A. In the first lesson, we introduced this study of the Ten Commandments and considered the first one.
B. In this lesson, we will consider the second commandment, which is an extension of the first one.
II. THE COMMANDMENT TO ISRAEL: YOU SHALL NOT WORSHIP IDOLS
Exodus 20:4-6 – "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
A. After commanding Israel to have no other gods before Him (Ex. 20:3), God specifically forbade the practice of idolatry.
1. An idol is a material object that is worshiped as a god by men. Also called a graven image, an idol is usually a carved statue in the image of animals, birds, fish, men, or some combination of these.
2. Idolatry is the practice of worshiping idols.
a. Idol worship has varied from culture to culture and from nation to nation. It has involved the construction and use of temples, priests, animal and human sacrifices, ritualistic prostitution, and many other abominations.
b. There are many examples of idolatry recorded in the Scriptures, but the most concise description of the evolution of idolatry among the Gentiles is given in Romans 1:18-32.
3. God completely prohibited any form of idolatry among His people in Israel. He was very deliberate in forbidding the Israelites from making, worshiping, or serving idols in any way.
B. Notice the dire warning given by God of the severe penalty for the practice of idolatry.
1. God described Himself as jealous, which indicated that He would be provoked to anger if Israel’s worship and service were given to idols instead of Him.
2. If Israel committed "iniquity” (meaning perversion or distortion) by worshiping and serving idols, then God said He would "visit the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me.”
a. The punishment for idolatry would not be short-lived because the sin of idolatry is a cancerous plague that corrupts individuals, families, cultures, and nations to the core. Such sin is not easily or quickly eradicated, but instead it requires the passing of generations.
b. Notice that those who commit idolatry and the generations that descend from them hate God. No one can serve idols and Jehovah at the same time, for anyone who loves idols hates God.
C. Also notice the comforting promise given by God for those who loved Him.
1. The same God who would severely punish those who hate Him would also show lovingkindness to those who love Him.
2. Notice that just as worship and service to idols was evidence of Israel’s hatred of God, so also keeping the commandments of God was evidence of Israel’s love for God.
D. Sadly, Israel became idolatrous, and they received the full measure of God’s wrath.
1. Even before Moses could return from receiving the Law on Mount Sinai, Israel had formed a golden calf to worship as their god (Ex. 32).
2. When Israel conquered the land of Canaan, they failed to follow God’s commandments by completely destroying the idolatrous people of the land, and soon Israel forsook God and adopted the worship of Baal and the Ashtaroth (Judges 1:1-3:4).
3. The problem of idolatry eventually led to the capture and deportation of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. The Northern Kingdom, whose offenses were greater, was never restored, whereas a small remnant of Judah did return from captivity.
III. THE MODERN APPLICATION
A. The practice of idolatry is still alive today although we may not immediately recognize it.
1. The idols have changed, but idolatry continues just the same.
a. Idolatry is committed every time something or someone is elevated above the true and living God to become an object of worship and service.
b. There are parts of the world today where men still worship carved images, but most of the modern idols are not the traditional gods of metal, stone, and wood.
2. The most common form of idolatry among us is most likely covetousness.
a. According to Colossians 3:5, greed or covetousness is the same as idolatry.
i. Whether it is called greed, covetousness, avarice, or anything else, this sin is the ungodly desire to get what belongs to others and to get more and more of it.
ii. This desire is the same as idolatry because covetous people make the acquisition of things into their god. Such people are called "enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things” (Phil. 3:18-19).
b. Knowing that greed and covetousness are the same as idolatry, we must recognize that our culture is truly overrun with this dreadful sin. There are no literal idolatrous statues, temples, priests around, but idolatry still thrives in the hearts of men.
c. We will study more concerning covetousness when we get to the tenth commandment.
B. This kind of idolatry is just as offensive to God as the abominations committed by those who carved and worshiped images of wood, stone, and metal.
1. The New Testament commands Christians to put away and flee from idolatry (1Cor. 10:14; Gal. 5:20; Col. 3:5).
a. When these commandments were given in the first century, idolatrous worship of graven images was still a serious problem among the Gentiles.
b. Today, the graven images are gone, but Christians must still flee from the idolatry of greed, covetousness, and materialism.
2. Just as it was in the second commandment to Israel, the issue of idolatry is truly a matter of loving or hating God.
a. Notice what the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 – "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
b. "Mammon” is a term used to personify riches as a master. To serve mammon is to commit iniquity and hate God just as in the second commandment.
C. The penalty for modern idolatry will be severe, but God’s lovingkindness to those who love Him is still abundant.
1. As we saw above in Philippians 3:19, the end of idolaters is destruction. They are listed among those who will not inherit the kingdom of God (1Cor. 6:9) and those who will be cast into "the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8).
2. However, "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God” (Rom. 8:28).
a. Just as God promised lovingkindness to those of Israel who loved Him, so also He promises good to all who love Him today.
b. Even though many things in this world are bad, God will ultimately bring about eternal good through Christ for those who love Him (see the full context of Rom. 8:28-30).
3. Notice that we may show love for God in the same way Israel showed love for God, which was by keeping His commandments.
a. Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15).
b. The apostle John wrote, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments” (1John 5:3).
4. The apostle Paul’s statement in Romans 11:22 applies here: "Behold then the kindness and severity of God.” There is kindness for those who love God by keeping His commandments, but severity for those who hate God through the idolatry of covetousness.
IV. CONCLUSION
A. Today, the second commandment to Israel serves as a reminder that idolatry still exists among us, and it is still an abomination against our God. "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry” (1Cor. 10:14).
B. In the next lesson, we will consider the third commandment to Israel, which involves reverence for the holy name of God.