The Second Commandment

So here I am taking a look at the Second Commandment. You shall not make idols. Exodus 20:4-6 "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: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments." 
This sounds serious to me.  I think this is closely tied to the first commandment. Once again, God wants to be first in our lives. He is a jealous God, he visits the iniquity  of the fathers of those that hate him unto the third and fourth generation of their children. This ought to make us think, how seriously God considers these commandments. We often equate love and hate to be opposites.

The definition of idolatry, according to Webster, is “the worship of idols or excessive devotion to, or reverence for some person or thing.” An idol is anything that replaces the one, true God. The most prevalent form of idolatry in Bible times was the worship of images that were thought to embody the various pagan deities.

An idol is anything that replaces the one true God, according to Webster.If we do not have time for God in our lives, what have we replaced God with? That is our Idol and our god. The one true God is a jealous God. He does not want anything to replace him.  He shews mercy to thousands that love him.

John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

John 14:21 " He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."

He wants to be first in our lives as both the first and second commandments show. I honestly struggle with keeping him first in my life. I try and do what I know to do, and I believe as the scripture above states, I am loved of my heavenly Father. And that is a good place to be. Do our actions say that we love God or hate him?  If ye love me, keep my commandments. God bless, LVZ.