Tanakh 5 June 2005 the Second Commandment
You are to have no other gods before me. You are not to make for yourselves a carved image or any kind of representation of anything in heaven above, on the earth beneath or in the water below the shoreline. You are not to bow down to them or serve them; for I YHWH your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sins of the parents in the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but displaying grace to the thousandth generation of those who love me and obey my mitzvoth. (Gen; 20:3-6). (The Jewish Bible)
The second commandment is very specific. No gods beside YHWH our God, and we are not to make an image. We are told in other parts of the Tanakh that we are not even to take the names of other gods upon our lips, because YHWH is a jealous God, i.e., he has made us for himself. In traditional Jewish life, this commandment was very much held to. Even today, synagogues has no representation of people or animals. In the temple, the only representations of animal life were the cherubim on the mercy seat of the ark of the testimony, and the bulls which held the bronze sea.. Coins usually showed a menorah or plants. In fact what people actually wore is purely conjectural because there are no pictures. The church of the East, also is very sparse in icons in reference to this commandment.
What does this commandment mean for us then. We like to think of ourselves as an enlightened society, one with no idols, one with no false Gods, but actually in our more and more intercultural USA, some of the old problems are surfacing again, many of which haunted the New Testament Church of the first centuries. Idolatry has once again invaded, in the forms of false religions, and in other forms. We once again need to read what St. Paul says about food and other things sacrificed to idols. Should we eat in restaurants with images of the Buddha, or Shiva, or should we flee from such things. In my case, if the item is obviously decoration, then I have no problem, but if it is used religiously, then I feel I should not support that business. How do I make the distinction? It is usually obvious, when there are incense sticks, cigarettes, flowers, food money etc. given to the idol. But these are actually very minor in the scheme of things.
For the most part, we put many idols and “Lords” before the Lord our God. Some of them are idols such a Mustang, Mercedes Benz, the latest electronic gadget, the internet, alcohol or the human body. St. Paul tells us that homosexuals have fallen into their homosexuality as a result of their idolatry. I have found in years of counselling homosexuals that the idolatry is usually related to lack of forgiveness (when we cannot forgive, it is usually idolatry of self). Womanising and drunkenness are also often related to this form of idolatry. In Latin America, mothers are often the main false God. In the United States, our children are often our main false God. We do not want them to suffer, but we do not bring them up to a Godly life, because we are afraid to hold up the standard of holiness. They might not like it. For some of us (especially Anglicans and ex-Anglicans) church itself becomes that false God.
How should we recognise if something in our life is an idol or false god? How much time do we spend on it? How much time do we spend on the things of God? Do you read your Bible every day? Most of us eat at least three meals a day, would it not help to nourish our souls several times a day. Do we occasionally snack on Christian radio during the day? How much time do we spend on the internet. Depending on your family situation more that an hour or two per day is too much, unless it is needed for work as well. Is Sunday a time we spend with God and family in relaxation, or do we head for a fix on our favourite false God (Tennis anyone, after all, five hours a week isn’t enough).
What do you spend your money on? Does God get the first priority, or do you like many rush out to buy the newest _____________?
In all of these things there should be balance, but God must be the focus. When he is not the focus, then we are involved with false gods, which must be rooted out of our lives!
Look again at the commandment. False Gods not only bring misery to our children, and us but even to the third and fourth generation. My family is a good example. Of my great great uncles and aunts, no divorces. Of the next generation my grandparents and one great uncle divorced. Of my parents generation two out of three divorced. Out of my generation, five out of seven divorced. Other examples can be used. Children of alcoholics tend to be alcoholics (forgiveness issues here). Abused children tend to be abusive parents. People who abuse drugs or alcohol during pregnancy mess up the minds of their children, often in permanent ways. Do we really want to lay this burden on our children?
Many children in the USA have been branded with many false gods. Materialism is probably the worse, but self-sufficiency is another. The self-sufficient person has no room in his life for “my grace is sufficient for you. They have to do it all. Our society also worships sex. Viagra is being promoted for older people who are getting the message, that some things should never change. As a consequence, AIDS/HIV is increasing among those sixty-five years and older faster than any other group as they learn to worship sex.
Are their false gods in your life? Root them out and do not let them take hold! Make Jesus your primary focus.
Shalom and blessings in the Name of Yeshua
+Mar Michael Abportus
mjthan@quik.com
The second commandment is very specific. No gods beside YHWH our God, and we are not to make an image. We are told in other parts of the Tanakh that we are not even to take the names of other gods upon our lips, because YHWH is a jealous God, i.e., he has made us for himself. In traditional Jewish life, this commandment was very much held to. Even today, synagogues has no representation of people or animals. In the temple, the only representations of animal life were the cherubim on the mercy seat of the ark of the testimony, and the bulls which held the bronze sea.. Coins usually showed a menorah or plants. In fact what people actually wore is purely conjectural because there are no pictures. The church of the East, also is very sparse in icons in reference to this commandment.
What does this commandment mean for us then. We like to think of ourselves as an enlightened society, one with no idols, one with no false Gods, but actually in our more and more intercultural USA, some of the old problems are surfacing again, many of which haunted the New Testament Church of the first centuries. Idolatry has once again invaded, in the forms of false religions, and in other forms. We once again need to read what St. Paul says about food and other things sacrificed to idols. Should we eat in restaurants with images of the Buddha, or Shiva, or should we flee from such things. In my case, if the item is obviously decoration, then I have no problem, but if it is used religiously, then I feel I should not support that business. How do I make the distinction? It is usually obvious, when there are incense sticks, cigarettes, flowers, food money etc. given to the idol. But these are actually very minor in the scheme of things.
For the most part, we put many idols and “Lords” before the Lord our God. Some of them are idols such a Mustang, Mercedes Benz, the latest electronic gadget, the internet, alcohol or the human body. St. Paul tells us that homosexuals have fallen into their homosexuality as a result of their idolatry. I have found in years of counselling homosexuals that the idolatry is usually related to lack of forgiveness (when we cannot forgive, it is usually idolatry of self). Womanising and drunkenness are also often related to this form of idolatry. In Latin America, mothers are often the main false God. In the United States, our children are often our main false God. We do not want them to suffer, but we do not bring them up to a Godly life, because we are afraid to hold up the standard of holiness. They might not like it. For some of us (especially Anglicans and ex-Anglicans) church itself becomes that false God.
How should we recognise if something in our life is an idol or false god? How much time do we spend on it? How much time do we spend on the things of God? Do you read your Bible every day? Most of us eat at least three meals a day, would it not help to nourish our souls several times a day. Do we occasionally snack on Christian radio during the day? How much time do we spend on the internet. Depending on your family situation more that an hour or two per day is too much, unless it is needed for work as well. Is Sunday a time we spend with God and family in relaxation, or do we head for a fix on our favourite false God (Tennis anyone, after all, five hours a week isn’t enough).
What do you spend your money on? Does God get the first priority, or do you like many rush out to buy the newest _____________?
In all of these things there should be balance, but God must be the focus. When he is not the focus, then we are involved with false gods, which must be rooted out of our lives!
Look again at the commandment. False Gods not only bring misery to our children, and us but even to the third and fourth generation. My family is a good example. Of my great great uncles and aunts, no divorces. Of the next generation my grandparents and one great uncle divorced. Of my parents generation two out of three divorced. Out of my generation, five out of seven divorced. Other examples can be used. Children of alcoholics tend to be alcoholics (forgiveness issues here). Abused children tend to be abusive parents. People who abuse drugs or alcohol during pregnancy mess up the minds of their children, often in permanent ways. Do we really want to lay this burden on our children?
Many children in the USA have been branded with many false gods. Materialism is probably the worse, but self-sufficiency is another. The self-sufficient person has no room in his life for “my grace is sufficient for you. They have to do it all. Our society also worships sex. Viagra is being promoted for older people who are getting the message, that some things should never change. As a consequence, AIDS/HIV is increasing among those sixty-five years and older faster than any other group as they learn to worship sex.
Are their false gods in your life? Root them out and do not let them take hold! Make Jesus your primary focus.
Shalom and blessings in the Name of Yeshua
+Mar Michael Abportus
mjthan@quik.com
posted by The Synod of Saint Timothy at 22:01
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