Lecture Notes: The Second Commandment

Opening Remarks

• Praise for God's care and sending Jesus to foster a relationship with God.
• Emphasis on the role of the Holy Spirit in giving courage to proclaim Jesus.
• Introduction to the second week in a series on the Ten Commandments.

Series Goals

• Big Goal: Bask in God’s love and grow in love for Him and others through the Ten Commandments.
• Small Goal: Memorize all Ten Commandments.

Review of the Ten Commandments

1. No other gods.
2. No graven images.
3. Do not misuse God's name.
4. Observe the Sabbath.
5. Honor your parents.
6. Do not murder.
7. Do not commit adultery.
8. Do not steal.
9. Do not bear false witness.
10. Do not covet.

Focus on the Second Commandment

• Commandment: Prohibits creating or worshiping carved images representing false gods or the one true God.

Context and Explanation

• Historical Context: Israelites' exposure to Egyptian and Canaanite idol worship (e.g., Horus, Anubis, Baal).
• Modern Context: Idolization in forms like phones, body image, or celebrities.
• Aaron and the Golden Calf: An example of breaking the second commandment while intending to worship the true God.

King Jehu’s Example

• Obedience to the first commandment (no other gods) but failed the second commandment by maintaining golden calves as Yahweh’s representation.

Reason for the Command

• Jealous God: God wants a faithful love relationship, not reduced representations.
• Demeaning to God: Comparing God to any creation belittles His infinite nature.
• Unfaithful to God: Choosing comfortable attributes over the whole truth of God is akin to creating an idol.

God's Desire Through His Word

• Emphasis on knowing God through His Word, not through made images.
• Worship through Scripture as the all-sufficient means.

Blessings and Cursings

• Consequences: Generational visitations of iniquity for those who hate God.
• Promise: Steadfast love to thousands (implying generations) of those who love God.

Worshiping God in the Right Way

• First vs. Second Commandment: First is about the right God; the second is about the right way to worship Him.
• God's provision of Jesus as the perfect image of the invisible God.

Conclusion

• Jesus as the Perfect Image: Represents God fully and sufficiently.
• Our Role: Be conformed to the image of Christ, representing God.
• Communion: Celebration of Jesus’ sacrifice, reflecting on personal sins and God’s righteousness.

Worship and Reflection

• Encouragement to worship with songs, reflecting on the true nature of God as revealed in Jesus.