Do not make them?

[JehovahsWitness]

Exodus 20:4, 5 (NASB)

You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them

> What, in your opinion does this commandment mean?

> What does "any likeness" mean? and would the likeness of a man (rather than an an animal) also be prohibited?

> If the difference between an image and an idol is a matter of attitude and what we do with it, why the prohibition on making them?

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 38 by onewithhim]

Not at all. If Satan did the inciting and God did the slaying after David repented for counting the people who died for doing nothing to deserve it, well.....that is an interest story.

Well, say what you will, but I know one thing from the story. What David did was very important to Jehovah. David was the anointed king, in effect sitting on Jehovah's throne, representing the Most High God here on Earth. His decisions were critical. Jehovah didn't stand for lack of loyalty and obedience. These things are necessary for all humans' benefit. After all, Jehovah deserves the honor for giving us life in the first place. He has the right to make laws for His creations.

David decided to go against Jehovah and do the census. THEN he was given three choices as to what punishment should be meted out. Coward that he was, David CHOSE the extermination of thousands of his own people, rather than take the discipline himself.

It is good when we read the entire account of things.

[postroad]

[Replying to post 41 by onewithhim] But David did act under God's direction. It was God's will to punish the people for some unamed cause. If nothing else the two texts must indicate that Satan was acting in complete compliance to God's will. Then it must also follow that God wanted to bring judgement on the people and not on David personally. David was given options but his choice was predetermined. Closer reading of the texts show that taking a census was not against the Law but neglecting to do something in addition would bring about a predetermined punishment.

Exodus 30:12
When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them.

[Blastcat]

[Replying to post 41 by onewithhim]



[center]
The only one true church vs all the other one true churches[/center]

What David did was very important to Jehovah. David was the anointed king, in effect sitting on Jehovah's throne, representing the Most High God here on Earth. His decisions were critical. Jehovah didn't stand for lack of loyalty and obedience.

The anointed "king" of the church is the pope. It's just that many Christian sects are jealous of the power. Well, Rome doesn't have the military power it used to have.

Everyone wants a piece of the pie, right?

Now EVERYONE pretends that they are the one TRUE church and so on... I think that's what the JW do, right?

[postroad]

[Replying to post 43 by Blastcat]
We have a whole bunch of competing sects in our area. I think they are all claiming to be the one true remnant of the original church. Let's see. We have the JW of course and the SDA,the LDS is standing out a claim.We have a group that dresses in black and whole families sing and distribute fliers on street corners. I think they call themselves The Church of God. Which would make the rest the church of somebody else presumably. Their flier insists that they alone are the only remnant. The local Baptists will not let you join unless you accept rebaptism. That must mean they also believe that they alone are saved. We have various eccentrics with home churchs drawing away disciples after themselves. It goes on and on.

[Blastcat]

[Replying to post 44 by postroad]

Well, I have to say that I can now tell people why I endure these cold winters... Most of the "Bible" belt is in the south, right?

I might be freezing right now, but I live in a VERY liberal part of the world.. where religious display is much less evident. We have em here.. but not so strong... It's a government town... if anything, most people are TOO politically correct to go all out on anything, let alone that one true church....


Keep the "non-faith", bro.
You aren't alone in the "non-kingdom".

[postroad]

[Replying to post 45 by Blastcat]
I live in the Bible Belt of southern Manitoba.

[Blastcat]

[Replying to post 46 by postroad]

I live in the Bible Belt of southern Manitoba.

Cold and preachy, I see...
Let us pray for local warming then...