But God, who is the great Lord of the whole world, may so punish a man for his sins, that the temporal evil of it may reach, not to himself alone, but to his posterity also. visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children It cannot consist with the justice of God, to punish one person for the sin of another neither does God threaten any such thing. Paul describes as the consequences of idolatry, Ro 1:21-32, and which have been its consequences in all times and places. Not jealous for Himself, lest He should suffer for the follies of His creatures that cannot be: but jealous for “his spouse, the church ” lest our notions of His nature and attributes, and consequently of the duties which we owe to Him, being depraved, and our minds darkened with superstitious persuasions and fears and hopes, we should depart from the fidelity, which we have vowed to Him and fall into those grievous immoralities, which St. I am a jealous God: I am so affected to you my people, as a loving husband to his wife, whom he cannot endure to set her affections of another. a jealous God, Jealous of the honor due to Him alone, not bearing any rival or partner in what belongs to Him alone. By this is intimated, that they were not to make a likeness of the sun, or of the moon of man, or of beast or fly, or creeping thing of fish, or of crocodile, “which are in the waters beneath.” How prone the Israelites were to this symbolical worship, and how necessary it was to give them warning, may be seen by the threat, and by the blessings which immediately follow. They were not to make to themselves and “image or 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 ” nor were they to “bow down to, or worship them,” either real or represented. To any people, who had not been conversant in that country, it had been sufficient to say, “Thou shalt make no graven image, nor frame any similitude of things.” But the commandment is dilated, and the nature of the objects pointed out, for the sake of the Israelites. This Commandment seems to have been framed with a view to the worship of Egypt. graven image, or any likeness The Hebrew word, translated “graven image,” properly signifies a statue made of wood or stone that translated “likeness,” means a picture drawn on a wall or flat surface. And to such worshippers, who thus love and obey the Lord, He hath promised His especial mercy. That He be worshipped both in body and spirit. In the same Commandment are enjoined these duties: 1. Because the Lord is a jealous God, Isa 42:8, and a severe punisher of idolaters. The worshipping of Him after a false manner. The neglect of the worship of the true God. The worshipping of such an image or any other creature. The appointing of any kind of image for religious worship. In this second Commandment, which concerns the worship of God, are forbidden these sins 1. 4 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: 5 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 (Exodus 20:4-5 KJV) British Family Bible
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