Number two...

As we continue to move through the Ten Commandments, I pray that you are also taking on the challenge to memorize these powerful verses in the King James version.  It's tough with this next one, but worth it.  But before that, we need to recap a couple of things: we know Who we're talking to at this point, and Who is speaking to us and giving these commands.  We are also aware that nothing (yes, friend, I said NOTHING) can come before the Father.  And so, today, we arrive at the Second Commandment from the Lord.

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments."

Exodus 20:4-6

So what does all that mean?  Well, put simply, it means that God is God, and we are to bow to nothing and no one else.  We are not to fashion or fabricate images and worship the images, anthropomorphizing the Creator into a limited being like ourselves.  You see, He is not limited by time or space or any other thing, and He is in fact over and above every single thing... because He made them all.

Idol worship goes back to some pretty old roots, where images were cast and carved and bowed to, food was offered to them, dances were done before them, and so on and so forth.  But the reality that comes through in each case is that when there were multiple priests on a high place, with multiple altars and bulls they selected, they could not call down fire from Heaven upon even one of them... but Elijah called upon God, and God sent fire. 

Similarly, in Egypt during the time of Moses, the magicians of the day were able to make some of the miracles repeat, but then they were silenced and unable to compete with the power of God as the final judgments were passed upon the land. 

Put simply, no matter who it is that is trying so desperately to craft for themselves a god that will be as powerful as God already is, they are unsuccessful.  Only the LORD created the universe, and none can match that.  Only the LORD created man, and none can match that.  And only the LORD sent us salvation through Christ, something that can only be achieved through that Name above all other names, Jesus Christ.  Therefore, as a simple point of order, I'm going to go ahead and say that idol worship, even the use of the term "idol" for any person or thing or idea or ideal, is pure blasphemy.  

No person, no thing, no concept, no thought no NOTHING is worthy of placement in equal proportion to Him... period.

God bless you all!!!