The Second Commandment: “Thou Shalt Not Make Unto Thee Any Graven Image”

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The Second Commandment: “Thou Shalt Not Make Unto Thee Any Graven Image”   Exdous 20: 4-7 KJV     ⁴Thou shalt not make 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: ⁵Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve 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;

 ⁶And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. ⁷Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

 

The Second Commandment: “Thou Shalt Not Make Unto Thee Any Graven Image”

Many people think the Second Commandment is only about statues or carved idols. But this commandment goes deeper. As a counselor, I often see people create ideas about God that are not true. They shape God to fit their feelings instead of letting God shape them.

The Westminster Catechism teaches that the Second Commandment requires us to worship God in the way He has commanded, and forbids worshiping Him in false ways. In simple words, God cares not only that we worship Him, but how we worship Him.

 

What the Second Commandment Means

The Second Commandment teaches that God is not to be represented by images or ideas made by human hands or human thinking.

The Bible says, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image” (Exodus 20:4 KJV).

This means:

We do not reduce God to pictures or objects

We do not reshape God to match our preferences

We do not worship feelings instead of truth

God reveals Himself through His Word, not through imagination.

 

Why This Commandment Matters Today

Today, many people say, “My God would never judge,” or “My God wants me happy no matter what.” These statements often come from emotion, not Scripture.

Psychology shows that people create mental images to feel safe. But when we create a false image of God, we lose the true comfort He offers.

A false god cannot save, correct, or guide.

 

A Bible Story: The Golden Calf

In Exodus 32  KJV, the Israelites grew impatient while Moses was on the mountain. They asked Aaron to make a visible god. He created a golden calf, and the people worshiped it.

They were not rejecting God completely—they were trying to worship Him their own way. God was angry because they replaced His truth with an image.

This story shows that false worship leads to confusion and judgment, even when people claim good intentions.

 

A Real-Life Counseling Story

I once counseled a woman who said she believed in God but rejected the Bible. She trusted her feelings more than Scripture. When life became painful, her “god” offered no guidance or correction.

As she began reading the Bible, she said, “This God challenges me, but He also comforts me.” She learned that truth-based faith brings stability, not fear.

What Obeying the Second Commandment Looks Like

 

Obeying this commandment means:

Studying Scripture regularly

Accepting God as He reveals Himself

Worshiping with humility and truth

 

Rejecting false ideas about God

True worship is grounded in God’s Word, not personal preference.

How This Commandment Protects the Heart

As a counselor, I see people heal when they stop chasing emotional highs and start trusting truth. Worship rooted in truth brings peace, clarity, and direction.

False worship leads to disappointment. True worship builds faith.

 

 

Grace When We Get It Wrong

Everyone is tempted to shape God into something comfortable. God offers grace and correction, not rejection. When we repent and return to truth, God restores us.

 

Reflection Question

Have you ever believed something about God that came from feelings instead of Scripture?

 

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Romans 10:17 KJV  “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”   Click to go to our YouTube Channel.  FREE!

 

A CALL TO SALVATION:

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Romans 10:9-10⁹That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. ¹⁰For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.

 John 3:5-6⁵Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. ⁶That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷