I’ll do my best here to reply, but I feel as though you talked past some of what I had said.
First of all, you seem to ignore my point that the image was cast at God’s command. The command of God. You seem to avoid commenting on this story. Please address the usefulness of this image, and why you think God commanded for it to be cast. I’d like to know your views on the subject. Add scripture as you like, but again, I would like YOUR opinion on why this was done.
I then explained that it was destroyed by Josiah because it had become an idol, at which point you respond by saying that it was destroyed because it was an idol. Where is the problem here?We agree on this ... I think.
Worshipping the seraph serpent was wrong; it was destroyed. Your use of scripture; ie, “Let’s see what God actually says about that”, I don’t follow. It doesn’t make sense to me. Moses was following God’s command in creating the image, Josiah was following God’s command in destroying it. In both cases, I agreed with the action taken. Do you?
Regarding incense, that was commonly used in Jewish worship. Exodus 30 gives directions for the altar of incense.
1 Kings 9:25 tells of Solomon burning incense before the Lord.
Psalm 141 requests of the Lord to ‘let my prayer rise like incense’. So yes, divine worship to God involves incense, as we use in the Catholic Church. It is used to worship the living and true God.
The converse is also true, as you stated in your quotation of 2 Kings.
Regarding statues, you already have the story of the serpent, but also if you look at 1 Kings 7:29, the temple had images of lions, oxen and cherubim. God’s presence overshadowed this temple at its dedication, so it met with the Almighty’s approval.
And most commonly known, of course, were the cast images of cherubim which were on top of the Ark of the Covenant. Again, graven images on the most holy object the Jews possessed, created so at God’s command.
If you recall a story of the Ark, its weight shifted and an unqualified man touched it, and was killed immediately. I hope that this can illustrate again that an object with graven images again demonstrated divine power. This power did not devolve from the objects themselves, but by God’s will that power be granted to them to serve His purpose.
These examples I hope amply respond to your request for information on statues and incense. Furthermore, I am grateful to you for quoting Deuteronomy 12:32 “What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.”
As you can now see, the incense and a statues were commanded by God, so perhaps to NOT follow these practices is to ignore God’s desires.
The Catholic Church uses incense. Does your place of worship do the same? Yes, we have statues and images that we believe have shown to possess the power of the one true God. Again, does your church (assuming you’re Christian) have the same?
Do you see now where God expressly desires this in worship?
I hope this provides some light, and not heat, on the subject. God bless you.
“As you can now see, the incense and a statues were commanded by God, so perhaps to NOT follow these practices is to ignore God’s desires.”
Only a few specific statues were commanded by God, and those were the only ones that were allowed, in spite of the general prohibition. The Jews didn’t use any others in their worship, which demonstrates they did not confuse his specific exemption for a general one. Unfortunately, the Catholics did not avoid the same error.
Not at all. God did not command to look upon the image in worship of Him. When the Israelites began to do that the image was destroyed. Catholics insist the images are used to serve or worship God which I showed was forbidden by God.
>>I would like YOUR opinion on why this was done.<<
What does MY opinion have to do with what God commands? I don’t worship by what my OPINION is about anything God said or did. I follow what He commanded.
>>In both cases, I agreed with the action taken. Do you?<<
Yep, now how about Catholics get rid of all those “images” like the heathen use in worshiping God?
Deuteronomy 12:30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth
>>Regarding statues, you already have the story of the serpent, but also if you look at 1 Kings 7:29, the temple had images of lions, oxen and cherubim. God’s presence overshadowed this temple at its dedication, so it met with the Almighty’s approval.<<
Show me one time where God commanded to bow down before those images and burn incense in front of them like the Catholics do with statues of Mary.
>>These examples I hope amply respond to your request for information on statues and incense.<<
For the Israelites prior to Christ’s sacrifice. Are you going to go back to all of the Old Testament Jewish customs and rituals? You must if you insist on following Jewish law and customs.
>>As you can now see, the incense and a statues were commanded by God, so perhaps to NOT follow these practices is to ignore God’s desires.<<
Once again, show me from scripture where God commanded the Israelites to bow down before those images.
>>Do you see now where God expressly desires this in worship?<<
No. I see where He expressly forbids use of idols and images as the Catholics practice.