· We talked last time about the use of “images” in the OT.
· We said that the Scripture has some things to say about mages…In the OT there at least two kinds (Not counting man being in the image of God, of course, for that is entirely another matter)
1. Images Of Foreign Gods (discussed last time)
2. Images of Yahweh.
· Standing stones (maṣṣēḇôṯ) erected by the Patriarchs were perhaps originally regarded as images
· Genesis 28:18, 22 - though not, strictly speaking an image, Bethel was a sacred place
18 Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it.
22 And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”
· Likewise with Genesis 35:14 - not really an image, but only a sacred stone:
14 So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it.
· similarly there were sacred trees; cf. Gn. 21:33),
33 Then Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.
· The trees only marked the sacred spots where encounters with God occurred.
· However, these were later forbidden
· (Asherah, Dt. 16:21)
21 “You shall not plant for yourself any tree, as a wooden image, near the altar which you build for yourself to the Lord your God.
· They were also, at times, interpreted as merely commemorative objects
· Genesis 31:45–50
45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. 48 And Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore its name was called Galeed, 49 also Mizpah, because he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another. 50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!”
· Joshua 4:4–9
4 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; 5 and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”
8 And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the Lord had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. 9 Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.
· Later, images of Yahweh were condemned depending, of course, upon their intent:
· The golden calf at Sinai - Exodus 32:1–8
1 Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”
2 And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf.
Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!”
5 So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.” 6 Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
7 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!’ ”
· The image (*Ephod) made by Gideon - Judges 8:26–27
26 Now the weight of the gold earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were around their camels’ necks. 27 Then Gideon made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot with it there. It became a snare to Gideon and to his house.
· The golden calves at Dan and Bethel - 1 Ki. 12:28–30
28 Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!” 29 And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 30 Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.
· The calf of Samaria - Ho. 8:6
6 For from Israel is even this:
A workman made it, and it is not God;
But the calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces.
· All of these had as their intention that of idolatry and not any sort of honor for the One, true God and thus could not be tolerated.
· Such a “grey and easily misused area”, OK for some, but not for others, is EXACTLY why God forbade images in the first place.
· So… this passage has little to do with those negative aspects of idolatry, and much to do being restored to the Image of God destroyed by the fall…
· Christ was the “exact representation or image” of the Person of God while He was here on earth.
· As result of His work - we are regenerated, restored to that image…
Believers are Regenerated into His Image: [1]
· Psalm 17:15
15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;
I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.
· Romans 8:29
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
· 2 Corinthians 3:18
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
· Ephesians 4:24
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
· Colossians 3:10
10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
· 1 John 3:1–3
1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
· Note the specific use of the male pronoun - “His”
· Reaches back to V1 and “God”
· Christ was the Image of God’s person.
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