“‘A curse on anyone who makes a carved or metal image, something Adonai detests, the handiwork of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret!’ All the people are to respond by saying, ‘Amen!’-Deuteronomy 27:15
Okay, so we’re continuing our slog through Deuteronomy Chapter 27 focusing on the pronouncement of the curses from Mount Ebal.
Eleven specific sins are called out that will bring a curse upon any Israelite who commits these no-nos.
After the calling out of the eleven sins, a 12th general transgression is also called out.
We’ve already studied and dealt with these specific sins in our studies.
One thing you may notice is that many of them have the death penalty attached to them.
However, you may be wondering what’s so darn special about these particular sins that they have been especially called out?
Well, the first thing you have to understand is that obviously these sins are NOT an exhaustive list of every possible sin one could commit in one’s lifetime.
You don’t actually think the whole Torah could be boiled down to just 11 (or 12) sins now, do you?
No, the list here is representing a type or category of sin.
So what type or category of sin could we be talking about here?
Good question.
The answer is the sins listed here are those types of sins that one could easily get away with doing because of the secretive nature of these trespasses.
In other words, these are sins that when committed would only be known by God, the criminal and the victim.
Enforcing earthly justice for these types of transgressions would have been very difficult simply because they’re capable of being committed outside of the public eye.
Onward.
The first two curses are connected to two of the 10 Words or “Commandments” of God:
“Thou shall not make any images of God”
…and…
“Thou shall honor thy parents”.
I know we’ve covered both of these commandments quite thoroughly back when we were immersed in the Book of Exodus.
Still, it would be good to remind ourselves that the Israelites have always believed that the instruction barring god-images covers BOTH images of the pagan (gentile) false deities as well as any image attempting to replicate HASHEM in some way.
No god-images period are to ever be manufactured by any Hebrew anywhere.
Having said that however, all throughout Hebrew history, this may be the number one most violated commandment of God of all time.
But let’s not start developing a condescending attitude towards the ancient Israelites here folks…
…because the gentile church has done much worse with all of their their ridiculous denominational icons and images that they use so liberally accompanied with a heaping dose of BS rationalization.
Do you want to see a living and breathing house of idolatry?
Well, look no further than your local Catholic Church with all of their statues of saints and Yeshua (whom they deify by the way).
No images means NO IMAGES!
Understand it, burn this instruction into your brain and live it.
Those who seek to worship HASHEM must do so in spirit and in truth.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING INTO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“God is Spirit,
and those who worship Him
must worship in spirit and truth.”
-John 4:24
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