The Second Commandment

“You shall not make for yourself any carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
(Deuteronomy 5:8–9)

For us, Reformed believers, our churches are simple and white, and apart from functional objects, they contain nothing else. There are no pictures or statues in our churches. In this way, we are already observing the Second Commandment, and I could end the sermon here—but I will not.

If we walk with open eyes, however, we can find symbols in any Reformed church: painted coffered ceilings, a lamb adorning the pulpit crown, a pelican, stars, chalice-shaped pulpits, decorative floor designs, carved doves, Christ’s monogram—the list could go on. These are all unique features and treasures of our churches that we must preserve for future generations, because appreciating them does not make anyone an idolater.

As a child, I often marveled at the pulpit crown in the Hungarian Csaholy church, where a lamb holding a flag stood upon the Bible, symbolizing the self-sacrificing and victorious Christ. Yet it never occurred to me to pray to it. A human creation becomes an idol only when we begin to worship and honor it in place of God.

The Second Commandment reminds us that Almighty God cannot be worshiped through images or statues that we create. “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24) Amen.

PRAYER: Gracious God, I worship You alone and praise Your holy name. May Your goodness and mercy keep us from all forms of idolatry. Amen.

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