The sin of idolatry is a rejection of the only True God. A father must protect his family from that sin. He does so by his own example and by requiring his children to walk in obedience to the commandments of God. Since a father cannot change the heart, it will begin as external conformity. But bathed in prayer, God often works through the father’s ministry to raise up the next generation of godly people.

Introduction

Idolatry is literally the oldest sin in the world. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve made the first idol. The idol was not a statue, or something material, but they made themselves the ultimate authority. And ever since, mankind has turned from the One True God in essentially the same way.

Idolatry in the Bible

The definition of an idol is the first issue to be addressed in understanding how the Second Commandment directs a father. Idolatry is broader than bowing down to a statue. Even Adam and Eve’s sin did not consist of a statue in a shrine. That distinction is important. God’s covenant people engaged in idolatry early on in their history. They do so before they enter Canaan and even while the Law is being given at Sinai. The people tell Aaron to make an idol for them while he is up on the mountain talking to God: “When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, ‘Up, make us gods who shall go before us.’” It is not only pagans who practice idolatry. This account of Scripture, and others besides, also show the people of God bowing down and worshiping statues of gold and silver.

It is noteworthy that when Aaron presents the golden calf to the people of Israel at the foot of Mount Sinai, he does so using the works and name of the Lord. He is not positioning the calf as a new deity. He says the calf brought Israel up out of Egypt, and that when they have a festival to celebrate the statue, it will be a “feast to the Lord.” His claim is that the Lord who is to be worshiped in the First Commandment is represented in the golden calf. In doing so, Aaron adjusts the worship of the Lord to suit the desires of Israel. Idolatry is not about who is worshiped, but the way God should be worshiped.

The Second Commandment is about how God is to be worshiped. Is man free to determine the best way to follow the Lord? The Bible helps by showing the consequence of worshiping God using man-made forms.

In Leviticus 10:1-2, Aaron’s sons offer incense on the altar in the Holy Place of the tabernacle. Earlier, in Exodus, God had instructed Moses: “You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it.” But Nadab and Abihu “offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them.” The very next verse shows the gravity of worshiping God contrary to His explicit command: “Fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them and they died before the Lord.” Whatever the intentions of Aaron’s sons, they lacked obedience. God’s response shows just how seriously He views their sin.

Good and Necessary Consequence

The Westminster Shorter Catechism summarizes the requirements of the second commandment this way: “The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in his Word.” Worship to God must be according to His appointment. That means His word alone is the final authority for Christian worship.

The Heidelberg Catechism adds an additional thought as it discusses the use of images. Its concern over images stems from the practice of the Roman Catholic Church in using pictures to display biblical accounts in what is called the Books of the Laity. The Heidelberg asks if these Books of the Laity are permitted in worship and it answers, “No, for we must not pretend to be wiser than God, who will have His people taught, not by dumb images, but by the lively preaching of His Word.” The problem with using images is that man makes himself wiser than God.

Changing the way of worship changes the object of worship. By following his own will, man puts himself in a superior position to God. It is as if he has set himself up as god in his own temple with his own shrine and ways of worship.

God is loved in obedience. He has clearly said so in His Word: “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.” For the Christian, the gospel makes this obedience joyful rather than painful. When it comes to worship, God has made the ways of worshiping Him plain and love for Him is expressed in following Him. Furthermore, God promises His blessing to “steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.” Of course, these blessings are not of merit. And yet, the distortions of the contemporary health and wealth gospel should not remove the expectation that God truly does bless His people. It is at this point that the role of fathers becomes apparent. Fathers must lead their children in obeying this commandment in the confident hope they will receive the promised blessing from the Lord.

What Will This Look Like in Fathers?

The family’s obedience to the Second Commandment begins with the father. He must live out  the value of worship of God in his example and help his children grow in their obedience to God. Consider the father’s example first.

The beginning of leading the family to faithfulness in this commandment is fathers examining themselves. A father’s verbal instruction can be easily negated by what he does. A father’s choices confirm or deny the instructions received from him. Below are some safeguards to help fathers model fidelity to the Second Commandment.

Hold God in Highest Honor. The previous installment stressed private and family worship. As a father practices these things, he and his children will grow in their knowledge of God. The commandments will be clarified through their biblical applications. These Christian duties must be seen as authoritative and lived out accordingly, even if understanding is lacking. The opposite impulse is to know the commandments of God and disregard them. When man elevates himself above the plain commands of God, he has become an idol worshiper.

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