The second commandment is very much related to the first commandment, but not in the way most people think.  The second commandment says, "You shall not make unto yourself 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: you shall not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments" (Ex. 20:4-6).  This commandment is about making graven images.  To understand the second commandment we need to define a graven image.

What is a Graven Image?

          The Hebrew word for "graven image" is pesel which means, "an idol: - carved (graven) image" (Strong's Definitions - H6459).  These images are not to be in the "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" (Ex. 20:4).  This word simply means something carved to represent something else.  There are many types of images in the scripture.  There are idols, graven images/molten images, and standing images all mentioned in the scripture (Lev. 26:1, Deut. 27:15).  All of these images are covered under the second commandment.  The Hebrew word for idol is 'ĕlı̂yl, which means, "good for nothing, by analogy vain or vanity" (Strong's Dictionary H457).  An idol is vanity, it is fake and not real.  It is useless.  This is an accurate description of a graven image.  The Hebrew word for pillar is matstsêbâh, which means, "something stationed, that is, a column or (memorial stone); by analogy an idol" (Strong's Dictionary H4676).  If you put all these together they are an image that represents someone or something.

          It is important to remember that the God of the scripture is a very rational God.  In the book of Isaiah He says, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD" (Is. 1:18)  God is a rational God and all of His Laws are reasonable and rational.  They all make sense.  God is not against images by themselves, otherwise this would be irrational.  Having a picture on a wall or a statue in your garden is not in violation of the second commandment.  In fact, God himself commanded images to be made.  When making the ark of the covenant Moses was commanded to put "two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shall you make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat" (Ex. 25:18).  In the book of Numbers, God commanded Israel to "make a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole" (Num. 21:8).  When Solomon made the Temple he made two pillars and named them Jachin and Boaz (1 Kings 7:21).  Clearly, God is not against images in and of themselves.  God is against the images we serve.  This becomes very clear when the Psalmist said, "Confounded be all they that serve graven images" (Psalms 97:7).  God is not against graven images unless we serve them.  This is why the second commandment ends by saying, "You shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them" (Ex. 20:5).  The second commandments commands us not to serve graven images, which leads to the obvious question, what are graven images today?

What are Graven Images today?

          Thousands of years ago people served graven images.  It was not the image itself that was an offense to God, but the serving of that image.  When we serve an image we are no longer serving YHVH, which is why He ends the second commandment by saying, "for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God" (Ex. 20:5).  God is jealous when we serve someone other than Him.  This is a clue as to what a graven image is.  A graven image represents a contract that takes us away from serving YHVH and to serving a new god.  This contract is sealed with an image that represents the new god.  When that contract is signed you are now obligated to follow the laws and statutes of that new god.  In ancient times, before the industrial revolution and the widespread use of writing, signing a contract was different than today.  The act of bowing down in obeisance to an image represented your consent to what that image represents.  This is why when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were asked to bow down to the image of Nebuchadnezzar, their response was, "we will not serve thy gods, nor worship (obeisance) the golden image which thou hast set up" (Dan. 3:18).  They knew what it meant to bow down to the image.  It represents their consent to a contract to serve Nebuchadnezzar's gods, or rulers.  This is what the Bible calls idolatry.  The prophet Jeremiah explains this for us.

          In Jeremiah chapter ten the prophet warns the nation to be aware of idolatry.  Jeremiah warns, "Learn not the way of the heathen" (Jer. 10:2).  God is warning us not to be like the other nations (Lev. 18:3, Deut. 12:30).  "For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.  They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.  They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good" (Jer. 10:3-5).  A few verses later we see that this is a description of a graven image (Jer. 10:14).  They have taken a tree and carved it into a person.  They covered it with silver and gold.  This is an artificial person because it "speak[s] not" and "must needs be borne."  This is a graven image that represents a person.  Jeremiah continues, "the stock (tree) is a doctrine of vanities" (Jer. 10:8).  This image is vanity, which is the definition of an idol (H457).  This image represents, "The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth" (Jer. 10:11).  "Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.  They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish" (Jer. 10:14-15).  A graven image is an artificial person that represents a real person and we give it the power to rule over us.  In modern times this is called incorporation.  The legal definition of a corporation is "An artificial person or being, endowed by law with the capacity of perpetual succession; consisting either of a single individual, (termed a "corporation sole,") or of a collection of several individuals, (which is termed a "corporation aggregate.")" (Steph. Comm. 166; 1 Bl. Comm. 467, 469).  A corporation is a fake person, or front man, to take the responsibility instead of the real flesh and blood person.  This directly violates God's Law of strict liability and brings us into limited liability.  God directly commanded us to "make no covenant with them, nor with their gods" (Ex. 23:32, Ex. 34:12-16, Deut. 4:23, Deut. 7:2).  This is what a graven image is.  A graven image is when the people make a covenant/contract with a foreign god (Deut. 4:23).  This artificial person rules in a succession of persons just like our mayors, governors, and presidents rule in a succession.  When one leaves office another takes their place and rules in that office.

          In the past people would bow down in obeisance to demonstrate their submission to a new god/ruler.  Today, we do the same thing.  Instead of bowing down to an image that represents a ruler/god, we simply sign a contract.  We do this in a process called incorporation.  Consider this for a minute.  When you incorporate a business you are consenting to the state as your sovereign.  Here is how our Supreme Court has ruled in such cases.  In the landmark case Hale v. Henkel, the Supreme Court said, "It would be a strange anomaly to hold that a State, having chartered a corporation to make use of certain franchises, could not, in the exercise of its sovereignty, inquire how these franchises had been employed, and whether they had been abused, and demand the production of the corporate books and papers for that purpose" (Hale v. Henkel, 201 U.S. 43 (1906), Page 201 U. S. 75).  The state is sovereign over the corporation and has the authority to regulate how the corporation operates.  Here are some other quotes from this very revealing case. 

          If you compare the definition of idolatry in the scripture with the definition of incorporation in America you will see that they are the same thing.  Idolatry is bowing down and submitting voluntarily to another god/ruler.  Incorporation is signing a contract and submitting to a corporate charter, which submits you to the sovereignty of the state and governor as god/ruler over your business.  Just because the word has changed does not mean that God is no longer offended.  The graven image is the state seal on the corporate charter.  God said not to make any graven images out "of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth" (Ex. 20:4).  Look at the state seal below and see if it contains images of heaven, the earth, the water, or land.  Virtually all state seals contain these elements.  This begs the question, why do churches incorporate under 501c3 when this in reality is leaving the sovereignty of YHVH for the sovereignty of the state?

A warning from our presidents:

          When America was founded corporations were heavily restrained in the land.  Initially corporations were only granted for a limited time.  They could only act within their chartered purpose.  They were terminated if they exceeded their authority.  They were terminated if they caused any public harm.  The owners of the corporation were responsible for all criminal acts within the corporation and corporations could not make any political contributions.  This severely limited the powers of corporations.  None of these restrictions remain to this day.  In fact, many of our earliest presidents warned of the dangers of corporations.  Here are a few quotes to consider.

          President Grover Cleveland said in his State of the Union address in 1888, "As we view the achievements of aggregated capital, we discover the existence of trusts, combinations, and monopolies, while the citizen is struggling far in the rear, or is trampled beneath an iron heel.  Corporations, which should be the carefully restrained creatures of the law and the servants of the people, are fast becoming the people's masters."  President Cleveland knew that corporations should be restrained.  God, on the other hand, said not to even have them in the first place because they remove His law in our land by "becoming the people's masters."   We were warned to not make covenant with foreign and alien gods/rulers (Ex. 23:32, Ex. 34:12-16, Deut. 4:23, Deut. 7:2).  Any ruler that enacts a law contrary to God's Law is foreign and alien.  Thomas Jefferson said, "If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their money, firsts by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them, will deprive the people of their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."  (Thomas Jefferson, Letter to the Secretary of State, 1802).  This is what idolatry does.  When we sign up for a foreign god they will take our rights away.  This again removes us from the Law of God and places us under man's law.

          Abraham Lincoln said, "As a result of war, corporation have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands, and the Republic is destroyed.  I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war.  God grant that my suspicions may prove groundless."  (Abraham Lincoln, Letter to Col. William F. Elkins, 1864).  The words Abraham Lincoln chose are important.  The use of the word "enthroned" speaks of their power in government.  "Corruption in high places" speaks of a lower government, or state government, corruption.  The scriptures mentioned high places being corrupt in ancient Israel.  God said, "I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols" (Lev. 26:30).  These "high places" had "images" and "idols."  These are the graven images the scripture mentions.  It gives power and authority to someone other than YHVH.  We are doing the same thing today.  Instead of calling them graven images, we simply call them corporations.

When did this happen?

          In 1871 the United States of America became a corporation.  Here is the text of the The District of Columbia Act of 1871.  "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That all that part of the territory of the United States included within the limits of the District of Columbia be, and the same is hereby, created into a government by the name of the District of Columbia, by which name it is hereby constituted a body corporate for municipal purposes, and may contract and be contracted with, sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, have a seal, and exercise all other powers of a municipal corporation not inconsistent with the Constitution and laws of the United States and the provisions of this act. (Act of 1871, FORTY-FIRST CONGRESS. SEss. III. CH. 61, 62. 1871).  This act created a corporation called the United States Inc.  This begs the question, what was our government prior to 1871?  The answer is simple.  It was a government of the people.  John Bouvier in his law dictionary said, "The United States of America are a corporation endowed with the capacity to sue and be sued, convey and receive property.  But it is proper to observe that no suit can be brought against the United States without authority of law."  (Bouvier's Law Dictionary 1856, The United States of America, Page 5 of 14).  The fact that the United States is a corporation is not a secret.  Our law straight out says so.

           In Corpus Jurus Secundum we have the definition of a foreign corporation.  "A foreign corporation is one that derives its existence solely from the laws of another state, government, or country, and the term is used indiscriminately, sometimes in statutes, to designate either a corporation created by or under the laws of another state or a corporation created by or under the laws of a foreign country. . . . A federal corporation operating within a state is considered a domestic corporation rather than a foreign corporation.  The United States government is a foreign corporation with respect to a state."  (19 Corpus Juris Secundum (C.J.S.), Corporations, 883 (2003))  Our government is a foreign corporation, which is what gives them the right to tax the people.  The Messiah gave a lesson on this to the Apostle Peter.  Peter was asked by the tax collectors, "Does not your master pay tribute?" (Matt. 17:24).  Peters answer was, "Yes", but the response to this from our Messiah is very interesting.  "Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?" (Matt. 17:25).  Jesus prevented Peter from entering and asked him who governments tax.  Peter responded, "Of strangers" (Matt. 17:26).  Governments tax foreigners, not citizens.  Then Jesus said, "Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee" (Matt. 17:27).  To avoid offending them, because Peter opened his mouth and agreed to pay the tax, Jesus provided the tax money with a miracle.  We know they had a money "bag" (John 13:29).  Why didn't Jesus simply pay out of their money bag?  Most likely because you only owe the tax if you use their money (Matt. 22:17-22).  Jesus did not use Caesars money, but Peter obligated them to pay the tax.  Jesus performed a miracle to pay the tax by obtaining Caesars money from the fishes mouth because they did not have Caesars money.  The point to this is that governments tax foreigners, not citizens.  The obvious questions is, why does the United States tax citizens then?  The answer is simple.  The citizens of America are strangers.  The United States is a foreign corporation and can tax citizens because they are alienated from their government.  This is the result of idolatry with a graven image, what we call incorporation today.

        This is what the second commandment is dealing with.  It is dealing with our relationship to government.  YHVH is to be the God of all nations and we should never subvert that relationship.  Below is a video to help understand this.

Conclusion:

          This is a very difficult concept to grasp.  Satan has conned believers into looking at the scriptures through a very religious lens.  The truth is, when you look at the scriptures through a national lens this all starts to make sense.  We need to look at the ten commandments as a model of law for a nation to follow.  Only when we do this will the commandment start to make sense for America.  If you reject the teachings of this article then I would challenge you to keep this in the back of your mind as you read the scripture.  I think as you study the scripture with this mindset you will eventually recognize that God has been dealing with nations from Genesis to Revelation.  No where in the scripture is He dealing with religions.  For more on Graven Images please watch my video above.  The titles of law that fit under the first commandment are: