

idols are boundaries attempting to contain God

As soon as we place God within an earthly form we put up walls around God; we create boundaries that cannot possibly contain God. Consider how scripture itself helps us to realize this truth. In Philippians 2 Paul includes a poem that is widely considered to be an early hymn of the first Christian churches. He says about Christ:

Philippians 2:6–8 NIV

6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

the transcendent God made himself imminent by the incarnation of Jesus, yet continues to hold his transcendent place outside of creation see Philippians 2:6-11

Scripture teaches us here that when Christ became incarnate as a person—when Christ was born as a human being in this world—that it was a humbling experience. Christ demonstrated an act of humility by becoming one of us. Paul says that he made himself nothing. Now follow me with this. We worship Jesus because he is God. The Bible gives us examples of people who bowed down to Jesus in worship. But Jesus is not an idol because he became a man. Notice that this passage from Philippians confirms exactly what we have been saying about idols. I said that idols place boundaries around God. And this seems to be exactly what Paul is saying in Philippians—that God himself chose to place boundaries around himself in the form of a human. So Paul rightly says that Christ humbled himself—or some translations say “he emptied himself.” Paul says he made himself nothing. But does this mean that Jesus took on the form of an idol? No, because listen to how Philippians 2 continues this hymn:

Philippians 2:9–11 NIV

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

What’s the point to this? The point is that we do not worship Jesus the incarnate man. We worship Jesus the exalted divine savior. In fact, to worship the man would be idolatry. When Christ ascended back to heaven then he put aside all the earthly boundaries of his human form. And Christ is certainly worthy of our worship because what he accomplished while humbling himself as a human far exceeds anything you or I could ever have accomplished ourselves—and Christ did it all on our behalf. But the earthly boundaries of a human being could not contain the power of God. Death could not keep him; the grave could not hold him. Christ proved himself to be more than what human boundaries could confine. And no one but God is worthy of such worship.

What Idols Represent: Control

placing boundaries around God is an attempt to control God’s power

So what is it about the boundaries of idols that makes idolatry such a danger? This is not too difficult to figure out. Placing boundaries around God and making limits to what can contain God amounts to nothing less than an attempt to control God. And this gets us to the heart of idolatry as a sin. Idolatry is a way of trying to place control upon God.

1 Samuel 4 — Ark of the Covenant was taken into battle as an attempt to leverage God’s power

All the pagan rituals of the Canaanite nations in the Old Testament were designed to appease the gods, or entice the gods. They were all attempts to control the pagan gods of the other nations. Consider how Israel fell into such sins in its past. Remember the story in 1 Samuel 4 about how the Israelites went into battle against the Philistines by taking the Ark of the Covenant into battle with them. 1 Samuel 4 tells us that the battle was lost and that the Philistines captured the ark of God. This story perfectly illustrates for us an example where the people of God stepped over the line and treated the Ark of the Covenant as an idol. And what is it about this example that makes it an example of idolatry? It is because the Israelites tried to use the Ark of God as a way to control God.

temptations of Jesus in the gospels are an attempt by Satan to control God’s power

When we get to the New Testament we find examples as well of attempts to control God. When the devil comes in Matthew 4 in order to tempt Jesus, it is an attempt by Satan to manipulate and control the power of God. Satan tries to get Jesus to do things that would confine and limit his power. In a very crafty kind of way Satan tries to put boundaries around Jesus. And Satan very obviously intends to use these boundaries as a means of control. Like so many others, Satan wants to be able to control God’s power in whatever way he can. But our God will have none of that. His power cannot be controlled. He cannot be manipulated. He cannot be confined. He cannot be boxed in. There can be no idol or image or form that can possibly ever contain our God.

Boundaries around God

Where does this leave us? We are talking about the second commandment. Maybe we too easily dismiss this commandment because we no longer live in a culture that bows to statues or offers burnt sacrifices to graven images. But of course I believe with all my heart that God’s word is timeless. Scripture applies as much to us today as it always has to everyone who has ever heard the word of God. And so you and I need to do some tough consideration here concerning idolatry as it applies in our world today. Our culture has idols too. So let’s spend the rest of our time in this message considering how idolatry exists yet today; and how we might be careful to avoid it.

As we have already seen in the truth of scripture, idolatry is a basic attempt to place boundaries and limits around God. Idols were meant to confine supernatural powers. And there is plenty in our world today that seeks to confine and limit the supernatural power of God, isn’t there.

idolatry in the second commandment is NOT primarily about making images of other gods; it is about distorting an image of the LORD

Now before we go any further, let me make an important distinction. We are not talking about idols that represent false Gods. I am not talking about our culture’s tendency to worship other things besides the one true God. I’m not talking about idols that represent things like worship of consumerism, or worship of the stock market—although, admittedly, that can certainly be an idol. No; we may tend to think of such worldly examples as a worship of idols. But those are really examples we need to save till next week when we talk about the first commandment. Those are examples of putting other things before God—or alongside God—as an object of our worship. Those deal with the commandment that says, “You shall have no other gods before me.” That’s not what we are considering here today. Today we want to specifically focus on ways that our culture represents our God in the form of idols. So let’s be clear. We are talking tonight about the God of the Bible. And we are talking about ways in which this God is limited and confined by forms of idolatry.

How is it that you and I perhaps fall into the trap of limiting and confining God’s power? How is it that you and I slip up and—often unintentionally—place boundaries around God? Let me share a few examples to get you thinking of how this takes shape for you and me.

the idol of a Sunday-god — confining God to just one day of the week

How about the idol of a Sunday god? What I mean by that is all the people out there who come and devote one day of the week to God. And more and more it isn’t one day of the week, but maybe just one hour of that day to be in church. And then the rest of the week is left to go and live however we feel like it. And so people who worship the idol of a Sunday god may say that prayer is good and important on Sunday, but they never spend any time in prayer Monday through Saturday. Those who worship the idol of a Sunday god may say that reading the Bible is good and important on Sunday, but they never pick up God’s word any other day of the week. How is this an idol? Because we see how such a view of God puts limits and boundaries around God. People like that are seeking to confine God to one day of the week. They say there is one day of the week that represents everything of who God is, and that’s where they want God to stay. But our God is not confined to one day of the week. Psalm 121 says, “The LORD will watch over your life; he will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”

the idol of worship style — confining church to just one expression of worship

Or what about the idol of the worship service? What about those who lift up certain aspects of worship itself as an idol representing God? Let me give you an example. I have a friend who is not from around here and goes to a very contemporary style church in another town. She has said to me before just how much she loves modern worship music and that she feels like she just can’t worship God with what she calls—and I quote—“stuffy old hymns and boring organ music.” Someone who reduces worship to that; does that not confine God? Doesn’t that kind of view about worship put boundaries and limits around God? And let me be quick to point out that this example can go both ways. It would be just as easy for someone to place those same boundaries and limits around God by confining him to a strictly traditional order of worship with only organ music. To say that God cannot be worshipped in any other way sets up a style of worship as an idol and places boundaries around God.

the idol of Christian nationalism — confining God as preferential to one nation/culture/ethnicity

Now let me be clear. There is nothing wrong with having a preferred style of worship. Having a preference of worship style that you might enjoy over other worship styles is not idolatry. But when you and I fall into saying that our preferred style of worship is the only correct style of worship, then we make an idol out of worship itself. When we fall into the trap of saying that every other style of worship besides ours is wrong, then worship itself becomes idolatry. And so someone who says drums have no place in church needs to be corrected by Psalm 150 which says, “Praise him with the clash of cymbals.” Someone who says that clapping and hand-raising does not belong in church needs to be corrected by Psalm 150, “Praise the LORD with timbrel and dancing.” And someone who says that organs are old fashioned and churches just cannot worship God like that anymore needs to be corrected by Psalm 150, “Praise him with the flute and pipe.”

Once again, there is nothing wrong with having our preferences for worship styles. But when we say that there is no other way but our way, then we make an idol out of worship by placing limits around God that will not be held.

Controlling God

And what do these examples really say for us? When we say things like, “you have to worship God in this way and no other way;” when we live in such a way that leaves God here at church and out of our lives for six days; when we put up boundaries and limits around God like that; when we have idols like that representing God for us; then what is it really saying? Just like we saw from the examples of scripture, isn’t this, too, an attempt to control God. Aren’t all forms of idolatry attempts to control God?

idolatry is any attempt to take the transcendent God who is beyond the created universe, and make God an imminent representation for the purpose of confining and controlling God for ourselves

When people leave God at church on Sunday and live the rest of their week as though God does not exist, isn’t that simply a way of saying, “God, I want control of my life; so leave me alone Monday through Saturday and let me live how I want to live.” It’s about trying to control God.

When people say you cannot worship God in any other style of worship besides the one I like, isn’t that simply an attempt to control God. But remember what Jesus said in Luke 19 as he entered Jerusalem on a donkey. When the Pharisees commanded Jesus to rebuke those who were worshipping him, Jesus replied the very rocks will cry out. All creation points to God in worship and it cannot be contained.

Isaiah 40 reminds us that God is beyond this created universe (transcendent); yet is among and near his people (imminent) as the God of comfort

But let me close by pointing us back to the passage from Isaiah 40. Even though the section we read tonight spoke to the issue of idolatry; the prophet reminds us simply that God is above all created things. He made it all. He holds it all. And he cannot be contained by any of it. And Isaiah’s context for writing these words is not a context of judgment and condemnation for God’s people. Isaiah is writing this to console God’s people. Chapter 40 begins with these familiar words, “Comfort, comfort my people says your God.” It is comforting and assuring to us that our God cannot be limited and controlled by idols. But rather, his grace and his love flow freely and in abundance. This is a God beyond what any image or idol can contain.