What
is an Idol?
What constitutes a Graven Image,
according to Scripture?
What is the
danger of Idols to New Covenant Believers?
Is the
issue of graven images and idols a
'New Covenant'
issue?
In
order
to answer these questions, we must disregard the many opinions,
man-made doctrines and hearsay, and look to the Scriptures.
Human
nature always tries to justify itself, by re-defining graven images and
idols. But Yahuweh has made it very clear to us. He has given
us many
examples in
Scripture, to illustrate what a graven
image is, and what an idol is.
It
is not the purpose of this short writing to focus on the
dangers,
warnings, and details of how idols affect Born-Again Believers. This
has been done in the article,
Graven
Images and Idols: What Your Pastor Never Told You About The Second
Commandment.
Instead, we will summarise the danger
of these objects to New Covenant Believers, and then
show Scriptures that clearly
detail Yahuweh's
definitions
of graven images and idols
.
Danger
in Our Homes
One
of the greatest dangers to Believers today is the action of bringing
certain objects into the home. As we saw in the above-mentioned
article, Scripture tells us specifically that any house that has an
'abomination' within it, will come under a curse:
Neither
shalt thou bring an abomination<08441> into thine house,
lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt
utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is
a cursed thing. (Deuteronomy 7:26)When
we disobey the clear Word of Scripture, and bring an abomination, a
cursed object into our home, the above Scripture tells us we become a
cursed thing like the object. The result is that we come under
the
same curse the object is under.
The
effects of these curses are varied. These effects include many
chronic
troubles or accidents, chronic sicknesses, chronic disease, chronic
nightmares or mental attacks, constant argument, continued disobedience
or rebelliousness, fearfulness, anxiety, and many others. One
symptom a Believer may notice is that when idols are present in the
home, prayers may be difficult to speak, or there seems to be a lack of
Yahuweh's presence and peace in the home, or a lack of understanding
and/or acceptance of
Yahuweh's Word.
The ultimate effect, however, can
be seen in the example
of Achan, who took the accursed thing. As a result, the entire camp of
Israel was cursed, and the result was that they failed to overcome, or
prevail, in the battle against Ai (Joshua 6:18-7:12).
As
we are told in (1Cor 10:11), these things
happened to Israel for
our examples, and
are written for
our admonition in these last days.
This
tells us that we too shall fail to overcome against Ai
("iniquity") if we bring the accursed object into our camp!
Why
is this important? It is those
who fail to overcome
'iniquity' by the
time the Bridegroom returns, who will be told "I never knew
you!"
(Matt 7:23). For those of us who desire to be among the
Bride Company, we must educate ourselves, so that we do not
bring these accursed objects into our homes.
We
recall that there is a long list of
curses that come as a result
of disobedience, starting in
(Deuteronomy 28:15).
"But We are
'New
Covenant' Believers," many will say. "We have been taught
that idols and
the curses in Deuteronomy are of no consequence to saved, Born-Again,
New
Covenant Believers."
Because
most New Covenant Believers today are not aware of the dangers of
graven images and idols, we will begin with some New Testament
warnings. These
Scripture passages reveal and highlight many of the potential dangers
to
Born-Again, New Covenant Believers. These Scriptures reveal that the
issue of 'idols' is most certainly a New Covenant issue.
Idols
as a New Covenant Issue
There
are many dangers to New Covenant Believers, that can actually prevent
one from entering in to the Kingdom as part of the Bride-Company. All
of these dangers
are spelled out in detail in Scripture. The fact that these dangers
apply to
'New Covenant' Believers can be seen in
specific warnings throughout the New Testament
writings.
Many, however, have thought that these
New Testament warnings are for 'unsaved' people. For this
reason, multitudes of New Covenant Believers ignore these
warnings, with the result that they will
fail to enter
in among the Bride-Company.
The
Little Flock, however, will see these warnings in Scripture. They will
search, and will discover these issues in detail, and will take heed to
walk
accordingly. Let's look at the
following warnings, all given to Born-Again, New Covenant Believers:
Wherefore,
my
dearly beloved,
flee from idolatry. (1Corinthians 10:14)
Little
children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. (1John
5:21)
But
I have a few things against thee, because thou hast
there them that
hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock
before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto
idols, and
to commit fornication. (Revelation 2:14)
Notwithstanding
I have a
few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman
Jezebel,
which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants
to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. (Revelation 2:20)
Notice
the above warning of Paul, who very specifically warns the New Covenant
Believers to
flee from
idolatry; and the warning of
John, who warns the Believers to 'keep yourselves from
idols.'
Likewise notice the warning of Yahushua in the above Revelation
passages,
where Yahushua says He will have a "few things against" those
who continue in sins related to
idols. We are told
here that these
'idolatry'
issues can prevent one from overcoming. We are told in (Rev 21:7), that
in order to receive our full inheritance, we must overcome all
things. If we want to overcome all things, we must
know what
to avoid, and what we must overcome. Let's begin with a Scriptural
overview of the Believer's proper response to
'graven images'
and
'idols.'New
Covenant Life: Turning from Idols
There are
many passages of Scripture that show the importance of beginning the
process of removing idols
from ones life. Here is one passage:
"...how
ye turned to God from idols to serve
the living and true
God..." (1Thessalonians 1:9b)Here
we see that turning "to Yahuweh from idols" is for the purpose
of serving Yahuweh.
This verse shows a basic Scriptural principle: that
Turning
comes
before Serving. As we shall see in the Hebrew definitions, we
need not 'bow down' to an object, for it to be an idol. Thus if we would truly turn
from these objects, we must find out what they are. And unless we
fully turn from idols, we cannot serve Yahuweh.
Here
is another passage, and it tells us something many today have
not yet realised:
Ye
know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto
these dumb idols, even as
ye were led. (1Corinthians 12:2)Here
we see
that
it is common for
Gentiles
to be carried away to idols. Notice in the above (1Cor 12:2) passage
Paul
states that you 'were' (Lit. Greek can read "had been") Gentiles. Does
that mean they were no longer Gentiles? Paul gives us
the
answer. He tells us we are no longer to
live and walk as Gentiles
(Eph
4:17), but
we are to abandon all that the Gentiles hold to,
in order to
embrace the Way of Yahuweh.
Next
notice
above that
Paul states "As you were led." Beloved, many of
us as Gentile
Believers are still
'being led' by Gentile spiritual leaders today. The result is seen in
the
above passage — that many are still being "carried away unto
these
dumb idols." Many Pastors and spiritual Leaders today are simply
ignorant of what the Scriptures
actually say about the dangers of idols. We as Believers, however,
are cautioned that we must maintain honour and respect at all times
toward these Leaders. They are still Yahuweh's delegated authority in
our lives, and as such we must maintain submissive hearts toward
them, for as long as we remain under their authority.
The
above Scripture passages reveal some of the potential dangers to
Born-Again, New Covenant Believers. With warnings like these, we would
do
well to find out exactly what Scripture tells us about idols.
Let's find out.
What is an Idol?
The
key to understanding much of Scripture is in looking at the Hebrew
Words and their Meanings. This is especially true as we seek to
understand what Scripture reveals about idols. The
Reader is referred to the Hebrew words and definitions below in the
References.
1
As
we look at these Hebrew word definitions, we notice that there are at
least 14 Hebrew words translated directly into the English word
'idol,' each having its own definition. These 14
words originate
from 8 other Hebrew words, making 22 words all together, revealing a
great deal more than if we look at the single English word
'idol.'
By looking at these Hebrew word definitions, we can actually
see the
full description of the nature of idols. We can also see their
use, and the results
of having them. Let's look at a few of these definitions by groups. As
we look below in the References Section, here is
what the
'idol' Hebrew word definitions reveal:
Some definitions
reflect the nature of their use,
such as
to "revere as mighty, worship, and healing."
Notice
that some definitions reflect the results
of having them,
such as
"vexing, fear, trembling, pain, sorrow, and distress." These appear to
describe the long-term results these objects have on their owners.
Still
other definitions reflect Yahuweh's estimation of
them, such as
"worthless, good for nothing, things of nought, wallowing, filthy,
detestable, and abominable."
All these
Hebrew definitions reveal some
of the great depth of meaning of the various Hebrew words translated
into
the single English word
'idol.' As
for the Greek words translated
'idol,' the
Greek word definitions appear to show dependency on the definitions of
the Hebrew words in Scripture. It
appears that the New Testament writers must have assumed the Readers
had
understanding of the Hebrew terms and Torah words, because they used
the Hebrew word
understandings to communicate these New Covenant truths!
One
Greek
word translated
idol has the meaning of
'likeness,'
and is based on the
Greek word "to know." This reveals to us many related ideas, telling us
that idolatry is similar to a man and woman
'knowing' one another, as
seen in Genesis 4:1. Thus we see the connection
between
idols and
fornication and
adultery, where the use of an
idol
constitutes
knowing someone other than Yahushua.
This
same word meaning
'likeness' also
has a meaning of knowing with the eyes, and with the senses, and not
with the heart. This is how many today know Yahuweh's Word, a result of
walking by sight, and not by Faith. The end result of this living by
the natural senses, and not by the Spirit, is that one becomes
'carnal'
(depending on the fleshly senses). Paul tells us the
reason for
this
carnality, however, is because the carnal person is
not
'subject to the
Law' ('Torah') (Romans 8:7). Paul's insight, and his message to us,
signals an exhortation for us to return to simply walking by
Faith, and of simple obedience to Torah.
Idols
of Substitution
Let's review a few Scripture
passages:
Thou
shalt have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3)Yahuweh
tells us we are to have no other 'Mighty Ones' before or in place of
Him. His desire for us is that we not have any
substitutes
for Him,
or His Word. Now let's notice what is said next, to show
examples
of
substitutes:
Thou
shalt not make<06213> unto thee any graven
image<06459>, or any likeness<08544>
of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath,
or that is in the water under the earth: (Exodus
20:4)Yahuweh gives us the commandment, and
then desires to test us in this area.
He
watches to see whether man will
receive Yahuweh's Word, as it says; or whether man will create a
substitute for His Word, by substituting man's own
words, definitions,
and his own understanding — instead of following
Yahuweh's simple
instructions.
Just in case we do not understand this simple
instruction, Yahuweh gives us a more detailed picture:
Lest
ye corrupt<07843>("destroy")
yourselves, and
make<06213> you a graven
image<06459>, the similitude<08544>
of any figure<05566>, the
likeness<08403> of male or female, The
likeness<08403> of any beast that is on the earth, the
likeness<08403> of any winged fowl that flieth in the
air, The likeness<08403> of any thing that creepeth on
the ground, the likeness<08403> of any fish that is in
the waters beneath the earth: (Deuteronomy 4:16-18)Looking
at these word
definitions, we see that an
idol
is simply a likeness or image that man would use
as a substitute for Yahuweh, or as a substitute for
His
Provision, or for
His Word. When we choose the
simplicity of His
Word, and what it actually says, we are choosing Him. But
when we choose some other religious idea or notion of what His Word
says, we are choosing
a
substitute for His Word. Choosing a
substitute
for
Yahuweh, or a
substitute for His Word, His
blessing or His provision, is the
very
essence of
idolatry!
In like manner, when we covet,
we are showing disdain for the daily Provision of Yahuweh. In so
doing, we create a
substitute
of our own making, choosing our own provision instead
of Yahuweh's
provision for us. We are thus told in (Colossians 3:5) that
covetousness is idolatry. Now we know why this is true.
In
New Testament usage, we see the term
'things sacrificed unto
idols' used in two different examples. One use of the term
(as seen in several places in 1Corinthians) references the physical 'leftovers'
from food that had been part of a
'sacrifice'
of
(pagan in origin) religious rituals. Paul exhorts us to refrain from
eating these leftovers, where eating them may cause our Brother to
stumble.
The
second New Testament
use of the term
'things sacrificed unto idols'
(as seen in Revelation 2:14, 20) is a reference to a man-made
'substitute'
for the "true Food and true Drink" that is from Yahuweh. Scripture draws
this analogy so as to give Yahuweh's people
instruction in what Yahuweh thinks of the modern-day, man-made
substitute
for Yahuweh's true
'Passover.' When we substitute a
man-made ritual in exchange for a Truth of Yahuweh's Word, we are
creating an
idol of substitution.Let's
look further at how the
'substitution of Yahuweh's Word'
becomes an idol.
Idols of
Substitution of Yahuweh's Word
We
have mentioned how substitution of Yahuweh with something else
becomes
an idol. Now let us notice a particular phrase that reveals how
substitution of
His Word is
idolatry. Notice the following, spoken to King Saul:
"...rebellion
is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as
... idolatry<08655>. Because thou
hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also
rejected thee from being king. (1Samuel 15:23)
Notice
that in this passage, Saul did what he thought best, and not
what
Yahuweh's Word said. Saul's stubbornness was his rejection of
Yahuweh's Word. In the above
passage, we are told that this stubbornness of rejecting Yahuweh's Word,
in favour of our own, is as idolatry. Yahuweh is telling us that He
views this stubbornness in rejecting His Word as idolatry, even though
there was no 'worship' or 'bowing down' involved.
(Incidentally, Yahuweh's Word to Saul, in rejecting him as king, is His
Word to us today. Do you
want to rule and reign with Him? Do not reject His Word!)
Saul,
in his stubbornness, rejected Yahuweh's Word,
replaced it with a substitute of his own understanding, and thus
created an
idol of the heart. Notice in the two following passages how we
can
do the same, if we follow this same pattern of rejecting the
Word
of Yahuweh, in exchange for our
own understanding:
Thou shalt
not make<06213> unto thee any
graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is
in heaven above, or
that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
(Exodus 20:4)Here
Yahuweh tells us not to make a particular shape of object. Now
notice what He says next:
Thou
shalt not
bow down thyself to them, nor serve<05647> them:
for I
the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers
upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that
hate me. (Exodus 20:5)Many
would say, "But I do not bow down to it." However, Yahuweh's command in
verse 4 is "Do not make"<06213> (which, as we shall see
in the definitions, includes
acquiring
or
having) the forbidden object.
So if we reject the simple and clear Word, choosing
instead our own understanding, as Saul did, it is idolatry in
Yahuweh's
eyes. We have created an idol, in substituting our 'own understanding'
in place of Yahuweh's Word.
Many will
substitute Yahuweh's Word regarding "do not make" for their own
understanding of what this command is saying. The familiar
argument is, "But I am not bowing down to this object, so it's OK to
have it." But this way of thinking is exactly what Saul did,
and this is exactly why Yahuweh considers stubbornness as the sin of
idolatry — when we exalt
our own
understanding above Yahuweh's Word.
What
follows is the progression of what we see in the next verse: "You shall not bow down ... to them, nor serve<05647>
them." The word
'serve' used here speaks of being
led away, returning to bondage to another master (servitude;
to be led to serve as subjects).
2
This passage shows a progression, where 'bowing down' to them leads to
servitude, or bondage.
We may not physically bow
down, nor serve. Simply
having an idol of
substitution, or some other idol of the heart, is the same as
bowing
down to that idol. And it leads to servitude, or bondage.
This
same progression, of having a substitute that leads to servitude or
bondage, is seen in
(Galatians 5:1b). In this passage, Believers today are exhorted not to
return to
practices from which they came before they were Followers of Messiah,
such as fleshly self-reliance, and following man-made requirements
for redemption and Salvation. These Galatian-style attempts to justify
oneself result in closing the spigot, or 'turning
off' the supply of grace, resulting in a return to self-effort, and
bondage.
Let's look at the other passage-pair to see
this same progression. First, notice what Yahuweh's Commandment says:
Lest
ye corrupt<07843>("destroy") yourselves, and
make<06213> you a graven image, the
similitude of any
figure, the likeness of male or female, The likeness of any beast that
is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the
air, The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the
likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the
earth: (Deuteronomy 4:16-18)In the
above passage we see that making,
acquiring or
having
the graven image results in being 'corrupted' ("destroyed"). Now notice
the next verse:
And lest
thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when
thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of
heaven, shouldest be driven<05080> to worship
them,
and serve<05647> them, which the LORD thy God
hath
divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
(Deuteronomy 4:19)Again,
we see in this passage the result of
rejecting Yahuweh's Word as stated in verses 16-18 leads to a
progression
which, if not
stopped, will eventually result in lifting up ones eyes unto heaven to
serve the creation, and being driven, expelled, thrust away, and
banished from Yahuweh. This is made clear in the wording of the above
passage, and in the word
'driven,' ("driven
away") the
Hebrew word
nadach <05080>.
3
So we see that following our 'own understanding' of
verses 16-18, even while thinking we are obeying the Scriptures,
results in the 'bondage' of verse 19.
Let us now
summarise what we have seen about idols thus far.
Is
it an Idol — or
an Idol?
Throughout
the Scriptures in general, there are many forms of idols and
idolatry. We have seen a few examples of these. We
might
summarise by saying that
idols in Scripture appear to fall
within two broad categories:
1)
De facto Idols
— Idols of the heart (gold, silver, money, cars, movie stars,
etc.) These idols are based on man's use of them. They include
such objects as the teraphim
<08655> — objects that were used as a 'mighty-one' to bring
healing, and
objects used to bring good luck or fortune. In this category
an idol is defined by man's response
to, and affection
for the object, which becomes a substitute
for the True Mighty One,
hence it is a worship-substitute for Yahuweh.
Other
examples of
idols of the heart are 'my will' instead of Yahuweh’s will; my
own
understanding, my own ambitions, my own strength, my own self-reliance,
and many others of man’s own making,
all of which
become substitutes for
Yahuweh, His Word, and His will. Idols of the heart
can be seen to exist in (Ezekiel 14:3,4,7).
2)
De
jure Idols — Idols by Legal Definition (how
Scripture defines
an
object). An object in this category is called an idol based on
Yahuweh's definition, regardless of man's response
to that object. This is an important
understanding. We need not bow down to an object, for it to
be an
idol by Yahuweh's definition. An object may be an idol –
simply by
Yahuweh's definition – whether or not man reveres or bows down
to it. An object
may be an idol regardless of whether he is aware of the idolatry.
Forbidden objects
such as graven images fall under this category.
So
wherever we see idols or idolatry in Scripture, it may be in either or
both of these two categories, to which the Scripture applies. It is
important that we see and understand that we need not
bow
down
to an object, to be involved in idolatry. There are many examples of
idols and idolatry in everyday life, in which man does not actually bow down to
the object, but these are idols nevertheless.
We
will not go into detail in this writing, but the myriads
of man-made religious traditions that
originally began as pagan customs
fall into these
categories. Some of these include such items as x-mas trees,
birthday cakes and candles, halloween candy, easter candy, and
many others. The reader would do well to search
out these man-made religious
fossilized customs. Let
us now look at what Scriptures say about
graven images.
What
is a Graven Image?
Again we see the importance of
the Hebrew Words and their Meanings as we look at
'graven
images.' The various Hebrew words translated
'graven
images' along with their definitions, are given below
in References.
4
As we look at these Hebrew word definitions for
'graven
images,' we can summarise them as
follows:
- An object or shape that
is
fabricated, or poured out, or
cast, such as with bronze, silver, or gold.
- An
object, the use of which is
considered by Yahuweh as a 'drink offering' or libation, which is
something poured out as an offering to another — in essence a
substitute for Yahuweh.
- An object
that is fabricated, or cut or hewn into a 'shape'
or likeness. There are many modern
fabrication techniques and processes that could produce such an object
or shape, so it is important not to limit the fabrication to only two
processes of cutting and hewing.
So we
see that graven images are objects fabricated into a particular
likeness or shape.
From
archaeological discoveries, as well as from Scriptural descriptions,
it appears that fabrication of these objects, or shapes, could have
been by
any number of processes, such as moulding and shaping, as with clay, or
cutting, as with an axe or knife, to produce a particular likeness or shape. Some
modern processes used to produce shapes include not only cutting, but
turning on a lathe, stamping, moulding, compressing, inflating of an
empty shape, and filling of a sewn or fabricated shape.
Let'
see what Scripture reveals as to what kind of shapes are
considered 'graven images' and are thus forbidden under the Scriptural
definition.
What is a
Forbidden Likeness or
Shape?
We now look at one
specific definition of
'graven image' as given by
Yahuweh in the
Scripture. We must be careful to examine the Scriptures with
an
open and honest heart. Let us avoid the trap of trying to
justify our actions by attempting to re-define Bible words and
meanings. Yahuweh is very specific about His definition:
Thou
shalt not make<06213> unto thee any graven
image<06459>, or any likeness<08544>
of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth
beneath,
or that is in the water under the earth: (Exodus
20:4)
Lest
ye corrupt<07843>("destroy")
yourselves, and
make<06213> you a graven
image<06459>, the similitude<08544>
of any figure<05566>, the
likeness<08403> of male or female,
The
likeness<08403> of any beast that is on the
earth, the
likeness<08403> of any winged fowl that flieth
in the
air, The likeness<08403> of any
thing that creepeth on
the ground, the likeness<08403> of
any fish that is in
the waters beneath the earth: (Deuteronomy 4:16-18)Here,
we see the details about these forbidden objects. Yahuweh tells us
these
forbidden shapes are
male or female
'likenesses'
of any living thing,
whether beast, bird,
or fish. Notice the nature of the completed shape is to be examined
against
the Scriptural definitions, and is not in any way related to the
object's past, present, or future use. The Hebrew word
definitions
for the highlighted words can be seen below in the References.
5In
these passages, Yahuweh's definition
of a
'graven image'
is simply 'an image or likeness' of any living creature.
Scripture
further reveals in (Romans 1:23), that these images
include the likeness or image of a human.
The
simplicity of what this Scripture passage says is not what is commonly
taught or understood. Most would define a
'graven
image' as something to which man would physically 'bow
down,' or 'worship.' However, if we examine the passages with
honesty, it is clear that Yahuweh defines a
'graven image'
as simply an image
or likeness of a living creature, no more, no less.
Notice
in the above
Scripture passages, that unlike an
idol, Yahuweh's
definition of a
graven image is not dependent on a
man's response to that object. In these passages, Yahuweh makes
no
distinction between an object that is worshipped, and one that is not
worshipped.
But there is an additional bit of
information given in the Deuteronomy passage: Yahuweh tells
us the ones who will
'destroy' themselves are those
who
'make'<06213>
these objects. Notice that in both
passages, the
forbidden action is hidden within the definition of the word
'make'
— the Hebrew word
'asah'
<06213>.
Thus the
key to our understanding these Scripture passages is in understanding
the Hebrew word
'asah' <06213>. This is a key
definition, so let's look at it.
You
Shall Not Make — the Key to Understanding
Forbidden Graven Images
We are told, "You
shall not
'make'<06213>
any of these forbidden objects." This is a plain and simple
directive. It seems simple enough to understand. However, man will
often overlook the simplicity of
Yahuweh's Word and create his own interpretation. It takes an
honest heart to see clearly the simplicity of this directive.
If
we look up the Hebrew word translated
'make,'
we see a
single Hebrew word that is translated
into
more than 50 different English words, with
more
than 50 different
meanings, depending on context!
6
From these many Hebrew word definitions, we
now see
that the prohibition of these objects is not simply against
'making'
— but also against
acquiring, having, using,
maintaining, showing, selling, or giving it away.What
do these definitions of
'asah' tell
us? What does this say about having
toys, art objects, and other objects in the
shape of fish, birds, horses, eagles, turtles, frogs, owls, angels, and
multitudes of other objects and 'collections' commonly found in the
home or office?
Many
would say, "But
we don't
bow down to it."
Yahuweh's
Word would say, "Do
not even
have it in your home!"
In
order for us to see how an idol is hated by Yahuweh, let's try to
understand how Yahuweh sees things for a moment.
Yahuweh
has told us in many Scripture passages that He is
jealous
over His people. This jealousy has everything to do with idolatry,
because the idol becomes a substitute for Him.
Now
tell
me something. If you are a husband, what would you think if your wife
placed a picture of an old boyfriend on the mantle or dresser? She does
not 'bow down' to the picture, so why should you be jealous? What would
you do?
If you are a wife, what would you think, if
your husband
had a female work associate's photograph on the wall in
his work area? He does not 'bow down' to it, so why would you
be
jealous? What would you do about it?
Now realise
that Yahuweh's
jealousy is burning when we simply
'have' an object
that He has
forbidden us to have. Simply
'having' forbidden
objects is like
having the picture of someone else on your spouse's wall, while your
spouse is in covenant relationship with you.
Having
the forbidden object reveals the
substitute
we have created in our mind. Our
'own understanding'
of what an idol is becomes exalted above what Yahuweh has
defined it as being. By this
substitution we thus
bow down and serve the object, simply by
having it!
Is
it a Graven Image — or an Idol?
Now
let's look at some of the Scriptures in which we find both
words —
graven image
and
idol:Ye
shall make you no idols nor graven image,
neither
rear
you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up
any image of stone in
your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus
26:1)
And when he had broken
down the altars and the groves,
and
had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut
down all the idols
throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
(2Chronicles
34:7)
Confounded
("confounded, ashamed, confused") be all they that serve graven
images, that
boast
themselves of idols: worship him (Yahuweh), all ye
gods. (Psalms
97:7)
I have even
from the beginning declared it to thee;
before
it came to pass I showed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol
hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten
image, hath
commanded them. (Isaiah
48:5)
What profiteth
the graven image
that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image,
and a teacher
of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb
idols? (Habakkuk 2:18)A
careful examination of the above verses clearly
reveals a connection between a graven image and an idol. Based on
our study thus far, it is safe to summarise by saying, 'Not all idols
are Graven Images, (meaning some idols are 'idols of the heart'); but
all Graven images (objects having the shape or likeness of any living
being)
are idols.'
Let
us now look briefly at one issue in Scripture that many have wondered
about, but has been a stumbling-block for many — the
issue of
Images Commanded by Yahuweh. Let's remove this stumbling-block!
Images
Commanded by Yahuweh
Many Bible Scholars will ask, "But
what about the Brasen Serpent in the wilderness?" "What about the
carved
cherubim over the Mercy Seat?" "And what of the twelve cast brasen oxen
under the sea?" "And what of the lions, oxen, and cherubim on the
borders
between the ledges of the bases for the 10 lavers?"
These
are all very good, and thoughtful questions, that are being
asked by many
today. Because
men have seen in Scripture where Yahuweh ordered these
things
to be made, men have reasoned that it must be acceptable for man to
make these same images, and others. By reasoning in this
fashion, men have
substituted their own understanding, and have refused to walk in the
simplicity of Yahuweh's Word. Wherever Yahuweh gave a specific,
one-time command to make these images and likenesses of living
creatures, in each instance these
specific items became living parables, whose hidden truths were
to be revealed to His people at a later time.
In
the case of the Brasen
Serpent, for example, there are multiple prophetic pictures for our
instruction. One of these is the truth that the curse put on
the people was transferred to the
serpent (Gen 3:14); and that Yahushua became a curse for us, when He was
lifted up on a tree, that we might exchange our curse for His
righteousness and healing (John 3:14; Gal 3:13; Deut 21:23). We also
see another truth illustrated in the Brasen serpent — the
truth that
the cursed object, when kept in ones possession, leads to idolatry, as
we see
in (2Kings 18:4).
These
examples we see in Scripture are NOT intended by Yahuweh to be an excuse
for our disobedience. Rather, they are a test by Yahuweh. He desires to
see whom we lean on – whether we will hear and
obey His Word,
in its simplicity –
or whether we instead lean on our own understanding, as an
idolatrous replacement of His Word.
How
to Avoid the Curse
Most
New Covenant Believers have
been taught that these Scripture Truths we have just
examined, somehow do not apply to us today. Even that notion
of 'not applying' today in itself violates
Scripture! Every bit of the Word of Yahuweh will remain forever (Deu
29:29; Ps 119:60; Isa 40:8; 1Pet 1:23; 1Pet 1:25)!
The
first step in avoiding the curse is to simply search the Scriptures for
yourself, and then to
believe (act
upon) the words of Yahuweh. Do not listen to those that would
tell us this eternal word is not
for you today.
We are
'believing'
Yahuweh
only when
we take His word as Truth, with child-like faith, so that we act upon
it, as a "DO-er" of His
Word.
Remember too that every curse has a cause:
As
the bird by wandering,
as the swallow
by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.
(Proverbs 26:2)Here
we see the curse does not come without a cause. If there is a curse in
the house, there is a cause, or reason it is there. Our job is to find
out why it
came, and take the necessary step to get rid of the cause. Most likely
the curse came as a result
of an
object someone has brought
into the house.
Believers having graven images in
their homes will eventually become
'snared' (to
catch in a trap or noose, as taking a prey) if they do not
remove these objects:
The
graven
images<06456> of their gods shall ye burn
with fire:
thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them,
nor
take<03947> it unto thee, lest
thou
be snared therein:
for it is an
abomination<08441> to the LORD thy
God. (Deuteronomy 7:25)
Neither
shalt thou bring an abomination<08441>
into thine
house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but
thou shalt utterly
detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is
a cursed
thing. (Deuteronomy 7:26)
Cursed
be the man that maketh<06213> any
graven<06459> or molten
image<04541>,
an abomination<08441> unto the LORD,
the work of the
hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the
people shall answer and say, Amen. (Deuteronomy 27:15)In
the above passages, we see in (Deut 7:25) that the
graven
image<06456>, along with the gold and silver
from it,
is an
abomination<08441>.
Yahuweh is telling us that
graven images
are abominations. We are also told
not to
take<03947> ("fetch, receive, take,
accept, or buy)"
7
these objects, or their materials,
lest we become caught in a snare. So
when we come to (Deut 7:26), we understand quickly that the reason we
do not
bring the graven images into our home, is because these items are
'cursed thing.' They are under Yahuweh's curse. And if we bring them
in,
we will come under the same curse.
Notice
above in the above verse (Deut. 27:15), that the graven
image <06459> and the molten image
<04541>
are both called abominations <08441>. Because
the
abomination leads to the curse, and because the graven image
is an
abomination, we see again how the graven images brought into the home
can result in the curse.
The above verse
(Deut. 27:15) should be seen as a strong warning against
having
'graven images' — objects
of any living creature, male or female. Yahuweh
says
cursed are those who 'do, make, fashion, acquire, gather, show, use,
maintain, give, deal, prepare' any of these objects, and puts them in a
covert, sheltered, covered place (such as in a 'curio' cabinet to
display them, or as a 'shrine' to revere them).
To
avoid the
curse from the accursed object:1) Do not acquire
it;
2) Do not
have it; and
3) Do not bring
it in to the house or building!
There
are other types of curses that are beyond the scope of this
writing. Some can actually prevent the Believer from receiving his
crown, his place of ruling and reigning with Messiah (Rev 3:11).
But
for now, let us remember that Messiah has become a curse for us, in our
place, and has taken upon Himself the curse that was upon us. We were
pronounced guilty by the Law ("Torah") and deserved death, but Yahushua
has redeemed us from that curse, and has given us
His life instead (Gal
3:13). However, Yahushua tells us, "Go, and sin no more"
("Go, and
transgress the Law no more" —
1John 3:4; John 5:14; 8:11).
Conclusions
We
have seen the Scriptural definitions of Graven Images, Idols, and
Abominations. We have seen that each of these words has a different
meaning, and the Hebrew definitions give us a great deal of information
as to their nature,
and the effects these objects have on Yahuweh's people.
We
have seen in detail what graven images are — fashioned or
fabricated
shapes or objects in the likeness of any living creature, male or
female. We have seen that an object, by Yahuweh's definition, may be an
idol, whether man is aware of the idolatry or not.
We
have seen that the result of breaking the
commandment is a process that, if not stopped, will eventually
lead back to
bondage, and banishment away from Yahuweh.
We have
seen that the key to understanding these commandments is to notice not
only
making these objects is prohibited, but simply
having them is
also a violation, and will result in those in the house
coming under the same curse the object is under.
We
have
seen that those who break these commandments come under the same curse
that the object is under.
Disobedience results in a
curse, for which cause Yahushua will have a 'few things against' those
who continue in this sin.
We
have seen the way
to avoid the curse is to believe the words of Yahuweh — to
become a
"DO-er" of His Word! Repentance is essential if we now understand that
there are objects in our home that are abominations and cursed items.
Simply discard or destroy them.
Now you
know these things.
If
ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. (John 13:17)
References
Idols
- Hebrew
Words and Definitions
- <0367>
'eymah' =17 (n)(f) [terror, dread, fear; idols]
- <0408> 'al' =12 (neg
adv) [none; nothing]
- <0410> 'el' =245
(n)(m) [mighty one; false-gods; demons; the one true Mighty
One, Yahuweh; mighty things in nature; mighty men; strength, power;
idols]
- <0457> 'eliyl'
=20 (adj) [worthless; good for nothing; things of nought] (from
<0408>)
- <01544>
'gilluwl' =48 (n)(m) [idol; image] (from <01556>)
- <01556>
'galal'=18 (v) [to roll; to wallow; to be rolled]
- <02535>
'chamma' =6 (n)(f) [the sun; heat of the sun]
- <02553>
'chamman' =8 (n)(m) [incense altar; sun-pillar; idol; image] (from
<02535>)
- <04656>
'miphletseth' =4 (n)(f) [idol; horrid thing, horrible thing] (from
<06426>)
- <05566>
'cemel' =5 (n)(m) [to resemble; an image, figure, statue, or idol]
- <06087>
'atsab' =17 (v) [to hurt, be in pain; to vex, grieve, torture; to be
vexed, grieved, tortured; to make, form, copy, fashion, shape, stretch
into shape.]
- <06089>
'etseb' =7
(n)(m) [pain, hurt, offense; toil, labour, hardship; creation; object]
(from <06087>)
- <06090>
'otseb' =4 (n)(m) [pain; sorrow; wicked; an idol] (from
<06089>)
- <06091>
'atsab' =17 (n)(m) [an idol; image] (from <06087>)
- <06426>
'palats' =1 (v) [to shudder; tremble]
- <06696>
'tsuwr' =38 (v) [to besiege, lay siege, distress, bind, assault, make
adversary, show hostility, be as adversary, treat as foe; to form,
fashion, or delineate]
- <06735>
'tsiyr' =12 (n)(m) [pain, sorrow, distress; envoy or messenger] (from
<06696>)
- <06736>
'tsiyr' =2 (n)(m) [image or idol] (same as <06735>)
- <08251>
'shiqquwts' =28 (n)(m) [detestable thing; abominable thing; an idol]
(from <08262>)
- <08262>
'shaqats' =7 (v) [to detest; count or consider filthy; to make
abominable or detestable]
- <08655>
't@raphiym' =15 (n)(m) [idol; idolatry; image; a family idol] (from
<07495>)
- <07495>
'rapha' =67 (v) [to heal; to cure; to be healed; to be a healer,
physician]
Idols -
Greek
Words and
Definitions
- <1491>
'eidos' =5 (n)
[external or outward appearance; form, kind; shape] (from
<1492>)
- <1492>
'eidos' =666 (v) [to perceive with the eyes, or the senses; to know; to
see, notice, discern, discover]
- <1493>
'eidoleion' =1 (n) [idol's temple; temple consecrated to idols] (from
<1497>)
- <1494>
'eidolothuton' =10 (adj) [things sacrificed to idols; flesh left over
from heathen sacrifices] (from
<1497>,<2380>)
- <1495>
'eidololatreia' =4 (n)(f) [the worship of false gods; idolatry; of the
formal sacrificial feats held in honour of false gods of avarice, as a
worship of Mammon; in the plural, the vices springing from idolatry and
peculiar to it] (from <1497>,<2999>)
- <1496>
'eidololatres' =7 (n)(m) [a worshipper of false gods, an idolater; used
of any one as participant in any way in the worship of the
heathen, esp. one who attends their sacrificial feasts and eats of the
remains of offered victims; a covetous man as a worshipper of Mammon]
(from <1497>,<3000>)
- <1497>
'eidolon' =11 (n) [an image; likeness; form whether real or imaginary;
a false god] (from <1491>)
- <2712>
'kataeidolos' =1 (adj) [full of idols] (from
<2596>,<1497>)
- <2999>
'latreia' =5 (n)(f) [service rendered for hire; any service or
ministration: the service of God; the service and worship of God
according to the requirements of the Levitical law; to perform sacred
services] (from <3000>)
- <3000>
'latreuo' =21 (v) [to serve for hire; to serve, minister to, either to
the gods or men and used alike of slaves and freemen; in the NT, to
render religious service or homage, to worship to perform sacred
services, to offer gifts, to worship God in the observance of the rites
instituted for his worship; of priests, to officiate, to discharge the
sacred office] (from 'latris'- a hired menial)
Graven
Images - Hebrew Words and Definitions
- <04541>
'maccekah' = 28 (n)(f) [a pouring, libation, molten metal, cast image,
drink offering; libation (with covenant sacrifice); molten metal,
molten image, molten gods; web, covering, veil, woven stuff] (from
<05258>)
- <05258>
'nacak' = 25 (v) [to pour out, pour, offer, cast; to pour
out; to
cast metal images; to anoint (a king); to be anointed; to pour out (as
a libation); to pour out libations; to be poured out; to set, install;
to be installed]
- <05262>
'necek' =
64 (n)(m) [drink offering, libation, molten image, something poured
out] (from <05258>)
- <06456>
'p@ciyl' = 23 (n)(f) [graven images; carved images; idols]
(from <06458>)
- <06458>
'pacal' = 6 (v) [to cut or hew into shape; hew out, quarry]
- <06459>
'pecel' = 31 (n)(m) [idol; image; graven image; carved image] (from
<06458>)
Abominations
- Hebrew
Words and Definitions
- <0887>
'ba'ash' =17 (v) [to become abomination; to stink; to make or become
odious; to abhor]
- <02194> 'za'am'
=12 (v) [to be abominable; to be indignant or have indignation; to
denounce; to be abhorrent]
- <06292>
'pigguwl' =4 (n)(m) [abomination; foul thing; unclean thing; stinking
thing; used for unclean sacrificial flesh]
- <08251>
'shiqquwts' =28 (n)(m) [abomination; detestable thing; abominable
thing; an idol] (from <08262>)
- <08262>
'shaqats' =7 (v) [ to make abominable; to detest; count or consider
filthy]
- <08263>
'sheqets' =11
(n)(m) [abomination; detestable thing; unclean thing; an idol] (from
<08262>)
- <08441>
'tow'ebah' =117 (n)(f) [abomination; disgusting thing; unclean thing;
wicked thing] (from <08581>)
- <08581>
'ta'ab' =22 (v) [abominable; to abhor; to be abominable; to do
abominably; to loathe; detest; to make-, do-, to cause to become-] -
(Ahab did abominably <08581> in following idols-1Ki
21:26.)
- <111>
'athemitos' =2 (adj)
[abominable; prohibited by law; unlawful; abominable]
- <946>
'bdelugma' =6 (n)[abomination; foul or detestable thing; pertaining to
an idol] (from <948>)
- <947>
'bdeluktos' =1 (adj) [abominable; abominable; detestable]
- <948>
'bdelusso' =2 (v) [to make abominable; to render foul; cause to be
abhorred; to abhor, detest]
Similitude,
Likeness, and Figure - Hebrew Words and Definitions
- <08403>
'tabniyth' = 20 (n)(f) [pattern, likeness, form,
construction, similitude, figure] (from <01129>)
- <01129>'banah'
= 376 (v) [to build, build up, establish]
- <08544>'t@muwnah'
= 10 (n)(f) [form, image, likeness, similitude,
representation, semblance] (from <04327>)
- <04327>'miyn'
= 6 (n)(m) [from an unused root meaning to portion out; kind,
as species of animals.]
Miscellaneous
Hebrew Word definitions
06213
`asah
{aw-saw'}
a
primitive root; TWOT - 1708,1709;
v
AV - do
1333, make 653, wrought 52, deal 52, commit 49, offer 49,
execute 48, keep 48, shew 43, prepare 37, work 29, do so 21,
perform 18, get 14, dress 13, maker 13, maintain 7, misc 154; 2633
1) to do,
fashion, accomplish, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to do, work, make, produce
1a1a) to do
1a1b) to work
1a1c) to deal (with)
1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect
1a2) to make
1a2a) to make
1a2b) to produce
1a2c) to prepare
1a2d) to make (an offering)
1a2e) to attend to, put in order
1a2f) to observe, celebrate
1a2g) to acquire (property)
1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute
1a2i) to bring about
1a2j) to use
1a2k) to spend, pass
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be done
1b2) to be made
1b3) to be produced
1b4) to be offered
1b5) to be observed
1b6) to be used
1c) (Pual) to be made
2) (Piel) to press, squeeze
05647
`abad {aw-bad'}
a
primitive root; TWOT - 1553; v
AV - serve 227, do 15, till 9, servant 5, work 5, worshippers 5,
service 4, dress 2, labour 2, ear 2, misc 14; 290
1)
to work, serve
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to labour, work, do work
1a2) to work for another, serve another by labour
1a3) to serve as subjects
1a4) to serve (God)
1a5) to serve (with Levitical service)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be worked, be tilled (of land)
1b2) to make oneself a servant
1c) (Pual) to be worked
1d)
(Hiphil)
1d1) to compel to labour or work, cause to labour, cause to serve
1d2) to cause to serve as subjects
1e) (Hophal) to be led or enticed to serve
05080
nadach {naw-dakh'}
a
primitive
root; TWOT
- 1304; v
AV - drive 18,
drive out 6,
...away 6, outcasts 5, cast out 3,
banished 2, bring 1, go astray 1, chased 1, compelled 1, down 1,
expelled 1, misc 6; 52
1) to impel,
thrust, drive away, banish
1a)
(Qal)
1a1) to impel
1a2) to thrust away, banish
1b)
(Niphal)
1b1) to be impelled
1b2) to be thrust out, be banished
1b2a) banished, outcast (participle)
1b3) to be driven away
1b4) to be thrust away, thrust aside
1c) (Pual) to be thrust into
1c1) thrust (participle)
1d)
(Hiphil)
1d1) to thrust, move, impel
1d2) to thrust out, banish
1d3) to thrust away, thrust aside
1e) (Hophal) to be chased, be hunted
1e1) chased, hunted (participle)
03947
laqach {law-kakh'}
a
primitive
root; TWOT
- 1124; v
AV - take 747,
receive 61, take
away 51, fetch 31, bring 25, get 6,
take out 6, carry away 5, married 4, buy 3, misc 26; 965
1)
to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy,
bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to take, take in the hand
1a2) to take and carry along
1a3) to take from, take out of, take, carry away, take away
1a4) to take to or for a person, procure, get, take possession of,
select, choose, take in marriage, receive, accept
1a5) to take up or upon, put upon
1a6) to fetch
1a7) to take, lead, conduct
1a8) to take, capture, seize
1a9) to take, carry off
1a10) to take (vengeance)
1b)
(Niphal)
1b1) to be captured
1b2) to be taken away, be removed
1b3) to be taken, brought unto
1c) (Pual)
1c1) to be taken from or out of
1c2) to be stolen from
1c3) to be taken captive
1c4) to be taken away, be removed
1d) (Hophal)
1d1) to be taken unto, be brought unto
1d2) to be taken out of
1d3) to be taken away
1e)
(Hithpael)
1e1) to take hold of oneself
1e2) to flash about (of lightning)