Can someone help me understand what Deuteronomy 5:8 means?

[Lynae]

'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--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'

What does this mean?

And also, is wearing a cross necklace and having paintings ok, or?

 

[ezeric]

This could go very deep.

But in a nut shell, the others who lived around the Jews worshipped anything
but the LORD (who is SPIRIT). John 4:24

All those neighbors around the 'children of Israel' were pagan and
GOD was warning (all of us) that HE is alive, and real and not seen (usually)
but by faith we can see HIM.

It is HE, who we worship - there is no one else!

You (this side of the cross) are under HIS amazing GRACE -
which means HE loves you without condition, just the way you are.
And it is at the feet of JESUS we bow.

Pictures, crosses, and all those things can like many things be
used for good or wrong - its all about the motive, or all about the heart.

Relax and enjoy JESUS and don't worry about little things or anything for that matter.

You've got all that matters in JESUS already.

-eric

 

[wayfaring man]

To put into context - examine surrounding text.

Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make 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 waters beneath the earth:
Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God... <-----> Deuteronomy 5:7-9

Clearly the sculpting/engraving/shaping/forming of "images" with the intention/practice of esteeming them as "gods" is strictly forbidden.

Which does not mean painting a pomegranate or a palm tree as a simple decoration is unlawful... it is only specifically so, in the context of idol worshipping.

The Lord instructed that Cherubims be fashioned upon the Ark of The Covenant. ( Exodus 25:18)

And that pomegranates adorn the hem of the priest's garment. ( Exodus 28:33 )

Yet, before we go overly liberal with artisan enthusiasm it is wise to also consider -

And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. <-----> Exodus 20:5

Some things are better left "natural" - ( in their God created form ), lest we focus too much on what we can do / have done - as if the works of our own hands are the chief accomplishment among us.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast. <-----> Ephesians 2:8+9

Therefore let no man glory in men... <---> 1st Corinthians 3:21

That, according as it is written, He that glories, let him glory in the Lord. <-----> 1st Corinthians 1:31

Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
But let him that glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. <-----> Jeremiah 9:23+24

wm

 

[Christsdaughter]

'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--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'

What does this mean?

And also, is wearing a cross necklace and having paintings ok, or?

This is not necessarily to be taken literally, though in some cases it may. If a person is wearing a cross necklace because he/she believes that the necklace carries some sort of power and that if he/she doesn't wear it that evil will come, this is wrong. The only power that we should place our trust in is God Himself (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).

Ok, in the nonliteral sense, this means that we should not have any other gods besides the one and only God. Anything that we regard more highly than God (money, power, popularity/reputation), is considered and idol/false god and must be dethroned. Also, this could refer to those who try to shape God into a god that pleases them as an excuse to not repent of sins because there are things in their lives that they don't want to let go of and they know that they would have to if they gave themselves to the one true God. That is part of the reason why there are so many religions and false gospels out there. People are creating their own gods.

Anyway...I hope that this helps. If you have any questions or need someone to talk to, please feel free to message me.

Christsdaughter

 

[heron]

If a person is wearing a cross necklace because he/she believes that the necklace carries some sort of power and that if he/she doesn't wear it that evil will come, this is wrong.

You can apply this to other things too -- if you were to buy a rabbit's foot, crystal, or voudou doll because you believed they would bring you luck or control over a situation, then you are assigning power to them that is not of God.

(Not the same as magnet bracelets, with electromagnetic force or recognizing natural chemical properties of crystals.)

Assigning power to a cross necklace is debatable, because for some people it reminds them to call on God, while other people forget to make that connection.

Not long after the instructions you quoted on no graven image, God gave instructions for building the temple, with much carving and sculpting. Graven idols were very familiar in those days, so the pre-translated word was probably understood as idol.

As with anything, a lot is left between you and God -- He knows what is in your heart and mind.

 

[Peripatetic]

First, be careful about equating all the rules of Leviticus and Deuteronomy to the teachings of the New Testament. Otherwise, we'd be required to give animal sacrifices, and most haircuts would be forbidden!

That said, this rule still applies today, but not so literally. For one thing, you can make an idol out of a lot more than just a carving, so in that sense the passage is too narrow when taken literally. On the other hand, the little glass dog that I use as a paperweight would be sinful, so here the passage is too broad when taken literally.

What this question comes down to is the difference between art and idolatry. Aesthetic art forms are not forbidden by God, and it would be a very slippery slope if they were. I heard a recent podcast series about this, and they made a very good point that everything has attributes that are purely for artistic sake. For example, even the most functional church (without paintings, stained glass, statues, etc.) still has a pulpit. That pulpit probably has stained wood and little flourishes that are only there for the sake of aesthetics, not function. Religious art can be enjoyed in many forms, but of course it can be abused. If you pray to a statue and believe that it (or anything beyond God) has divine power, you now fit squarely into the category about which this passage warns. But if you pray to God with a cross around your neck, or in a church with a statue of Jesus, or in a room that has a religious painting... God still hears that prayer and no harm done.

 

[PROPHECYKID]

'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--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'

What does this mean?

And also, is wearing a cross necklace and having paintings ok, or?

In addition to what everyone else has said, it is also wrong to make an image of God even. Any image that a man creates of God will be demeaning to who God is. No one has ever seen God and we should respect God and his awesomeness enough, to not even attempt to make any image of what we might think God is, and worship it.