Okay, so I've kinda been worried lately. Since I'm a teen, my house is filled with a bunch of dolls that I had kept from my childhood. From Teddy bears to sharks and even Pokemon... (I used to be a gamer with an unhealthy obsession... I've changed though. Hehe!)
So I was on the internet and searching about graven images and so on and so forth, when I stumbled into this very interesting article. It was about the 2nd Commandment God had given to Moses:
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. Exodus 20:3-5 and
Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God. (Lev. 26:1)
Now, funny thing is, the article stated that the point of this Commandment is that you are not to keep any graven images (toys, statues, figures, etc. that resemble living creatures, the sun, the moon, the stars, basically almost everything natural in this world.) and that heavily offends God. When I made even more research, I found out that not only that article was supporting that philosophy - a lot of them were. Of course, that made me REALLY worried - my Catholic school never told anything about having cute dolls and cups as graven images!
Even more, one article even stated that animated movies (something like Rio, Secret Life of Pets, Frozen, etc.) were ALSO to be considered graven images. (But, most didn't, so...
)
I also found this article that went really in-depth about it and I can see the point, but... just to be safe, are dolls, statues, etc. graven images?
Please let me know what you think! I really need your help.
My two cents. I hope you can bear with me. thanks
The forbidding of idol image worship is established right after the first commandment. The second commandment helps guard the first as to having no gods before Him and therefore is so blaspheme the Holy name we are called by . I think you could say it is all together as one commandment in that way.
As to the foundation as to why the commandment not to seek after idol images, it is set up from the beginning having its origin in the garden involving the father of lies and a faith (unseen) issue .
Image idols (teraphims) are forbidden because of the faith (unseen ) issue. God has no form, and Satan who also has no form. Satan used a serpent as an idol image to represent his own self. Whatever its appearance was no one knows. It was changed as part of the curse and unto its belly it went to eat lifeless, spiritless dust.... to show us the nature of death. No spirit life.
When the father of lies speaks he speaks of his own through different visible medias. He performed that lie by putting his word in the creatures mouth, seducing Adam and Eve through the clever and indirect method to achieve something.. Destroying the faith relationship they did have with God prior to the fall. You could say usurping the authority of God not seen, causing the first death, the killing of the relationship they had with God not seen, to show he is a murder from the beginning.
Man by experiencing the result of violating the commandment to not eat of the tree, became separate from God, spiritually dead.
To begin with it was not God’s desire that they walked after experiences (walking by sight) as that seen but , rather by that not seen in lieu of the Holy Spirit that dwelt in them . And then things were turned upside down, the things of this world after the god of this world started to follow the course of the air, through the three avenues spoken of below
1John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
The lust of the flesh as that seen .The lust of the eye the tool for seeing and drawing awy the will of God provides the pride of this life, as results of the fall.
Graven images are images to represent the creatures not seen .They are falsely used to develop a personal faith based again to point to the unseen.
It is not the image itself that people worship but what it represents. It becomes a way as a mediator other than prophecy of the scripture between to distinguish between that seen (temporal) and not seen(eternal) .
Seeking after that not seen in that way is trying to continue a relationship with someone or creature who was here but has departed . The scriptures call that kind of work as necromancy.
Necromancy is a word that can be used in two different ways. The English equivalent of the Hebrew word “darash’ is simply the word Seek with no other meaning added. .
Strong's lexicon 01875 darash {daw-rash'} a primitive root; TWOT - 455; v
AV - seek 84, enquire 43, require 12, search 7, misc 18; 164
1) to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to resort to, frequent (a place), (tread a place) 1a2) to consult, enquire of, seek 1a2a) of God 1a2b) of heathen gods, necromancers 1a3) to seek deity in prayer and worship 1a3a) God 1a3b) heathen deities 1a4) to seek (with a demand), demand, require 1a5) to investigate, enquire 1a6) to ask for, require, demand 1a7) to practice, study, follow, seek with application 1a8) to seek with care, care for 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to allow oneself to be enquired of, consulted (only of God) 1b2) to be sought, be sought out 1b3) to be
In Isaiah the word darash (seek) is used both ways as one context. One to seek by faith after our Father not seen in heaven the other men of renown who are no longer here in the same context.. There we are informed that should we rather seek after our living God ito work in those who are spiritually dead in their trespass and sin. Rather than relying on disembodied worker s with a familiar spirt to do the work of hopefully drawing nearer to God.
And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Isa 8:19
The image idols represent either a family member or a known entity of the renown.. Scripture refers to them as workers with familial spirits, as disembodied spirits (many), not seen .This is plural seeing there are many. Christ used the occasion in Mark to define the legion as many . He called those kinds of workers with familiar spirits... a legion. In that way they never represent one, always leaving room to add new ones to the list.
Mark 5:9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.
Rachel practiced the pagan ritual identified by images as again the legion to represent an unknown number.
Genesis 31:19 And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's.
Genesis 31:34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.
Genesis 31:35 And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched but found not the images.
Strongs lexicon....
08655 t@raphiym {ter-aw-feme'}pl. from 07495; TWOT - 2545; n m
AV - image 7, teraphim 6, idol 1, idolatry 1; 15
1) idolatry, idols, image(s), teraphim, family idol 1a) a kind of idol used in household shrine or worship
We can see that pagan practice using again a legion taking place when the kingdom was rent from the hand of Saul and God no longer communed with him . So he sought comfort by another pagan form a witch as his new mediator, a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.And when Saul enquired of the LORD,” the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.”Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, “divine unto me by the familiar spirit”, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods (legion)
ascending out of the earth.And he said unto her, "What form" is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do. 1Sa 28:5-16
God obviously sent him a strong delusion to believe the lie. The point is he had to identify and approve of the form of that false vison because again at first there were many gods (legion) .
Hypothetically If Saul would of continued he too would have had someone create an image idol (teraphim) to represent Samuel who was no longer here. as that needed to put a face on one. so that when he would cry out in seeking help it would not be seen he was just speaking into the air.
Just a warning in respect to an example of today of performing that kind of pagan practice.
It is the same practice the Catholic use to create their own anti-kind of saints, called patron saints, as a source of private faith .
There are 3500 and rising workers with familiar spirits (patron saints)that were created in the Vatican saint factory with the Popes seal of approval . And the sale of medallions used as idol images on to put a face on one of the legion are available to seek after one .
I would suggest a person can have as many toys as they desire as long as they don’t make them living idols to represent something that was once here and can still help a person in there time of need.. That’s “The Toy Story” to the universe and beyond. Build a teddy bear .
