• Exodus 20:4-6
    "You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

     
  • Isaiah 40:18-20
    To whom then will you liken God?
    Or what likeness will you compare to Him?
    The workman molds an image,
    The goldsmith overspreads it with gold,
    And the silversmith casts silver chains.
    Whoever is too impoverished for such a contribution
    Chooses a tree that will not rot;
    He seeks for himself a skillful workman
    To prepare a carved image that will not totter.

     
  • John 4:24
    God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
     
  • Isaiah 40:25
    " To whom then will you liken Me,
    Or to whom shall I be equal?" says the Holy One.

     
For more scripture references, please see Bible verses for Second Commandment


Resources

The Second Commandment

Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

Human nature tries to limit God to the confines of physical objects. Men fabricate images, called idols, to aid them in worshiping a god they have concocted.


The Second Commandment

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Most people consider the second commandment to deal with making or falling down before a pagan idol, but it covers all aspects of the way we worship.


The Second Commandment: Idolatry

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The natural mind craves something physical to remind us of God, but the Second Commandment prohibits this. Any representation will fall short of the reality.


The Second Commandment (1997)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

Many fail to perceive the difference between the first and second commandments. The second commandment defines the way we are to worship the true God.


The Commandments (Part Three)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

Idolatry derives from worshiping the work of our hands or thoughts rather than the true God. Whatever consumes our thoughts and behavior has become our idol.


The Commandments (Part Five)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Sabbath is a period of time God purposefully sanctified and set apart for the benefit of mankind, a time dedicated to God's spiritual creation.


The Fourth Commandment: Idolatry

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God, not man, created, sanctified and memorialized the seventh day Sabbath from the time of creation, intending that man use this holy time to worship God.


The Fourth Commandment

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

At creation, God sanctified only one day, the seventh, as a day of rest. At Sinai, He again sanctified it as a holy day, tying it to creation and freedom.



For more resources, please see the library topic for Second Commandment