The 2nd Commandment and Images of Jesus

Exodus 20:4-6 NKJV:

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."

Clearly, the 2nd commandment forbids making carved images of anything for the purpose of worship.

However, we do have various types of images of Jesus as we understand and assume that He appeared when He was a Man on earth.

And of course, those who lived during Jesus' time saw what He looked like in human form.

There are some, though, who say that having any image of Jesus is tantamount to idolatry and therefore also a violation of the 2nd commandment.

Personally, I don't feel that it's automatically idolatry (although one can make an image of Jesus into an idol). I say that because some people actually did see what Jesus looked like. Also because I believe that the prohibition against carved images was because God knew that man would try to make an image to represent Him or some other god. And one of the times that did happen was the golden calf incident.

My question is: why do some say that it's idolatry to have images of Jesus today?

Thanks!

The Law is absolute. It gives direct instructions. But the Law is ONLY given to Israel.

If images are intrinsically wrong why did God instruct the making of them?
Ex 25:18-20
1Chr 28:18-19
Ez 41:17-18
Num 21:8-9

I agree that the law was only given to Israel. But there is a further point
Looking at only Ex 20:4-6 detaches our understanding from the whole commandment.
Ex 20:3 is the first part: “You shall have no other gods before me." That is the principal instruction. Verses 4-6 are how to avoid having other gods, given to people who had been surrounded by a culture full of images as Gods. As @Jaumel said "An image is only "wrong" if the owner worships it".
And before you claim that Ex 20:3 and 4-6 are two commandments I point out that the Jews treat them as one, and they ought to know.

I agree that the law was only given to Israel. But there is a further point
Looking at only Ex 20:4-6 detaches our understanding from the whole commandment.
Ex 20:3 is the first part: “You shall have no other gods before me." That is the principal instruction. Verses 4-6 are how to avoid having other gods, given to people who had been surrounded by a culture full of images as Gods. As @Jaumel said "An image is only "wrong" if the owner worships it".
And before you claim that Ex 20:3 and 4-6 are two commandments I point out that the Jews treat them as one, and they ought to know.

Why would a Jew know? The law is given to mankind. Not to flesh tones.

Him making a image to teach us how to walk by faith as part of prophecy is not the same as us.

Images made in the likeness of men becomes gods to those like Rachel who kidnapped her fathers teraphim a household worship center as a way of communing with the legion (necromancy)

.Like Catholiscim and what they call patron saints. There legion 3,500 and rising along with a idol image are available on line $$$$ for each one .

Therefore eliminating the work of our unseen father, usurping His authority and giving it to the patron saint creator the Pope. Who they call Holy father. Holy See. Again a legion rises each time and a face is needed to make sure a person is conjuring up the one they are hoping to come with as a workers of familiar spirits. Each one has a work attributed to them. Some double or triple up. But only one and the same lying voice each time.

When Saul was cut off from all means of communing with God. He followed what comes natural and sought a witch or wizard . (false mediator like the Pope. )

1 Samuel 28: 9-14 And the woman (wizard) 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 (plural 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 God sent a strong delusion so that Saul could continue to bow down to Satan, the legion .Many faces.

Luke 8:30 And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.

King Josiah finding the book of the law the scriptures performed the work of putting away the legion of workers with familiar spirits, or today called patron saints. We pray after one manner our unseen Father in heaven . Not a legion.

2 Kings 23:24 Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord.

Better check up. The Law is only given to Israel (Ex.34:27). But you have a point. Do the Jews know better? Their history says something else.

For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him

Exodus 20:4-6 NKJV:

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."

Clearly, the 2nd commandment forbids making carved images of anything for the purpose of worship.

However, we do have various types of images of Jesus as we understand and assume that He appeared when He was a Man on earth.

And of course, those who lived during Jesus' time saw what He looked like in human form.

There are some, though, who say that having any image of Jesus is tantamount to idolatry and therefore also a violation of the 2nd commandment.

Personally, I don't feel that it's automatically idolatry (although one can make an image of Jesus into an idol). I say that because some people actually did see what Jesus looked like. Also because I believe that the prohibition against carved images was because God knew that man would try to make an image to represent Him or some other god. And one of the times that did happen was the golden calf incident.

My question is: why do some say that it's idolatry to have images of Jesus today?

Thanks!

Do you think that we, not of that culture, know better than those it was given to some 3,500 years ago?

That's only true to begin with, later the true beauty of the Lord is manifest and it is great and desirable. We do not worship an ugly God, but a perfect one, and if we don't see that perfection the problem is with us not God who is the author of beauty. What made Jesus undesirable to us is what makes him beautiful to God. We should desire him not because he is beautiful to us but because he is beautiful to God

But still God told us not to make any craven images.. So no matter how much we use our intellect and put forward excuses and justifications,, if we have these graven images,, then we are in rebellion against the Word of God..

He told the Jews not to make any graven images, not us.

He told the Jews not to steal or murder too.. So by your faulty traditions of men mindset ( yeah i know you're an agent of the roman catholic false religion ) You should be able to murder and steal..

That is an ignorant and bigoted post. I can see there is no point in explaining to you.