Posted on 06/15/2010 5:36:10 AM PDT by DouglasKC
You know what happened to the serpent that Moses built don’t you?
Images used as an aid to worship, as inspiration, must never become objects of worship. There is a difference.
I'm not sure that's the intent (or the extent) of the commandment:
Exo 20:4 "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;
Exo 20:5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
Taken by itself it could seem to be only a prohibition against worshipping the image itself. But in the larger context it's a different story:
Deu 4:13 So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.
Deu 4:14 And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might observe them in the land which you cross over to possess.
Deu 4:15 "Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire,
Deu 4:16 lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female,
Deu 4:17 the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air,
Deu 4:18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth.
Now from verses 15 and 16 it would seem clear that an image of a man who is supposed to represent God on earth is something that God does not want. And sure people don't claim to worship a statue on the side of the road...but that statue MAY or MAY not represent the true earthly image of Jesus Christ. Suppose it's a spitting image of Judas? I think that's partly the reason for the commandment.
How often do you think they do become so? More importantly, why do we need aids to worship?
The big question is this: will their "pastor" finally get the message, OBEY GOD and His Word and put a stop to their idolatry or will he foolishly persist in perpetuating the "church's" sin?
It never fails to amaze me how very many otherwise intelligent FReepers can’t even begin to grasp that not-so-subtle difference.
and the icon is still standing!!!!!!
ZOT!
Yeah, they rebuild it every time it gets hit. Amazing.
You just don’t know how to follow orders, do you?
Deu 4:15 "Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire,"Careful heed" is an admonishment to be careful not to allow images to become idols, not an outright commandment outlawing images that inspire reverence or awe.Deu 4:16 lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female,
And sure people don't claim to worship a statue on the side of the road...but that statue MAY or MAY not represent the true earthly image of Jesus Christ. Suppose it's a spitting image of Judas? I think that's partly the reason for the commandment.So what if a statue is the spitting image of Judas? The statue has no power to affect the supplicant's intent, meaning, or earnestness. It is merely an instrument assisting in the effort to keep one's mind on the Lord while in prayer. The statue itself has no power to affect anything.
Finally, why would God issue a commandment, and then order Moses to disobey Him when He instructed Moses to place graven angels on the Ark? His command applies to use of the images, not merely having images.
Heck he hit Martha Stewart 3 times and she’s still around.
>>You just don’t know how to follow orders, do you?<<
Sure do. But I get my orders in the context in which they are written.
I have no problem with decoys or pictures of my Grandmother. Sorry you do.
Maintenance work needs to be conducted periodically due to the strong winds and rain to which the statue is exposed.
Oops, sorry. I thought you meant Noah’s.
No. I’m not your judge. You won’t smart mouth Him when the time comes.
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