THE SECOND COMMANDMENT

Exodus 20: 4-6

The Reformer's Fire
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Exposition by Max A Forsythe

Question 49:
Which is the second commandment?

Answer 49:
The second commandment is, "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 showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments."

Another pastor reports that in counseling a previously divorced woman, he learned that she was worried about her daughter who was going through a divorce at the same age that she was. Usually this pastor did not make any Freudian probes into the past history of his members. But, he just had to know what her mother would have thought of the two generational pattern. He wasn't too surprised to learn that her mother had divorced in the same age frame as well!

When I was of dating age, I always asked my father's advice about the young ladies that I was interested in. There was one case in particular that has stayed in my mind. That involved a young lady that was attractive, polite and exhibited all the feminine qualities of good character. Dad noted that I should know that her mother and grandmother had all suffered from some form of dementia in their mid-thirties. He knew, because he had considered going out with her mother a generation earlier! Years later I asked about the woman in question and discovered that Dad certainly knew what he was talking about.

Now, there is a profound difference between these two examples. In the second case, there was obviously a genetic fault that was being passed down from generation to generation. It did not seem to run in the sons of those families but only in the daughters. At this point in time, I do not know if there is a fourth of fifth generation to be plagued by those genes.

In the first case, there is a different sort of problem which is rooted in sinful behavior which was too commonly accepted as a matter of personal choice. Divorce we do know from the Scriptures is sinful, and like all sins it is forgivable. But, the consequences of that sin are with any children of the couple whether we like it or not. Recently I read of some research that picked up on the biblical principle that the God of heaven has concern for the children of the widow. By and large, if children have lost a father to death, they will not necessarily behave like children whose fathers were simply removed from the family by divorce proceedings.

There is something else in the generational admonishment in the commandment before us. Parents teach in many ways that they never realize. Over the years I have realized that the personality of my sons to a certain extent mirrors my manliness in those crucial years when they were six to nine. Their essential personality is almost like a mirror of when I was 36, 40 and 43 respectively. It is downright scary at times to remember the transition of my own personality in those crucial years when I was finding my spiritual bearings and a church to which I could give my energy. Eight years old for a young man at least seems to be the most impressionable year in the development of manliness. Young men learn how to be men from watching their fathers.

Learned behavior that is not socially nor biblically appropriate can hang around for years until they grow spiritually enough to put away the attitudes and habits of two lifetimes. Also, habits of good character can be imitated as well. At least hard work, integrity and honesty seem to have been passed along. The trauma of leaving one church (even though it was explained) and finding another seems to have left more scares than I would have liked.

The year that we made the transition there occurred an event in Sunday School which I could not ignore. It was Reformation Sunday and I had made a big deal about it, even thought he local church could have cared less. In Sunday school, the teacher hurried through the lesson about Moses, Aaron and the golden calf. She said they didn't have time to talk about it because there was a surprise in store. She then laid out newspapers and proceeded to let the children help her carve up a Halloween pumpkin. When the boys got home from church, I heard about it and the oldest asked "isn't a pumpkin just like a golden calf, if it is used in church?" The following spring that particular church even had a person dressed up as the Easter Bunny who passed out candy to all the good little boys and girls.

Yes, we shake our heads and think, thank goodness it didn't happen here in our church where we are careful to keep trees, santas, bunnies, eggs and such out of our corporate worship. We have even studied the commandment for several weeks in Bible Study to consider the implications for using religious movies and picture Bibles in the context of our educational programs. This commandment is also being studied at the Presbytery level since the Larger Catechism question #109 has been taken exception to so much in the last year and a half.

By now you should be realizing there there is a lot more here in this commandment than first meets the eye! There is a depth of devotion to our God that we must consider as we delve into the various issues related to this commandment. And if you think that this study is not too important because your mind is already made up, then well consider that we have a younger generation who will be watching you and learning how they should understand this commandment as well as everything you say and everything you do!

Once, when our little ones acted up from being with a baby sitter who did not demand complete obedience, I unwisely threatened the boys that someday when I got to baby sit for them, I would fill their little ones with Mountain Dew and give them a toy drum to take home and make a lot of noise! Don't parents really get a chuckle when their children get to have children they deserve from the way they acted when they were little? This is worldly wisdom at its worst, we don't use grand children to get even with our children. But the God of heaven does seem to let worldly nature takes its due course. And if we are negligent in spiritual training there will indeed be consequences that we may have wished to spare our descendants.

Even in something as simple as the religious images that we use to teach the truths of scripture. Years ago, with my little ones down front with all the rest of those in the church, I like many parents enjoyed the children's lesson. The Pastor used a plastic coffee lid and printed the word it on both sides. His lesson was getting "a round two it" to demonstrate the bad habit of procrastination. He then gave one to each of the children to hand to their parents when they promised to do something later! I had all three "round two its" within twenty-four hours for some reason or another! It was a very good lesson for parents, but what did it teach the wee ones about the great and awesome God of heaven?

Do we go to church to learn about how we should live or do we go to church to meet the living God of heaven and earth. Those "round two its" were very effective images that were the talk of the church for a month or more. But, how was God glorified in the process? I wonder it a lesson better learned is that just as faithful parents set aside time for their Creator, shouldn't they set aside regular time for their little ones to train, encourage and raise them up in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

If we show our children what the commandments mean to us and explain why we do certain things as families because of those commandments, then in that precious time together, we have fulfilled our duty and set the next generation on its proper course. As we study this second commandment may the Lord help us as families to use our time and talents well to pass this commandment along to the third and fourth generation. And may those generations learn by His Spirit and out training for fear Him always.

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