Are nativity images wrong?
Question:
Hello,
Does Exodus 20:4 teach that various kinds of man-made images of a nativity scene that are often displayed at Christmas time are a violation of God's commandment in Exodus 20:4?
Also, does Exodus 20:4 forbid having any manmade images or anything displayed as decor in your home that depicts creatures that are in heaven above or that are in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth, such as birds or whales?
"Thou shalt not make unto thee 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" (Exodus 20:4).
Thank you in advance for your help.
Answer:
"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me. 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; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments" (Exodus 20:2-6).
Using a translation that is about 400 years old can lead you to mistaken conclusions because the meanings of words shift over time. I quoted from the New American Standard Bible, which uses "idol" instead of "graven image" because that is clearer to the speakers of modern English.
Quoting a single verse, especially when it is a portion of a larger sentence, can lead to misunderstanding. The context here makes it clear that it is the making of images to worship or serve them that is wrong. Having depictions of animals in your decor at home is not what this passage is about.
Thus, the question is: What is a person doing with their nativity scene? Do they think that the baby in the scene actually represents Jesus? Do they treat the images as holy? Do they pray before it? These sorts of things would be wrong.
Most nativity scenes are inaccurate anyway. For example, they show the shepherds and the wise men visiting the infant at the same time, but the Bible tells us that the wise men did not arrive in Bethlehem until a year or two after Jesus' birth. See "Some Thoughts on Christmas" for more information.
