If the workman be better than the work, and none bow to the workman, how absurd, then, is it to bow to the work of his hands! Is it not an absurd thing to bow down to the king's picture, when the king himself is present? It is more so to bow down to an image of God, when God himself is everywhere present. (1) It is absurd and irrational for, the workman is better than the work,' He who has builded the house has more honour than the house.' Heb 3: 3. To worship God by an image, is both absurd and unlawful. Ye saw no similitude.' It is impossible to make a picture of the soul, or to paint the angels, because they are of a spiritual nature much less can we paint God by an image, who is an infinite, untreated Spirit. How can any paint the Deity? Can they make an image of that which they never saw? Quod invisibile est, pingi non potest. Ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake with you out of the midst of the fire.' Deut 4: 15. God is a spiritual essence and, being a Spirit, he is invisible. To make a true image of God is impossible. If any one should make images of snakes or spiders, saying he did it to represent his prince, would not the prince take it in disdain? What greater disparagement to the infinite God than to represent him by that which is unite the living God, by that which is without life and the Maker of all by a thing which is made? To set up an image to represent God, is debasing him. The thing prohibited in this commandment is image-worship.
God forbids such prostrating ourselves before an idol. No sooner was Nebuchadnezzar's golden image set up, but all the people fell down and worshipped it. Thou shalt not bow down to them.' The intent of making images and pictures is to worship them. God is to be adored in the heart, not painted to the eye. Take heed lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make the similitude of any figure.' Deut 4: 15, 16. All ideas, portraitures, shapes, images of God, whether by effigies or pictures, are here forbidden. But the commandment forbids setting up an image for religious use or worship. Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, It is Caesar's.' Matt 22: 20, 21. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.' This forbids not making an image for civil use. In the first commandment worshipping a false god is forbidden in this, worshipping the true God in a false manner.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. The building was intended to be "a place of public meeting for all sorts and descriptions of people, without distinction, who shall behave and conduct themselves in an orderly, sober, religious and devout manner, for the worship and adoration of the eternal, unsearchable and immutable Being, who is the author and preserver of the universe, but not under and by any other name, designation or title, peculiarly used for and applied to any particular being or beings by any man or set of men whatsoever and that no graven image, statue or sculpture, carving, painting, picture, portrait or the likeness of anything shall be admitted within the said messuage, building, land, tenements, hereditament and premises and that no sacrifice, offering or oblation of any kind or thing shall ever be permitted therein and that no animal or living creature shall within or on the said messuage, &c., be deprived of life either for religious purposes or food, and that no eating or drinking (except such as shall be necessary by any accident for the preservation of life), feasting or rioting be permitted therein or thereon and that in conducting the said worship or adoration, no object, animate or inanimate, that has been or is or shall hereafter become or be recognized as an object of worship by any man or set of men, shall be reviled or slightingly or contemptuously spoken of or alluded to, either in preaching or in the hymns or other mode of worship that may be delivered or used in the said messuage or building and that no sermon, preaching, discourse, prayer or hymns be delivered, made or used in such worship, but such as have a tendency to the contemplation of the Author and Preserver of the universe or to the promotion of charity, morality, piety, benevolence, virtue and the strengthening of the bonds of union between men of all religious persuasions and creeds.The Ten Commandments - Thomas Watson 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: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am o jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of then that hate me and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.' Exod 20: 4-6.
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