2007-10-28 10:23:44 · 9 answers · asked by Mayonaise 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Our tendency is to believe in what we can see, and thus people made outside images and thought these were representative of God. You are referring to the mandate: Thou shalt not worship graven images.
I interpret this message not as 'thou shalt not do' lest you will be punished, but rather one of a loving message pointing out the error of our way of looking. You will not come to know God by worshiping an outside image.
I think too many people interpret the messages in the bible literally and then they think that if they don't worship something on the outside - because God said so - then somehow they are obeying God and are doing good in the eyes of the Lord. If it were that easy then we would all be saved!
There is a deeper meaning here and it is that everything that one can see is but a representation of that which is now gone. This even includes what we can see with our eyes physically. When we look at an object, it gets reflected in the back of our eye and then becomes an image in our brain. The object is still outside us and it is alive in it's moment, but what is reflected inside as an image is only a shadow of that. This is also the same with our thinking, thinking happens as a reflection. Because we mostly identify with our thinking, thinking the thinker is our true self, then we fool ourselves in the same way - with graven images of being the thinker. And thus we also are worshiping the graven image of ourself when we believe that who we are is the thinking one.
You will never find God in a reflection, God is the living God.
Betsy
2007-10-29 05:06:30 · answer #1 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Main Entry: graven image
Function: noun
Etymology: graven, past participle of grave
Date: 14th century
: an object of worship carved usually from wood or stone : idol
Images of idols.
Have a blessed day.
2007-10-28 16:17:32 · answer #2 · answered by wyomugs 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Graven means carved
2007-10-28 10:26:44 · answer #3 · answered by sego lily 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
1. to carve, sculpt, or engrave.
2. to impress deeply: graven on the mind.
I hope this has helped. Blessings
2007-10-28 10:32:19 · answer #4 · answered by DERLANDSON 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Stones in the shapes of men, women, and animals aka false idols.
2007-10-28 12:17:39 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Cosmos is right...a carved image used in worship. Some claim to use them because it "represents" the one being worshiped. Not a correct thinking.
2007-10-28 10:28:21 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
Basically anything that was carved out of iron, stone or wood.
2007-10-28 10:27:57 · answer #7 · answered by Hello Kitty 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
images of a God they have never seen or have knowledge of or anything that pertained to anything in Heaven.
2007-10-28 11:10:30 · answer #8 · answered by Midge 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
humans used to worship 'totems' or statues of how they visualized their gods
2007-10-28 10:27:34 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋