sigh
Nice about the coin - but 1/2 nonesense. Why? Corrupted history lesson 101...
1. Because the word used with graven (graven
image) is an old English translation of the original Hebrew word (the OT was written in Hebrew) "graven
pecel," which is the Hebrew word for "
idol." In
context The verse says they were not to make a graven idol
to worship.
http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexi...v/pecel.htmlSo why doesn't it just say, "graven idol?"
It does. In
context of the verses before and after v4, it is simple to see "graven image" is simply another way of saying "graven idol." Its like 50 cent piece or half dollar.
2. This numismatist lifted V.4 out of context and makes it say something totally different. The theme of the entire context is saying God did not want the Israelites to worship any
other God than Him, and is giving explicit instructions not to copy the idol-laden culture they were just rescued from:
Proof? Read it for yourself in context...
20:1 - And God spoke all these words, saying
20:2 I am the Lord they God, who have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
The Israelites had just been brought out of Egyptian slavery by God 20:3 Thou shalt have no other Gods before me [modern English translation = in sight of me]
Why is God saying this after saying He just brought them out of slavery? Because the Egyptian culture they just came out of was centered around many gods and many idols of those gods. He was saying how Jewish culture was to be, since all they had lived around for a good deal of their lives was idols.20:4 Thou halt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
keep going into verse 5...20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to
them (What "them?" Obviously the graven images/idols in vs 4), nor serve them; for I, the Lord,they 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.
Remember the original text of the Bible had no verses dividing it. So the original was saying
Don't make idols of anything and bow down to them as gods.
Who would do such a thing anyway?
The general cultures in this time period. Another classic example is the Philistine culture. They worshiped a statue they set up of their god called "Dagon." If you read where the Philistines took the Ark of The Covenant into Dagon;s temple, you will see how they treated the idol itself as being their deity.
If you still think the numismatist in the video is correct, then read where God told Solomon how to decorate the temple, and find the many things of nature Solomon was commanded to make images of - for decoration - nothing to do with worship.
I find it interesting the sincere, but uniformed lecturer calls the Israelites "stiff-necked." This is a Biblical term God used for the Israelites when they turned TO idols.
BTW - ever visit the Alhambra? Our tour guide asked if we knew why there were no images of flowers or animals, but only geometric patterns (or the symbol for Allah) on the walls. She said it was b/c the Muslims were prohibited by their religion to make a picture of any living thing.
This is the only religious group I remember studying who actually had the rule on them that the lecturer claimed was on the Israelites.
Posted 05/16/2015 2:30 pm
