An idol is anything that leads a person away from worshiping the one God. This is called idolatry. At different times, people created various idols for themselves and worshiped them. The second commandment is: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.” What does this commandment mean and what are the consequences of breaking it? Let's look at this issue from the point of view of Orthodoxy. I will give you examples of modern idols in our world, I will explain the meaning of idols in human life in comparison with the golden calf as an idol for the worship of the Israelites. We will also consider the question of how to avoid idolatry in life.
What kind of idols are there?
For modern people, the word “idol” is not entirely clear, so let’s first consider its meaning. This is a person or object whose worship becomes the meaning of life. Who can be an idol in modern life? First of all, you yourself. Some people are so absorbed in attention to themselves that they forget about everything around them. That is why God gave the commandment about idols.
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An idol can be an object of passion - a person or an object. Some people fall in love with someone so much that they simply become overwhelmed with adoration and forget about everything else. For the sake of an idol, they can sacrifice themselves and even commit suicide. That's how dangerous it is to create idols for yourself. The same applies to objects: you can simply subordinate your entire life to the pursuit of some artifact or household item (car).
We are given the commandment to love our neighbor, but not to make him an object of worship.
Our dreams and fantasies can become an idol if we passionately indulge in them day and night. At this time, we lose the sense of God and his grace. For example, a person may passionately dream of getting rich and for the sake of this dream he is ready to go over his head. Someone may dream of achieving a high position in society and for the sake of this loses the remnants of conscience. These are all the idols of our time.
So, an idol is everything that is opposed to God in strength and power. It can be:
- money;
- the science;
- art;
- position in society;
- obsession with some idea;
- attachment to something or someone.
Even a fierce enemy against whom a person seeks revenge can become an idol. Day and night he develops a plan for revenge, forgetting about the commandments of love for one's neighbor and forgiveness. He places his enemy above the law of God and blindly follows his own hatred.
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Therefore, the commandment “Do not make yourself an idol” teaches a person to examine his heart in order to find in it in time a sinful attachment to earthly things and ordinary people.
Following the discussions:
The Second Commandment,
a brief summary of the discussion of the same name
I. FORMULATION OF THE SECOND COMMANDMENT
1. The second commandment is stated in Exodus and Deuteronomy:
Exodus 20:4-6
“
You shall not make for yourself any graven image or 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 or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, and showing mercy to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments .”
Deuteronomy 5:8-10
“
You shall not make for yourself any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth below, or that is in the waters 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 iniquity of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, and showing mercy to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments .”
2. Two aspects of the Second Commandment:
A. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image: Exodus 20:4-6
“
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
.”
The Hebrew word translated in the Russian Bible as “idol” is “ pe
sel ”
- idol or statue.
,
“ pes al ,” which means “to carve or hew” or “sculpt” from wood or stone.
Thus, the Law of God forbids a person to create images, whether carved idols or cast idols. B. Do not make any images for yourself and do not worship them.
Exodus 20:4-5a
“
You shall not make for yourself... 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;
do not worship them or serve them .”
The Hebrew word translated in the Russian Bible as “image” is “ temun
a ” - likeness, form or image, embodiment or personification of something, icon. Thus, the Law of God prohibits a person from creating any likeness, image or image of a deity: be it a man-made incarnation of the Lord God himself (for example, an icon) or God’s creation that a person worships.
This is also evidenced by another passage from Deuteronomy: Deuteronomy 4:15-19
“
Keep firmly in your souls that you did not see any image on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, lest you become corrupt and make for yourselves graven images, images of any idol representing a man or a woman, images any livestock that is on the earth, an image of any winged bird that flies under the heavens, an image of any creeping thing that crawls on the earth, an image of any fish that is in the waters below the earth;
and lest, when you look up to heaven and see the sun, the moon, and the stars and all the host of heaven, you are deceived and worship them and serve them, since the Lord your God has allocated them to all the nations under the whole heaven .” This passage is a reminder that people should not make any graven images or images of the Lord God and His creations, and that people should not worship these graven images or images. Notice how the Lord speaks about this, listing: - statues and images of men or women, - images of animals, - images of birds, - images of reptiles, - images of waterfowl, - images of heavenly bodies...
The Lord warns that none of these images is and will never be the embodiment or personification of the Creator of Heaven and Earth. This is what the Lord God says about Himself: Isaiah 42:8
«
I am the Lord, this is My name, and I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images.
».
For the same reason, the Lord commanded the people of Israel to destroy the places of worship of the pagans and their idols: Deuteronomy 12:1-3
«
These are the statutes and laws which you must endeavor to observe in the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you as a possession, all the days that you live in that land. Destroy all the places where the nations that you will conquer served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills, and under every branching tree; and destroy their altars, and break in pieces their pillars, and burn their groves with fire, and break in pieces the images of their gods, and destroy their name from that place.
».
II. THE BIBLE ON IDOL WORSHIP
1. Biblical examples of violation of the second commandment:
A. Violation of the second commandment by the people of Israel
- The creation of the molten calf by the Jews who came out of Egypt:
Exodus 32
.
– King Jeroboam led Israel into the sin of idolatry: 1 Kings 12:25-33
.
– Idolatry of the children of Israel and its consequences: 2 Kings 17:7-23
.
B. Violation of the second commandment by pagan nations:
– King Nebuchadnezzar makes a golden image for worship:
Daniel 3:1-7
– The migrants in Samaria worshiped both God and their idols:
2 Kings 17:24-41
.
Notice verse 41
“
These nations honored the Lord, but they also served their own graven images.
And their children and their children’s children do even as their fathers did .”
2. The Bible calls idolatry corruption:
Exodus 32:7-8
“
And the Lord said to Moses, Hasten to go down;
For your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have become corrupt; They soon turned away from the path that I commanded them: they made themselves a molten calf and worshiped it, and brought sacrifices to it and said: “Behold your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!” "
Deuteronomy 4:16
"
...lest you become corrupt and make for yourselves graven images, images of any idol representing a man or a woman...
"
Deuteronomy 4:25
"
But if sons are born to you, and sons to your sons, and you live long on earth, you will become corrupt and make a graven image of something, and you will do this evil in the sight of the Lord your God, and provoke Him to anger
.”
3. Biblical sarcasm regarding idols:
A. The Word of God ridicules idols: Psalm 135:15-18
“
The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands: they have mouths, but speak not;
They have eyes, but they do not see; They have ears, but they hear not, and there is no breath in their mouth. Those who make them and everyone who trusts in them will be like them .”
Psalm 113:10-16
“
Why should the Gentiles say, “Where is their God?”
Our God is in heaven; does whatever he wants. And their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have lips, but they do not speak; They have eyes, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; They have nostrils, but they do not smell; They have hands, but they cannot touch; They have legs, but they don’t walk; and they do not utter a voice with their throat. Let those who make them and all who trust in them be like them .”
Isaiah 46:5-7
“
To whom will you liken Me, and with whom will you compare, and with whom will you compare me, so that we may be alike?
They pour out the gold from the purse and weigh the silver on the scales, and hire a silversmith to make a god out of it; they bow to him and prostrate themselves before him; they lift him onto their shoulders, carry him and put him in his place; he stands, does not move from his place; they shout to him, he doesn’t answer, he doesn’t save him from trouble .”
Habakkuk 2:18-19
“
What is the use of an image made by an artist, this cast false teacher, although the sculptor, making dumb images, relies on his work?
Woe to the one who says to the tree, “Arise!” and to the dumb stone: “Wake up!” Will he teach you anything? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, but there is no breath in it .”
Jeremiah 10:2-5
“
Thus says the Lord: Do not learn the ways of the Gentiles, and do not fear the signs of heaven, which the Gentiles fear.
For the rules of nations are empty: they cut down a tree in the forest, shape it with the hands of a carpenter using an axe, cover it with silver and gold, fasten it with nails and a hammer so that it does not shake. They are like a sharpened pillar and do not speak; They wear them because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot cause harm, but they cannot do good either .”
B. The Word of God ridicules people who make and worship idols:
Isaiah 44:9-20
“
They that make idols are all worthless, and those who desire them most profit nothing, and they are witnesses of this to themselves.
They do not see and do not understand, and therefore they will be put to shame. Who made a god and cast an idol that brings no benefit? All those participating in this will be ashamed, for artists themselves are human; let them all gather and stand; they will be afraid, and all will be put to shame. The blacksmith makes an ax out of iron and works on coals, hammers it and works on it with his strong hand until he becomes hungry and powerless, does not drink water and is exhausted. The carpenter, having chosen a tree, draws a line along it, makes an outline on it with a pointed tool, then trims it with a chisel and rounds it, and makes out of it the image of a handsome man to place in the house. He cuts down cedars for himself, takes pine and oak, which he chooses from among the trees in the forest, plants ash, and the rain brings it back. And this serves as fuel for a person, and he uses part of this to keep him warm, and makes a fire, and bakes bread. And from the same he makes a god, and worships him, makes an idol, and prostrates himself before him. He burns part of the wood in the fire, with the other part he cooks meat for food, roasts the roast and eats to his fill, and also warms himself and says: “Okay, I’m warmed up; I felt the fire." And from the remnants of that he makes a god, his idol, worships him, prostrates himself before him and prays to him, and says: “Save me, for you are my god.” They neither know nor understand: He closed their eyes so that they would not see, and their hearts so that they would not understand. And he will not take this to his heart, and he does not have enough knowledge and sense to say: “I burned half of it in the fire and baked bread on its coals, fried the meat and ate it; and from the remnant of it shall I make an abomination? Shall I worship a piece of wood? He chases dust; his deceived heart has led him astray, and he cannot free his soul and say: “Is there not deceit in my right hand?” "
III. ON THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SECOND COMMANDMENT
1. The seriousness of this commandment is indicated by how many times the Lord repeats this commandment throughout the Old and New Testaments:
A. Old Testament: Exodus 34:17
“
Do not make for yourselves cast gods
.”
Leviticus 19:4
“
Do not turn to idols, and do not make for yourselves cast gods.
I am the Lord your God ."
Leviticus 26:1
“
You shall not make for yourselves graven images or graven images, nor shall you set up pillars for yourselves, nor shall you place gravestones with images in your land to bow down to them, for I am the Lord your God
.”
B. New Testament: 1 John 5:21
"
Children!
keep yourself from idols. Amen ."
Acts 17:29
“
We, therefore, being a race of God, should not think that the Godhead is like gold, or silver, or stone, having received an image from the art and imagination of men
.”
1 Corinthians 10:14
“
Therefore, my beloved, flee
[that is, avoid]
idolatry
.”
2. The seriousness of the second commandment is evidenced by the Lord’s warnings about punishment for violating this commandment:
A. The Lord warns His people that for breaking the second commandment, He will scatter them among all nations: Deuteronomy 4:23-28
“
Take heed that you do not forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which He made with you, and that you do not make for yourselves graven images representing anything, as the Lord your God commanded you;
For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
If sons are born to you and sons to your sons, and while you live long on earth, you become corrupt and make a graven image of something, and do this evil in the sight of the Lord your God, and provoke Him to anger, then I bear witness to you today from heaven. and the land that you will soon lose the land to inherit which you are crossing the Jordan; You will not spend much time on it, but you will perish; and the Lord will scatter you among all nations, and you will remain few in number among the nations to which the Lord will lead you; and there you will serve gods made by human hands of wood and stone, who do not see or hear, neither eat nor smell .”
B. The Lord places a curse on those who make idols and on those who worship them: Deuteronomy 27:15
«
...cursed is whoever makes a carved or cast idol, an abomination to the Lord, the work of an artist, and places it in a secret place!
»
C. The Lord punishes those who break the second commandment to the third and fourth generation: Exodus 20:4-6
«
You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth below, 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, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, and showing mercy to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
».
D. The Lord leaves the violator of the second commandment to complete the measure of his sins: Romans 1:18-26
«
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth through unrighteousness. For what can be known about God is obvious to them, because God has revealed it to them. For His invisible things, His eternal power and Godhead, have been visible from the creation of the world through the consideration of creatures, so that they are irresistible. But how, having come to know God, they did not glorify Him as God and did not give thanks, but became futile in their speculations, and their foolish hearts were darkened; calling themselves wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, and birds, and four-footed creatures, and reptiles - then God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, so that they defiled their very bodies. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature instead of the Creator, Who is blessed forever, amen. Therefore God gave them over to shameful passions...
»
3. The seriousness of this commandment is evidenced by the seriousness of the punishment for violating this commandment:
At the very end of the world, the Antichrist will force all the people of the earth to worship the image of the beast:
Revelation 13:14-18
“
And by the miracles which it was given him to do before the beast, he deceives those who dwell on the earth, saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they should make the image of the beast, which has wound from the sword and alive.
And it was given to him to put spirit into the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would speak and act in such a way that anyone who would not worship the image of the beast would be killed. And he will make it happen that everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, will receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and that no one will be able to buy or sell except the one who has this mark. , or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. He who has intelligence, count the number of the beast, for it is a human number; its number is six hundred and sixty-six ." What consequences await those who obeyed the Antichrist and violated the second commandment:
A. During Life: Revelation 16:1-2
«
And I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels: Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God on the earth. The first angel went and poured out his cup on the ground: and there were cruel and disgusting purulent wounds on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image
».
B. After Death: Revelation 14:9-12
“
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice: Whoever worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he will drink the wine of the wrath of God, the whole wine prepared in the cup of His wrath, and he will be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy angels and before the Lamb;
and the smoke of their torment will ascend forever and ever, and they who worship the beast and his image and who receive the mark of his name will have no rest, day or night. Here is the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus .”
The fact that idolaters (idolaters) will not inherit the kingdom of God is stated in the following passages: 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
“
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?
Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor wicked people, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God .”
Galatians 5:19-21
“
The works of the flesh are known;
they are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, quarrels, envy, anger, strife, discord, temptations, heresies, hatred, murder, drunkenness, disorderly conduct, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do this will not inherit the Kingdom of God .”
Revelation 21:8
“
But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone.
This is the second death ."
It is no coincidence that the Lord God forbade man to create images and images of God. Only God - our Creator - has the right to create his own image. And He did this, coming into our world in the form of a man. Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God. The New Testament testifies to this: 2 Corinthians 4:3-4
“
If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, to those who do not believe, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, so that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of the invisible God, should not shine for them
.”
Philippians 2:6
“
He, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God
.”
Also Hebrews 1:3
and
Colossians 1:15
.
However, it should be understood that Jesus Christ was not the physical image of God the Father. Being the image of the invisible God, Jesus showed the world the essence and character of the Heavenly Father - the Creator of all things visible and invisible. Thus, people making images of Jesus Christ, for example, icons
, and those who worship them, are just as violators of the Second Commandment as those who worship any other idols.
IV. A BROADER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TERM “IDOL”
Many people mistakenly believe that idolatry is limited to the worship of figurines and images of gods. However, the concept of “idolatry” is much broader and deeper than the literal worship of idols. An idol for a person can be his work, passion for sports or gambling, for someone the idol is his lover, wife, family, pop singer or actor, politician, ideology, money, car, TV, computer... Whatever! An idol is something that occupies the first and most important place in a person’s life, which rightfully belongs only to the Lord God. That which takes the place of God in the human heart is an idol, whether the person himself realizes it or not.
Here's what V.P.'s Bible Dictionary says about it. Vikhlyantseva: “ The present time is distinguished by the most perfect idolatry. People idolize science, medicine, political teachings (ideologies), sacrificing their talents, aspirations, and themselves to them. Modern idolatry has all the features of the ancient, but it has gone further than it. Man, in his madness, now idolizes himself, considering himself to owe all his successes only to himself, “his” genius, thus placing himself above God
».
The Word of God reveals to us that the concept of “idolatry” is much broader than the worship of graven images. For example, the Bible teaches that...
1. Covetousness is idolatry:
Ephesians 5:5
“
…for know this, that no fornicator, or unclean person, or covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God
.”
Colossians 3:5-8
“
Mortify therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, passion, evil lust, and covetousness, which is idolatry, for which the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience, to whom you also once turned when you lived among them.
” .
Why? Because an idol is an object of adoration. He who loves wealth (covetous) adores, that is, deifies wealth and serves it, protecting it and increasing it at any cost. But the Lord warns that one cannot serve two Masters: Matthew 6:24
“
No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other;
or he will be zealous for one and neglectful of the other. You cannot serve God and mammon .”
2. Resistance to God is idolatry:
1 Samuel 15:23
“
...for rebellion is as much sin as witchcraft, and rebellion is as much as idolatry
.” Why? Because, resisting God, a person acts according to the evidence of his own mind, that is, he himself - his ego becomes an idol (idol) for him.
3. Worshiping idols is worshiping demons:
1 Corinthians 10:14-21
“
Therefore, my beloved, flee idolatry.
I speak to you as if you are sensible; Judge for yourself what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a communion of the Blood of Christ? Is not the bread that we break a communion of the Body of Christ? There is one bread, and we, many, are one body; for we all partake of one bread. Look at Israel according to the flesh: are they not partakers of the altar who eat the sacrifices? What am I saying? Is it that an idol is something, or that something sacrificed to idols means something? No, but what the pagans, when making sacrifices, offer to demons, and not to God. But I don't want you to be in communication with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; “You cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table and the demonic table .” In other words, behind all idols there are demonic forces who accept the worship of people who believe in these idols.
CONCLUSION
Why do people create idols for themselves?
1. Because of the so-called “religious instinct”
The Lord created man with a need for God. Deprived of healthy communication with his Creator, sinful man finds an outlet for his “religious instinct” in the worship of idols (be they things, people, ideas, etc.).
2. Because of the desire to manipulate God
Everyone tries to find a god that is “easy to use”:
- for which you don’t need to give up your sins and bad habits,
- which will always be at hand,
- who will fulfill all your requests and desires,
- who will not condemn or rebuke you under any circumstances,
- who will agree with you in everything and indulges you in everything,
- which will flatter your vanity,
- which will be the means to achieve your goals.
- and so on…
3. Because of the desire to see and touch God,
carnal man is unable to worship God, who is Spirit. It is much easier to worship a deity that you can see and touch. This explains such a large number of figurines and images of God.
The second commandment warns each of us not to create God in our own image and likeness, whether creating it literally with our hands, or creating a God in our imagination. Take a closer look at your god. Is he the Lord God who revealed Himself in His Word?
- If your god is silent and does not condemn you when you lie, if he turns a blind eye to your actions, or even disappears under certain circumstances in order to please you, then this is not God, but an idol.
- If your god has a visible form or image that can be seen or touched, then he is an idol.
- If your God does not possess all the qualities of character inherent in the Lord God described in the Holy Scriptures, then you are worshiping an idol created in your image and likeness.
This means that you are violating the second commandment of God’s Law: “ Do not make for yourself an idol
.”
Download the article in word
We also invite you to read the article: “Idols and idolatry.”
We recommend that you read other articles about the Ten Commandments:
- Ten Commandments.
- First commandment.
- Third commandment.
- The fourth commandment.
- Fifth commandment.
- The sixth commandment.
- Seventh Commandment.
- Eighth commandment.
- The Ninth Commandment.
- Tenth Commandment.
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Bible story
The Bible describes a story in which we can see how the people of Israel violated God's commandments. When Moses was on Mount Sinai and received guidance from God himself, the people managed to create for themselves an object of worship - a golden calf. How did the Israelis manage to do this? Moses, in their opinion, stayed on the mountain too long, so they decided to cast a golden calf and declare it their God.
When Moses descended from Mount Sinai, he angrily broke the stone tablets on which the law of God was written - the 10 commandments. After general repentance of sin, the patriarch again climbed the mountain to talk with the Lord. At this time, God showed miracles - thunder, lightning, storm. However, no thunder could drown out the voice of God, which covered any loud sounds. Moses was given the second tablets with the written commandments.
The meaning of the commandment
Thou shalt not make for yourself an idol is the second commandment in the law of God, which logically follows from the first. The first commandment establishes who the Lord God is for people on earth. Keeping the first commandment requires a person to devote his entire life to serving the one Lord of earth and heaven. However, the Lord further warns that the idol is a denial of the first commandment. If a person devotes his life not to God, but to someone else, this is considered a violation of both commandments: the first and second.
The Lord is the Creator of the Universe, he is one, and there is no one like him. If a person departs from understanding this statement, he falls into the sin of breaking the commandment. In delusion, a person can rely on other deities - idols, forgetting about his Creator. We see this from the history of ancient Rus', when people asked fire or wind for help. They worshiped a host of gods, a whole pantheon. But the Universe was not created by a host of gods; it has a single creator - the Lord.
Any passionate desire of a person can become an idol, not just a wooden image.
You will say that modern people do not worship the sun and wind. This is true. But these days, wooden idols have been replaced by virtual passions and vicious desires. A person overwhelmed by lust is capable of any vile acts to satisfy his desires . This is idolatry. Few people realize the harmfulness of falling into delusion, because they do not consider it an idol. They think that if they do not worship a wooden image or mask, then they are not sinning. This is a dangerous misconception.
Even a bad habit that a person cannot break can become an idol. Nowadays, this includes smoking, drugs, passion for debate, Internet addiction, addiction to diets and even a healthy lifestyle. Idols can be:
- pride;
- covetousness;
- gluttony.
A proud person relies only on himself and his own reason; he is disgusted by the veneration of anyone else. Don't make an idol out of yourself! Most people don't understand this. Covetousness is closely related to pride - this is when a person is dependent on money. He becomes so greedy for enrichment that he does not notice anything around him except money.
The Orthodox Church speaks a lot and in detail about gluttony. This is not just satisfying hunger, but a thirst for eating food in huge quantities. Another type of gluttony is a passion for delicacies and exquisite taste. Remember that every piece of food eaten in excess of the allotted amount turns into an idol.
The essence and meaning of the commandment
The second commandment, one of those that was bequeathed to Moses by God, states that it is not appropriate for a person to lose his mind in front of someone earthly or something material. God should always come first in life, because he is the only creator of the world and the giver of life.
This is stated in the first commandment, and imitation of the Lord is not a violation, this is confirmed by the first commandment.
As soon as something different and cherished comes to the fore, it can already be called an idol. Worshiping an idol displaces faith from the soul, thereby alienating a person from God.
