>>> The Third Commandment
by John W. Ritenbaugh
It is not hard to determine what the most common sin is. It is idolatry, a sin of commission. Five commandments bear directly on it: the first, second, third, fourth, and tenth. In addition, the others easily become involved in idolatry by being broken in their spirit. This article will focus on another commandment, the third, that connects directly with the sin of idolatry. Many of us do not generally understand its purpose. In fact, most of us understand it only in its most obvious application, and thus unknowingly, we may break it frequently.
Recall that the first commandment deals with what we worship. Our worship is to be directed toward the unique Creator, the Source of all things, and toward Him only. The second deals with the way we worship, in spirit and truth. No one has ever seen the unique Creator God, so we must use no figments of human imagination to portray Him. The third involves the sincere truthfulness, purity, and quality of our worship. It deals with glorifying God.
Isaiah 40:18, 25 asks, "To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him? . . . 'To whom then will you liken Me, or to whom shall I be equal?' says the Holy One." From the second commandment, it is obvious that God expressly forbids the making of any representation of Him. Any such picture or statue is automatically a lie because, other than knowing that we are in His physical image as to form and shape, everything else that He is cannot be expressed in a mere physical depiction.
AI
