When the New Testament speaks about idols, it isn’t necessarily about statues or altars. The command against graven images, or idols, still holds true, though it may be applicable a little differently today. Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” ( Matthew 5:17). Is This Verse and Commandment Still Relevant Today? Without “graven images,” how is this possible? We’ll explore that below. However, idolatry is still discussed in the New Testament. After their rampant immorality and idolatry led to the fall of Israel and Judah and years of foreign captivity, Judaism became solidified and the Law more strictly enforced. It is foolish to believe that the God of all the universe could be contained by any earthly object.īy the time of Jesus and the early Christians, the Israelites (now called the Jews) no longer struggled much with worshipping physical idols. The Lord then ordered three thousand put to death ( Exodus 30:28). Sinai, Moses and God were so incensed that Moses ground up the calves and forced the Israelites to drink the powder ( Exodus 32:20). When Aaron built the golden calves for the Israelites to worship as God in the desert while Moses was busy communing with God on Mt. The Lord is “the King eternal, immortal, invisible” ( 1 Timothy 1:17). But the Lord refused to be reduced in such a way. A person could bow down to a physical statue or carry a physical talisman. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Idolatry stole the glory and honor that belongs solely to God.Īnother part of the allure of idolatry was the ability to see the gods. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 instructs, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. He claimed to be the only God, and He would not share His glory. Unlike the pantheons of other religions, the Lord refused to be one of many gods.
It was certainly sometimes due to peer pressure kings such as Solomon and Ahab allowed idolatry to grow and fester in order to appease their foreign wives. Perhaps it was the convenience of giving sacrifices to idols to get what they wanted rather than giving over their lives to the service of God.
Though it is impossible to state exactly what drove an individual Israelite to idolatry, the allure throughout Israel’s history proved irresistible for many. The gods were usually considered tempestuous and unpredictable, but through rituals, charms, and other means, worshippers gained some sense of control and security.Ĭonsidering idolatry was the prevailing religion of the day, it is no surprise that this was a major problem God had to address with the Israelites over and over again. Talismans could be crafted to offer protection and household idols were placed to bring blessing to the family. If a person could find the force that controlled a specific aspect of their life-for example, a farmer finding a rain god-a person could build a temple and offer sacrifices in order to appease and persuade the god to act in a favorable manner. The King James Version of the Bible mentions “graven images” about 40 times.Ī large part of idolatry was the attempt to exercise some control over circumstances. Though bowing down to a stone or statue may sound silly to a lot of us, this was a major problem for the Israelites. It is notable that when the Bible refers to these “graven images,” now usually translated as idols, it is specifically referring to objects of worship. Though it was acknowledged that idols were built by human hands, the gods, or at least portions of their power, were still believed to indwell them.
Idols were often fashioned as humanoid figures, animals, or a mixture of both. This is even referenced in the Bible, in 1 Kings 18:28. Canaanites were known to sacrifice children to Molech before his statue, while prophets of Baal slashed themselves to invoke the attention of their god. Gods in the ancient Near East could be bloodthirsty. These idols were believed to hold the power of the gods. When God gave the Ten Commandments, the Israelites had just left Egypt, where the Egyptians worshiped dozens, even hundreds, of gods represented by idols. Idols were common in the world around the Israelites.
Thus, a graven image was carved, as out of stone, wood, or metal, either a statue or a relief carving as on a wall or pole (like an Asherah pole). The Hebrew word (roughly Romanized to “ pesel”) that is translated to graven image in Exodus 20:4, might also be translated as “idol” or “image.” Judges 18:14 gives further context, differentiating between a graven image ( pesel) and molten image ( maccekah).
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