Guardrails - Do Not Have Idols
No Other Gods.
Do Not Have Idols
Do not misuse God’s name.
Rest on the Sabbath.
Honor your Father and Mother.
Do not Murder.
Do not Commit Adultery.
Do Not Steal.
Do Not Lie.
Do Not Covet.
Today, we look at the second commandment, “Do not have Idols.”
Let’s read:
Exodus 20:4-6 (NLT2)
4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
Let’s be honest; this passage has some complicated concepts to comprehend. If you are like me, you might have three initial questions about this passage:
What is idolatry?
Why is God jealous?
Why does God punish the children?
My daughters all have loved playing with Legos, but Violet really enjoys it…She loves finding the pieces and building to completion. Here is a Lego figure I asked her to build for me. What if we all stopped as a worship service and said, “From now on, this little Lego represents God.” In the future, whenever little Lego man is present, we all must stop, kneel, and worship God.
I know it seems rather funny to us today…but the Ancients did just that: they created images out of wood, rock, and gold and worshipped deities represented by images. Idolatry is not the worship of a false God. Idolatry is “creating an image that represents God.”
God already addressed “no other God’s before me.” And now, with the second command, he demands that we create NOTHING to represent him.
So, what is idolatry? Idolatry is “creating anything to represent God.”
GOD WANTS RELATIONSHIP NOT REPRESENTATION
God desires to be personally known by you; he does not want to be represented by anything. God knows the life-change people can encounter when they KNOW Him.
Nothing in all of creation can give an accurate depiction of God. If we try to create anything physical to represent God, we will always fall short of being able to produce an accurate representation of Him. God is not limited to creation; he exists outside of creation, which means even all creation will fall short of accurately depicting God.
All creation points to God. All History begins with God and flows from God. We see glimpses of God’s beauty in the depths of the Oceans and the marvels of the galaxies – but there is nothing in all creation that can accurately depict God.
Jesus described God in John 4 and he said:
John 4:24 (NLT2)
24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”
GOD IS SPIRIT…he exists outside of creation. He is not physical; we see from the second commandment that he does not want to be represented by anything physical.
Now, here is where some may get uncomfortable:
If a decoration represents God to you, it is an idol.
If a statue represents God to you, it is an idol.
If a cross represents God to you, it is an idol.
If a statue or a church building represents GOD, it is an idol.
You would be surprised at the number of people in churches unwilling to CHANGE the walls, the paint, the baptistry, the cross, the parking lots, and Sunday school classes – they don’t want to change those things because to them – they represent a time when GOD moved in their lives…
If the cross in your pocket is a “good luck” charm and has power, it’s an idol.
If you wear “lucky underwear” whenever you preach, it’s an idol.
That’s because idols can distract us from knowing God how He desires us to know Him. We see in verse 5 that…
GOD DEMANDS OUR UNDIVIDED AFFECTION
Exodus 20:5a (NLT2)
5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods…
The second question I think we should answer is this, “Why is God jealous?”
If you have ever had a relationship with somebody who was JEALOUS – you understand that GOD describing HIMSELF as a JEALOUS God is confusing.
In middle school and high school, I remember jealous guys grabbing girls' wrists, pulling on them, and yelling at their girlfriends if they talked to another boy…crazy…immature…and a far cry from understanding what REAL love is.
If God is always good, loving, generous, and slow to anger, why would he describe Himself as jealous?
We addressed this last week, but the concept is so powerful and freeing that we need to talk about it again:
God insists on the loyalty of us as followers of Jesus. Not because he is insecure. Not because He is mean. Not because he is like a possessive ex-boyfriend. God said, “I am the Lord your God…You must not have any other god but me…” because God knows he is the best there ever was and will be. As CREATOR and SUSTAINER of the UNIVERSE, God knew nothing in all creation could be compared with His greatness.
God knows:
He is the source of life.
There is none like Him in all the galaxies.
He protects us and guides us.
Even when we rebelled against him, he never abandoned us.
God’s character and attributes demand that he be a jealous god for your sake. And as he is devoted to himself, he is devoted to his creation. If he did not insist on his creation's devotion, he would be guilty of Idolatry.
That’s why,
IDOLATRY IS CHEATING ON GOD
The jealousy you may feel if your spouse is unfaithful is how God feels about you. He loves you and desires the same devotion you want from your spouse. So, direct your affection to God. Seek to love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. So far, we have answered the questions, “What is idolatry?” and “Why is God Jealous.” So, as we wrap up, let’s answer the question, “Why does God punish the children.”
Exodus 20:5b (NLT2)
“I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.”
I agree with you that this doesn’t seem fair. Why does God punish children for having stupid parents?
Understand, God isn’t actively doing anything to punish kids. But, the consequences of sin are real, and the habits of sin of the parents can be handed down to their children…who will also experience the consequences of sin.
FAMILY CURSES ARE REAL, SO BREAK THEM!
Parents can create an environment or set patterns affecting their children and grandchildren. Children learn behaviors and attitudes from their parents. If parents engage in harmful or sinful behavior, their children will likely do them too.
Social research confirms that a Parent’s destructive habits and traits are often passed down to their children:
Children with alcoholic parents are four times more likely to develop alcoholism themselves.
Children who are physically or sexually abused have a high likelihood of abusing others.
Children who have a parent with a drug or alcohol addiction are eight times more likely to develop an addiction themselves.
If a parent commits suicide, their child is three times more likely to take their own life.
Family curses are real.
Parents and grandparents, our idols, will impact our children and grandchildren. So, parents, confess your idols to God and your children and repent. Break that cycle. Break that curse. God wants to change your life and break the generational curses.
The good news is that God does break those patterns.
God has used and is using me to BREAK the CHAINS of the cycle of ABUSE in my family. My dad was an alcoholic; he was abusive…his dad abused him; he abused me…But when I was 18, God broke that cycle of abuse when I became a new creation and committed my life to following Jesus.
Now, I have a godly wife and children that we are raising to love the Lord. “Donahue” children who never experienced abuse from their parents have been rare in our family history. But thanks be to our God, who breaks patterns of sin and blesses obedience!
You are not trapped by your past. You do not have to live being identified by your past because Jesus makes everything new.
So, what idols do you need to tear down?
What destructive behaviors do you need to confess and repent of?
What steps of healing do you need to take?
Let me invite you to check out Celebrate Recovery every Friday night in Adventure Beach at 6:00 PM. If you have a Hurt, Habit, or Hang that you are ready to walk away from, you will find support and encouragement in CR.