(Exo 20:4 NIV) “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
Do not form God into our image
(Exo 20:24-25 NIV) “‘Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you. {25} If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it.
To prevent idolatry from creeping into worship, God did not allow the altar stones to be cut or shaped into any form. Nor did God let the people build an altar just anywhere. This was designed to prevent them from starting their own religions or making changes in the way God wanted things done. God is not against creativity, but he is against us creating our own religion. (Life Application Bible)
We sometimes try to fit God into our image. We think God should be like this and He should do this. When we pray we tell God exactly what we want and how we want it. How different is the prayer of Jesus. Even being God, He submits totally to His Father’s will.
(Luke 22:42 NIV) “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
When we pray, it is okay to tell God what we want but we should invite God to do whatever He sees fit.
Be careful of graven images of idols
Deu 7:25 Burn their idols. Do not desire the silver or gold that is on them, and do not take it for yourselves. If you do, that will be fatal, because the LORD hates idolatry.
Deu 7:26 Do not bring any of these idols into your homes, or the same curse will be on you that is on them. You must hate and despise these idols, because they are under the LORD’s curse.
Some people like to keep graven images in their homes for decorative purposes. We must not be fooled by their artistic beauty. These objects are not harmless. The Bible warns us against bringing them into our homes. Evil spirits are known to attach themselves to these objects and can have adverse influence on us if we allow them in our homes.