The reason for mentioning representations from nature is because people tend to make their idols resemble things found in nature. ' He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan' (II Kings 18:4).Īrt is not forbidden by the Bible, nor is there a universal band on making engravings of any sort. Even though Moses made the bronze serpent at God's command, it was later destroyed because the people made an idol of it. The second of the Ten Commandments the Lord gave to Moses is Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.

The contradiction is created because you ignored the qualifier: ' You shall not bow down to them or serve them.' To make any depiction of something in this universe for the purpose of worshiping it or what is being depicted is forbidden. Panels in the Temple were engraved with lions, cherubim, and palm trees (I Kings 7:36).The stones on the High Priest's garments were engraved (Exodus 28:9-11).The cover of the ark of the covenant had two cherubim (Exodus 25:18-22).The veil in the temple had a depiction of cherubim (Exodus 26:31).The laver in the temple was upheld by a dozen brass oxen (I Kings 7:25).Moses creating a bronze serpent (Numbers 21:8-9).They deeply believe in that strictureit’s prohibited by the Bible and it might lead to self-promotion. But they refused to supply personal photographs, which would violate the biblical prohibition against making graven images of oneself (Exodus 20:4). If we focus on this verse alone then all artwork or photography of any sort would be a sin.īut that leads to a contradiction because we find: The couple also completed the required immigration interviews. The 'heaven' here refers to the sky and outer space, though the spiritual realm could be included. This verse states that no statue or likeness of anything in this universe can be created. By focusing only on verse 4 you created a false impression. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments' (Exodus 20:3-6). You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. It is very easy for something to get in the way of our relationship with God. That’s the purpose of the second commandment 3,500 years ago.In the Old Testament, the Israelites were told: ' You shall have no other gods before Me. Is there anything today (even something “innocent” in and of itself) that has become a graven image or mini-god to us? For some, the earth itself has become a god to be worshiped. For others, it’s the remote control. Our phones. Our computers. Our social media. Our kids’ ball games. Our jobs. Our prestige. Our money. Our credit cards. Our bucket list. 18:4). Something innocent had become a god to them. What about us? 20:4). That’s so “3,500 years ago”! Fast forward about 700 years from Exodus 20 and God’s people had hung on to “the bronze serpent” Moses made in Numbers 20 to save the people from the fiery serpents, and for centuries they worshiped and “burned incense to it” (2 Kgs.

Growing up and memorizing the Ten Commandments, the second commandment seemed so obvious that it’s not even necessary to teach it today. Right? “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image” (Ex.

Graven images biblical