a commandment

[denny]

Thou shall not make unto thee any graven image.

That's kinda what I do.
Is it wrong?

[old boy]

 



          Denny! don't we all !  In this society gone nuts, buying the comforts of this world! gimme,,,gimme.gimme...is the game.......I want ll the comforts in life money can buy, and if I cant afford them,,,,,                I will figure out how...to get that comfort of home furnishings, beer liquorl , drugs, sex newbeies...comfortable cars ,comfortable cloths, comfortable drugs in the body , gimme gimme gimme,,,,,,its not just you .....denny.....your starting to see,,,,gaining knowledge,,,Gods hand may be guiding you to get past your phoney world, our phoney world///...pushed down our throats by the advertising companies in the media....got to have it.....

Too much.. I need to go get the comforts from the local gentelmens club.... shot of booze. line of heroin and a hoe to go...haha .Go in my new caddy or the new dodge ram....oh , no I traded that off for a landrover;;;;;;later alligator....only one life...let me live it by what the television and radio and music people tell me I am suppose to!

      ::Amen::my bible 

[denny]

Huh?
Graven image=painting/drawing?

OK,so your saying we all break the commandments to make a living/comforts?

That's very bad,hope its not true.

I was asumeing the Holy Spirit was my muse.

[Robby]

Originally a graven image was something man made for the Isrealites to worship, instead of worshipping God. Whether it be a false god or something to represent The God. A graven image now would be anything that would keep you from worshipping God. For instance if you took the new bass boat out every Sunday morning. There is nothing wrong with having a bass boat, as long as you are in church when you're supposed to be. There is nothing wrong with having a TV, but if you stay home from church to watch a program then it becomes a graven image.

[foxgrove]

No... please don't stop painting due to that!!!  Think of all of the amazing art and carvings and casting that were made to glorify God in Solomons temple... I mean, that would have been the sort of sight that would have set your heart pounding with amazement.  I've seen pictures of what it likely looked like based on the writings of the Jews and wow!!!

No... it's a poor translation for today in that it would have made lots of sense to the folks who wrote it in 1605, but the language of the day has changed.  It refers, as robby said, to an idol meant for worship.  If you match up the ten commandments with their intention, you get, as Jesus himself agreed, it boils down to this: ""'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself'" Luke 10

God did an amazing thing when He set up a set of rules that we could NEVER hold up against... he forced us to realize that we DON'T match up and that without God's help, we never will.  God's purpose was to drive us back to Himself...  It's not about following rules, it's about a change in the heart.  A decision to reject our ways and follow God's ways.  It isn't about how many times we stumble on the way, it's about our hearts decision to continue to move toward God instead of away from Him.

I think often of both Samwise Gamgee and Reepicheep when I think of this..  Sam, from Lord of The Rings with his brave heart, following Frodo even if it meant that he would drown trying to fulfill his promise to stay with Frodo...  Reepicheep of the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, who, though not large of size was huge of heart and followed the dream placed there with a fervency, stating  "While I can, I sail east in the Dawn Treader. When she fails me, I paddle east in my coracle. When she sinks, I shall swim east with my four paws. And when I can swim no longer, if I have not reached Aslan's country, or shot over the edge of the world into some vast cataract, I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise."

Be of good cheer and great courage.  Our pain is not for nothing... Let it be God that you chase after with the greatest fervency and the talents that you have will take on a new vibrancy and life as He gives them back to you with a purpose and a meaning.  Got you in my prayers brother. 

[Robby]

No... please don't stop painting due to that!!!  Think of all of the amazing art and carvings and casting that were made to glorify God in Solomons temple... I mean, that would have been the sort of sight that would have set your heart pounding with amazement.  I've seen pictures of what it likely looked like based on the writings of the Jews and wow!!!

No... it's a poor translation for today in that it would have made lots of sense to the folks who wrote it in 1605, but the language of the day has changed.  It refers, as robby said, to an idol meant for worship.

I'm sorry for some reason I didn't completely understand the question. in this situation God gave you the talent of painting and not using that talent would be a sin. As long as you are using the gifts God gave you to bring glory to Him, you are doing what He wanted you to do, and that is what we all should strive for.

There is no reason why you can't use that talent to make some money, that's another reason its called "a gift from God", it was in His plan before you were born for you to provide for yourself and your family with that gift. However if selling those paintings becomes more important to you than worshipping God, then it becomes an idol or graven image. Denny from what I know of you from here I don't think you need to worry about anything coming between you and God, your heart seems to be where it needs to be. The fact your asking this proves what I'm saying. Just keep your eyes on Him and you'll be ok

[old boy]

 

.     see how easily man can manipulate Gods word,  making it fit within the confines of the individual situations. There's as many more different explanations as there are situations..! God proposes, man disposes! Gods hand ✋ guide you on your own personal new insight. You're a man who is on the boarder of new insight. Be careful,as noted....it's easy to be directed by others who share their knowledge,but your journey through this process is unique.....

.    You can go with the following or there is that unused road...nobody else wants to go...because they don't have the inner strength. God told his apostles it's no easy task being different. Gods blessings on your search for inner piece of mind.....It's an individual journey.....Gods blessings,Denny....

[denny]

I probably learned that it was a worship thing long ago and forgot.
Thanks guys for confirming what I thought it was.

When I learned that muslems used geometric art because of that commandment I got confused so now I know.

With the Holy Sprit you can be your own man,so to speak,and walk that loanly road.
I rarely felt I had any choice but I did lose sight of God for a while and now I'm back.

Howdy Boys! 

[foxgrove]