God instructed Israel not to make idols or carved images to worship (see Exodus 20:4–6). Creating an image to worship would would insult God. It limited God to time and space and replaced the living God with a lifeless object.
Early in Israel's history, people set up stones as memorials for various events (Genesis 28:18; Exodus 24:4). Yet, pillars and sculpted stones had connections to pagan worship (2 Kings 3:2; 10:26, 27). This was especially true when these stones held the carved image of a god. God clearly allowed for some sculptures (for example, 1 Kings 7:25). The focus here is on objects that the people would worship, thus making them into idols.