you shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I, Yahweh [Jehovah] your God, am a jealous God and I punish the father’s fault in the sons, the grandsons and the great-grandsons of those that hate me;

Ex. 20:4-6, The Jerusalem Bible.

Repeatedly the nation of Israel violated the Second Commandment, to their own great harm, thus proving God’s warning words true. Time and again Jehovah’s prophets warned against the worship of images. (Isa. 42:17) The copper snake that Moses made at God’s command later became an object of worship, for which reason King Hezekiah had it destroyed.​—Num. 21:7-9; 2 Ki. 18:4.