Do people gaze upon graven images of a crucified Jesus, particularly when they partake of the eucharist perhaps?
Leviticus 17:10 And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. (This verse gets cross referenced with:
Ezekiel 33:25 Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land?
The eating/drinking of blood is connected to heathens and idolatry.
We are even reminded in Acts to abstain from blood.
Acts 15
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
I remember taking communion, and as I opened my mouth to receive the host, there before me, as I raised my eyes, elevated upon the back wall was the crucified Christ. *shudder* do not make for yourselves graven images..... IDOLATRY and topped off with eating/drinking blood! For catholics believe that during the eucharist, the bread and wine turn into the literal, physical body and blood of Christ.
The ironic part is that while sacrifices have stopped in the Jewish Temple, the sacrfices continue in Christian churches, every eucharistic meal.
I think the 'breaking of bread' that Jesus spoke of, was to be a fellowship and remembrance, not a continuous reinactment of the crucifixtion. I was under the impression that Christ was supposed to be the last sacrifice, though Yahweh didn't desire sacrifices. Yet, Jesus gets sacrficed over and over again with each eucharistic meal.
God doesn't want 'human' sacrifices. That's why God, in Genesis 22, replaces Isaac with a Ram! What more 'visual' do you need? God wanted to see if Abraham would 'obey'. When God knew that Abraham meant to follow through and sacrifice his only son, God called out to Abraham, and stopped him. Then God brought forth a Ram, to be sacrificed.
Matthew 9:13
But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Mark 12
32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.
Isaiah 1:11
To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.
Psalm 51
16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
1 Samuel 15:22
And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
Hosea 6
6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
Psalm 40
6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
Throughout the Jewish scriptures, the prophets declared that repentance and charity are more pleasing to God for atonement than a blood sacrifice.
Hosea 3
4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:
5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.
Hosea 14
2 Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
Sacrifices were to be replaced with PRAYER!
God tells us that he doesn't want sacrifice, Jesus tells us that he doesn't want sacrifice
Yet Jesus becomes a 'sacrfice'? Did God lie?
God wanted us to understand and obey Him, and when we fell, to repent with a contrite heart and get back on the path of obedience to Him.
Isaiah 42
17 They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.
graven images from the Hebrew
6456 pciyl pes-eel' from 6458; an idol:--carved (graven) image, quarry.
1) image, idol, graven image
6458 pacal paw-sal' a primitive root; to carve, whether wood or stone:--grave, hew.
1) to cut, hew, hew into shape
a) (Qal) to hew, hew out, quarry
molten images from the Hebrew
4541 maccekah mas-say-kaw' from 5258; properly, a pouring over, i.e. fusion of metal (especially a cast image); by implication, a libation, i.e. league; concretely a coverlet (as if poured out):--covering, molten (image), vail.
1) a pouring, libation, molten metal, cast image, drink offering
a) libation (with covenant sacrifice)
b) molten metal, molten image, molten gods 2) web, covering, veil, woven stuff
Exodus 34:17
Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.
Isaiah 41:29
Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.
Leviticus 19:4
Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.