Do not make idols. The foundational command stated alone, without elaboration, following all the contextual warnings. After the specific prohibitions about treaties, intermarriage, and shared sacrifices — all of which lead here — the simple command stands: do not make idols. Everything that preceded it leads to this. Everything that follows in Israel's history demonstrates how difficult this simple command is to keep. The idol is the endpoint of the slide that begins with the treaty and continues through shared meals and marriage bonds. The simplicity of the command at the end is the measure of its centrality.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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