Most "Christians" recognize a graven image as a beast fashioned of gold or wood that is bowed down to or worshipped. Many men recognize a stone idol as a false god. But how do you regard a cast, image (statue) or a picture purported to be Jesus Christ? A great number of people reverence such items. Still others reply, "We know there is no ACTUAL (or accurate) surviving picture or statue of Jesus Christ, but what does it hurt?" Does God say it matters?
"Thou 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" (Exodus 20:4).
Too great a portion of "Christendom" has narrowed this to mean, "Have no golden calf on the altar of the church." Now, while it does indeed mean that, I suggest it says a great deal more. Examine the words carefully. It says to NOT have ANY LIKENESS OF ANY thing that is in HEAVEN. Is not Jesus Christ right now in heaven? "So then after the Lord spake unto them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God" (Mark 16:19). Is this not all too clear? But one says, "I have my crucifix or my picture, but I don't worship these things." Give yourself the acid test. There is that old picture of a barn or covered bridge in the country that you have grown weary of and have decided to discard. Having built the trash fire, would you as quickly cast in the wooden crucifix above the door, or the "Last Supper" painting off the wall, or that Sunday School award picture of Jesus, as you would the scene of the bridge or barn? An unwillingness to do so (in fact, not to do it today) is to hold that image in special regard. It is to disregard and disobey God's commandment. These are idols. Is not to keep them to tempt the wrath of God as he warns in Exodus 20:5? "I the Lord thy God am a jealous God." Would not your jealousy be greatly kindled to find your spouse had hung an old sweetheart's picture on the wall and would not take it down? Were this your case, would you believe your spouse's love for you greater than for the former lover?
God says, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). The "before me" is traditionally interpreted to mean (and rightly so) "above me," or "besides me." The word "before," as used here, in the original language has a myriad of variations in meanings. These variations are all appropriate and expand our understanding: "Have no other gods:" (a) approaching me in value, (b) against me, even in a lesser sense or degree, (c) even after me, (d) in my presence, (e) not present, past, or future. Perhaps the most meaningful of all the nuances is the one which says that God will have no other gods "because of me" or "as me." This I believe means, Do not make something you imagine to be like me and call it me! Though all these bear up under examination, this final interpretation carries great weight because God saw fit to explain it again. He left no doubt about what He meant in Exodus 20:3 by expounding upon it in verse 4, i.e. NOT ANY IMAGE OR ANY LIKENESS OF ANY THING IN HEAVEN! To have such a picture or statue is to have another God "before" the true and living God.
Are you still not convinced? Consider these scriptures: "No man has seen God at any time;; (John 1:18); Deuteronomy 4:14-19 (verse 16 is very specific: "Lest you corrupt yourselves and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female").
I Peter 1:7-8 deals with the relationship of NOT having seen Jesus Christ and the trial of the believer's faith. It specifically states that "ye see Him (Jesus Christ) NOT." In fact, Romans 8:24-25 warns that if you have seen what you hope for, you have no hope. Rather, we are saved by the hope "we see not." We ,,are saved by Jesus Christ, Who is spiritually revealed--not seen with the natural eye.
A significant portion of Romans I (especially verses 20-26) deals with this matter. The word says that fools, thinking themselves wise....... changed the glory of the incorruptible God (Christ Jesus) into an image made like to corruptible man..." (vs. 23), and "...changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature..." (vs. 25). Is God's warning hollow? "Wherefore God also gave them up..." (vs. 24 and 26).
If the consequences are so severe, why do men make and cling to these things? The first reason men disobey God's commandment is the same reason Adam disobeyed God: we are rebellious. God has said, "Do not," and we have said, "I will." Like Satan and Adam, we have said we will not have this God, but we will ascend ourselves into the heavens. Men would make themselves gods but cannot, so they must be content to make unto themselves gods!
Ithink also that a picture is very meaningful to the individual who has heard about a person he has never met. I fear many have not met Jesus Christ the Lord in His Word. They need their pictures to assure them. A FULL EYE TOO OFTEN WILL PACIFY AN EMPTY HEART. The tongue that coined the cliche, "A picture is worth a thousand words," doubtless never read God's Word and may well have been satanically inspired.
God is a spirit and we worship Him in spirit. That is why "We live by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7). That is why "Faith cometh by hearing" (Gal. 3:2) and not by sight. The hearing of what? God's Word! Would you know God? Look for Him in His Word. Do you want a picture of Jesus Christ? Look in His Word.
Let the Lord paint His own picture:
His EAR is not heavy that it cannot hear (Isa. 59: 1).
This is the faintest sketch, but are you getting THE PICTURE? This is not even the beginning of a profile of the great Christ presented in the Word. And if you do not hearken to God's Word He says He will set his FACE against you. (Leviticus 26:17). Then you will never see the face you claim to cherish. In His Word is where you will find Jesus Christ the Lord. Indeed, A SINGLE WORD in the power of the spirit is worth a thousand thousand pictures.
Not that it is my desire to see one, but I have never encountered an accurate casting or picture of the crucified Christ. They always have a man portrayed with discernable facial features and a body with rather mild wounds. This is contrary to scripture in that "...His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men" (Isaiah 52:14). Whether you choose to believe this means He was disfigured more than any man who ever lived or just more than any man who was ever crucified (and the Romans crucified thousands), the error of these images is obvious. I point this out to simply expose the ignorance of those who make and own such idols. I contend that the ultimate deception in this is to keep Jesus Christ on the cross as opposed to preaching Christ crucified. A wounded, but not totally ravaged, Christ on the cross deludes the sinner's perception of the awfulness of his sin, the terror of God's wrath, and the total fulfillment required by God's justice. Satan delights to have you cling to this image which leaves Christ forever on the cross to the exclusion of understanding:
(1) why He went to the cross—to atone for the sins of His people,
True believers have the desire to experience the fulfilled promise that someday we shall see Christ face to face (Revelation 4:22). Because it pleased God to reveal Christ spiritually to His people, they desire to see Him face to face to the extent that it is synonymous with being with Him where He is. We desire to be with Him, for we love Him. All faithful subjects of the benevolent King desire to be in the presence of His Majesty.
Brethen, let us in this world be content to see through a glass dimly (but THEN face to face, I Corinthians 13:12). Be content with what God has given now—the revelation of His Son in His Word, so that we might forsake and condemn all idols and graven images as they exist. This is not a commandment that is grievous to keep. It is a joy to discard our idols and worship the one true and living God, in spirit and in truth.
His EARS are open to the cries of the righteous (Psa. 34:15).
The Lord HEARS the desire of the humble (Psa. 10:17)
and hears poor men who seek Him to be saved (Psa. 34:5-6).
His EYES are open to the righteous (Psa. 34:15).
His EYES behold, His EYELIDS try, the children of men" (Psa. 11:4).
"The EYE of the Lord is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy" (Psa. 33:18).
"The EYES of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth" (2 Chron. 16:9).
The Lord says that man's iniquity is "a smoke in my NOSE" (Isa. 65:5).
With the breath of His LIPS shall He slay the wicked (Isa. 11:4).
He says, "I will redeem you with a stretched out ARM" (Exo. 6:6).
The Lord's HAND is not shortened that it cannot save (Isa. 59:1).
The heavens are the work of god's FINGERS (Psa. 8:3).
All men shall some day bow down at the FEET of the Lord Jesus
Christ (Heb. 2:8; Rom. 14:11).
What is the Lord's posture? "He is sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up" (Isa. 6:1).
(2) what He accomplished on the cross—as the acceptable sacrifice and substitute, He satisfied God's holy and perfect justice, and
(3) where He went from the cross—to intercede for His people at the right hand of God, waiting until His enemies be made His footstool.
Thirteenth Street Baptist Church
Ashland, Ky.