The Ten Commandments by Emmet Fox, Chapter Five, Pocket Gods and Graven Images
In Chapter 5, "Pocket Gods and Graven Images," Emmet Fox moves into the actual text of the Commandments. This chapter focuses on the First and Second Commandments, but through the lens of psychology and metaphysics.
Fox argues that modern people don’t worship golden calves, but we are still riddled with "idolatry." A "god" in this sense is anything you believe has power over you.
1. What is a "Pocket God"?
Fox describes a "Pocket God" as any secondary cause that you rely on or fear more than the Divine Source.
Money: If you believe your security comes from your bank account, money is your god.
Medicine: If you believe a pill has the ultimate power to heal you (without the underlying Spirit), the pill is your god.
People: If you believe your happiness depends on a specific person’s approval, that person is your god.
The Fox Logic: There is only one cause—the Divine Mind. When you give power to "things," you are practicing "Pocket God" religion, which Fox says is the root of all anxiety.
2. Graven Images (The Mental Blueprint)
The Second Commandment says, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image." Fox interprets this as a warning against rigid mental concepts.
A "graven image" is a fixed idea that a situation is hopeless or that you are "just a certain way."
The Danger: When you "grave" (carve) an image of failure or sickness into your mind, you are telling the Law of Expression to make that image permanent.
The Solution: Keep your mind fluid. Don't "carve" your problems into stone; see them as passing clouds that can be dissolved by a change in thought.
3. The "Jealous" God
The Bible describes God as "a jealous God." To the literalist, this sounds like a petty human emotion. To Fox, it is a Metaphysical Law.
The Law of Focus: You cannot focus on two things at once. If you focus on your problem (the "other god"), you cannot experience the solution (the Divine).
Jealousy as Exclusivity: Truth is "jealous" because it demands your full attention. You cannot have "faith" in God while simultaneously "trusting" in your fear. One will always crowd out the other.
4. The Iniquity of the Fathers
This chapter tackles one of the most misunderstood verses: God visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children "unto the third and fourth generation."
Fox’s Rejection of Punishment: Fox clarifies that God doesn't punish children for their parents' sins.
The Psychological Law: This refers to heredity and environment. We tend to pick up the "mental equivalents" (fears, prejudices, and limitations) of our parents.
The "Exit": You are only bound by this "iniquity" as long as you stay in "Egypt" (material thinking). Once you use your "Moses" consciousness, you break the generational chain instantly.
5. The Law of Substitution
Fox concludes that you don't "fight" a graven image or a pocket god—you replace it. This is his famous Law of Substitution.
If you are thinking about a "pocket god" (a problem), don't try to "not think" about it. That just carves the image deeper.
Instead, think of God. Think of a Divine quality like Peace, Beauty, or Power.
The Result: The new thought automatically pushes out the old one. You cannot think of two things at the same time.
Practical Takeaway: The "Power Audit"
Fox suggests you look at what you are worried about right now. Ask yourself: "Am I making a god out of this problem?" If the answer is yes, you have a "graven image" in your mind. To dissolve it, stop giving it the "power of cause" and return that power to the "I AM" within you.
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