#1 Most Difficult Commandment of All - Can You Keep It?Shembull

The second of the Ten Commandments reads as follows in various translations of Exodus 20:4-5:

“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…” – [NIV]

No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim. Don’t bow down to them and don’t serve them because I am God, your God, and I’m a most jealous God…” – [The Message]

Do not make idols that look like anything in the sky or on earth or in the ocean under the earth. Don't bow down and worship idols. I am the Lord your God, and I demand all your love. – [Contemporary English Version]

This commandment makes clear that God demands all our love and all our worship and that we are not to worship anything else, no matter what that might be.

This is not about just about making golden calves or wooden idols and bowing down to them, as in Old Testament times.

Today, we think of ourselves as much more advanced than the Israelites and would never make an idol like that and worship it! Instead, our idols are much more “advanced.”

Go back to the heart of the commandment – God demands all our love, all our worship, not to be replaced by anyone or anything else!

Are there things in your life that you love or worship more than God?

A simple test may help… … what takes up your time & money?

How does that compare to God demanding all your love and worship?

Now try this question… do you watch sports or buy sports memorabilia? Is that a form of worship?

Or what about any other entertainment? When you invest your time or pay good money to go see your favorite star, what is that if it is not a form of worship?

And what about social media? We may not be making “graven images,” but surely the overwhelming time we spend looking, wishing, and desiring all that we see – and then posting our own pictures to look just as good – constitutes a form of worship, does it not?

Moses repeated the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy 5 with this added instruction from God:

“Love the Lord your God withall your heart and withall your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” – Deuteronomy 6: 5-9

That’s what God wants – full commitment, full-time. All our love, all our attention, and all our worship. Nothing less.

We may spend 1-2 hours in church on Sunday, another 1-2 hours in group Bible study, and maybe some individual daily Bible reading, but that most certainly pales in comparison to our time spent on social media, following sports, watching movies or TV, other pleasures, travel, and more, right?

With these other things taking so much time (and money), is it possible that we are still loving God with “all” our heart, soul, and strength?

The 2nd Commandment sounds easy, especially if we limit it to wooden idols or golden calves, but that’s not the intention. And ignoring it isn’t good news for you or your children:

“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." – Exodus 20:4-6

Fortunately for all of us, forgiveness and salvation are available through Jesus, but He didn’t eliminate the need to obey the commandments, did He?

“If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” – Matthew 19:17b

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We hope this reading plan helps clarify God’s plan for your life. For more readings like this, please visit our website or search for other plans authored by "Roland Heersink" in the YouVersion app.