What does Exodus 20:4 mean to you?

Question

We should not make what is in heaven or earth?
We are not to make anything that is in heaven or on earth, what does that mean for people who make gold crosses as necklaces or designs for jewelry, T-Shirts, clothes, shoes, etc. What about the ones making a statue of Jesus and praying and bowing down to the statue? Or even the statue of Mary? Jesus isn't a fashion statement or an entertaiment vessel. Why are we dragging his names into such materials?

When the prophet bowed down to Jesus in the bible, Jesus told him to get up because he wasn't the one to be bowing down to but God. Even Jesus does not want anyone to treat him as a God. He never said he was God. Why are we doing what God said in the bible NOT to do?

Please state the name of bible used, followed by references to assist your opinions so I can do further research. Forgive me, but I can not study off of answers with nothing to back them up with.

Answer 1

The verse should not be taken literally. It simply means God demands exclusive allegaince like a husband to a wife. It means worshipping something other than God.

Man must not believe in or worship many gods (polytheism). Also, Scripture constantly rejects idols made by hand. "They have mouths and they do not speak. Those worshippers who make them are like them" (Ps 115:4-5). Only the true God gives life and intervenes in history.

Idolatry is not just pagan worship. It also consists of honoring a creature who is not God. This could be demons (Satanism), power, pleasure, money, etc. "You cannot serve God and mammon" (Mt 6:24). Martyrs died for not adoring "the Beast" (Rev 13-14). Idolatry always rejects the Lordship of God.

Adoring the true God gives unity to life, while idolatry is a perversion of man's religious sense, "transferring man's indestructible notion of God, to anything other than God" (Origen).

Peace and blessings!

Answer 2

Exodus 20 4

Answer 3

Simply put, Exodus 20:4 means that we are not to create, build, manufacture, or covet, any physical object in the entire universe, such as animals, earth creatures and objects, sun, moon, or stars-- and then worship them as though they were a conscious and listening God, which would hear the prayers of people, and thereby protect them. Exodus 20:4 is a verse directly and specifically directed toward discouraging "IDOLITRY" which was expressly forbidden.
Moses believed that when the people worshipped IDOLS, they would lose sight of the real God who is invisible and unseen by the physical eyes.
Anyone who attatches any attribute of God to anything physical, including prayer beads or gold crosses commits idolitry in the eyes Of God.
Remeber the golden calf that was created by the Israelites while Moses was away from them on the mountain recieving the 10 commandments? He was furious upon his return, and immediately had the gold calf destroyed because it was an idolitrous object.

Answer 4

Exodus 20:4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything on heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below." New International Version
This is one of the ten commandments written for the hebrews who had just left the idol filled land of Egypt. This commandment was to remind the Israelites that there is only one God not the many they had experienced in Egypt. This is made current in todays christianity by the belief in the trinity father son and holy spirit the three as one. As Jesus is the Son of God he is equal to God and holy spirit. I cannot answer for Mary I am not Catholic perhaps you could ask them about how Mary figures in I really have no clue.

Answer 5

God is stressing the sin of Idolatry. We can make anything an idol. Money, fame, work or pleasure can become gods, when we concentrate too much on them for person identy, meaning and security.

Many Catholics use images of Mary and/or the saints as "good luck charms." Any cursory reading of the Bible will reveal this practice as blatant idolatry (Exodus 20:4-6; 1 Corinthians 12:12; 1 John 5:21). Rubbing rosary beads is idolatry. Lighting candles before a statue or portrayal of a saint is idolatry. Burying a Joseph statue in hopes of selling your home (and countless other Catholic practices) is idolatry.

KJV

Answer 6

He never said the exact words "I am God." That does not mean, however, that He did not proclaim that He is God.

John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” At first glance, this might not seem to be a claim to be God. However, look at the Jews’ reaction to His statement, “We are not stoning you for any of these, replied the Jews, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God” -John 10:33... The Jews understood Jesus’ statement to be a claim to be God. In the following verses, Jesus never corrects the Jews by saying, “I did not claim to be God.” That indicates Jesus was truly saying He was God

John 1:1 says that “the Word was God.” John 1:14 says that “the Word became flesh.” This clearly indicates that Jesus is God in the flesh

Answer 7

It is interesting that the question ask what does it mean to me? What we should be asking is what does God mean. God who created us has worth above all created things. To worship any created thing would be placing the same value on the created as the creator. God alone is only worthy of our worship. Worshiping any wood or stone made by man would be consided foolish and dangerous. In Revelation 4:11 the bible states only you are worthy oh lord and God to recieve glory and honor and power for you created all things. and by your will they existed and were created. In Chapter 5 in all of men they were asking who is worthy to open the seals which speak of the hope of all man. In fact John the author was lamenting because no one was found worth in all the earth. But there was one found who was worthy and he wasn't just a man but the God man verses 6-10 and we who place our faith in him understand yes He is the creator and that alone should make him worthy and yet even more so is the fact that He became the Lamb and by His blood we were made whole by the ransom of His own blood and now all who believe are found acceptable to God for our worth is found in the Son that has always pleased the father. Our hope can be yours if you place your faith in Him and not in idols that offer nothing. We have hope in the creator not the created and the benefit is we will reign with Him (verse 10).

Answer 8

That we should not have crosses, fish, pictures, idols of any sort. We are to worship God alone.
People usually don't study the Bible they allow someone else to tell them waht is there and that is dangerous.

I use the KJV and interlinear Bibles only. The latter has the original Hebrew, Greek and English.

Crosses are pagan and not to be venerated. The cross that Jesus was put on was a device of torture and murder.

Answer 9

You claim, "When the prophet bowed down to Jesus in the bible, Jesus told him to get up because he wasn't the one to be bowing down to but God. "

Actually the bible claims the opposite.

Mt 14:33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Jesus accepted their worship.

Likewise in Joh 9:38 Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him."

So if Jesus accepted worship from people, then who was he claiming to be.

Here's what the Jews thought:

Joh 10:33 "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."

Given these facts do you believe in Jesus for who he claims to be or do you reject him?

Answer 10

Actually, it doesn't say in the Bible that Jesus ever said not to worship Him. In Revelation 19 the apostle John, who is narrating talks about the angel who he (John) bowed down to worship and the angel replied to him " Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.