Hitch,

1. I am assuming that the quote is taken from someone that is on some other forum or a person you are communicating with. Is that correct?

2. I am also assuming that whoever wrote the quoted portion takes exception to the historic Reformed interpretation and application of the 2nd Commandment. Would that be correct as well?

3. Assuming once again that #1 & #2 are correct, I'll give you my own response and not necessarily a "standard response". grin

  1. God does not contradict Himself, thus whatever He commanded in Exodus 20:4,5 will be 100% consistent with everything that follows that pertains to that commandment. Thus there is no discrepancy between Ex. 20:4,5 and 25:22 or 26:1.
  2. The second commandment forbids the making of ANY representation whatsoever, material or imaginary of any of the three persons of the Godhead including the incarnate Son of God Jesus the Christ. Secondly, it forbids the making of anything that is used as a means of worship of the one true Living God according to the imaginations of men. This is iterated in the second giving of the law in Deuteronomy 5:8,9. And the principal aspect of the law exemplified and explained in Deut 4:7-19. Let me make this understanding even more clear by the following:

    1. Notice the emphasis upon the written and spoken word of God:
    - Written:
    v. 8 … statutes, judgments, law;
    v. 9, 10 … teach them
    v. 13 … he wrote them
    - Spoken:
    v:10 … make them hear my words;
    v.12 ... the Lord spoke, you heard the voice of words, only you heard a voice
    v. 13 … he declared them, he commanded you to perform
    v. 14 … teach you
    v. 15 … spoke unto you

    2. Notice now the emphasis against visual representations of God:
    - v. 12 … but saw no similitude [form];
    - v. 15 … for you saw no manner [any kind] of similitude [form]
    - v. 16 …Lest you corrupt yourselves and make an image or some form of any figure, etc. and end up worshiping any of these things or worshiping God through these things.

    A few more examples can be seen here:
    Isaiah 40:18 and 25, 26: to what or whom will you compare God or with what representation?
    Isaiah 42:8: I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
    Isaiah 44:9-10: The futility of man-made ‘gods’
  3. Having established what the 2nd Commandment forbids, let's take a quick look at the two passages quoted from Exodus:

    Quote
    Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains woven of fine linen thread, and blue and purple and scarlet yarn; with artistic designs of cherubim you shall weave them. (Exodus 26:1)

    And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, of all things which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel. (Exodus 25:22)
    a. There is no mention, no not even the slightest hint that any man or group of men decided to fabricate anything that was made within the Tabernacle. They were all made upon the direct command of God. The 2nd Commandment forbids MEN to make any graven images or any likeness of God.

    b. There is nothing within the Tabernacle which was made for the sole purpose of serving as a means through which God was to be worshiped. God Himself declared that He would be personally present and speak with Moses "face to face". The presence of God and His direct communication was restricted to Moses and Moses alone.

    c. The CONTEXT of those two passages are not in regard to the corporate worship of God nor an example of individual worship of God. They are typological in that as God was to speak directly to Moses, as God's chosen servant of His people, God would speak directly to One who would come after Him as God's chosen Servant, the Leader, Deliverer, Guardian and Redeemer of His people; Jesus Christ (cf. Deut 18:15-18; Acts 3:22; 7:37).

    d. Thus, there is nothing in the two quoted passages which are relevant to interpreting Ex. 20:4,5 or Deut 5:8,9.

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simul iustus et peccator

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