Topical Bible: Idol: Coverings of

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In the biblical context, idols are often associated with various coverings and adornments that enhance their appearance and perceived value. These coverings serve to emphasize the idolatrous nature of these objects, highlighting the contrast between the lifeless idols and the living God of Israel.

Materials and Adornments

Idols in the ancient Near East were frequently covered with precious metals and adorned with fine clothing. Isaiah 30:22 describes the coverings of idols: "Then you will desecrate your silver-plated idols and your gold-plated images. You will throw them away like menstrual cloths, saying to them, 'Be gone!'" This passage illustrates the practice of overlaying idols with silver and gold, materials that were considered valuable and worthy of worship by the surrounding pagan cultures.

Jeremiah 10:3-4 further elaborates on the adornment of idols: "For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman. They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter." Here, the prophet Jeremiah criticizes the practice of decorating wooden idols with precious metals, pointing out the futility and absurdity of worshiping such man-made objects.

Symbolism and Critique

The coverings of idols symbolize the attempt to bestow honor and divinity upon objects that are inherently powerless. The prophets of Israel frequently condemned this practice, emphasizing the impotence of idols compared to the omnipotent God. In Habakkuk 2:18-19 , the prophet questions the value of idols: "What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it— or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, 'Awake!' or to silent stone, 'Arise!' Can it teach? It may be overlaid with gold and silver, but there is no breath in it."

The critique of idol coverings serves as a broader condemnation of idolatry itself. The prophets argue that no amount of decoration or precious material can imbue an idol with life or power. This is contrasted with the God of Israel, who is described as the living God, active and sovereign over creation.

Cultural Context

In the ancient world, the use of precious metals and fine garments to cover idols was not merely an aesthetic choice but a reflection of the cultural and religious values of the time. These coverings were intended to convey the majesty and authority of the deities they represented. However, the biblical narrative consistently challenges this notion, asserting that true majesty and authority belong to God alone.

The coverings of idols, therefore, serve as a poignant reminder of the futility of idolatry and the call to worship the one true God. Through the prophets, the Bible calls believers to reject the superficial allure of idols and to seek a relationship with the living God, who requires no adornment to demonstrate His power and glory.

Nave's Topical Index

Isaiah 30:22
You shall defile also the covering of your graven images of silver, and the ornament of your molten images of gold: you shall cast them away as a menstruous cloth; you shall say to it, Get you hence.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

"All Our Righteousnesses are as Filthy Rags, and we all do Fade as ...
... Now, I ask your consciences, have you so many specious coverings to adorn yourself ...
Your prayers are abomination, because of such an idol perked up in the heart ...
/.../the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xvi all our righteousnesses.htm

Whether Sufficient Reason Can be Assigned for the Ceremonies ...
... Therefore it was unbecoming to furnish the tabernacle with many coverings, viz. ... Gentiles,
on the feasts of the moon, set up a table in front of the idol of the ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether sufficient reason can be.htm

The Only Atoning Priest
... There was no power in their sacrifices to remove the polluted coverings. ... fornication,
if thou trustest in them; for if thou makest a Savior and an idol of thy ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 18 1872/the only atoning priest.htm

Book iv. --Of Marcion's Antitheses.
... See the de Idol., p. 148, cv note 1. ... Ligno," ie, "the cross," represented by the
"wood" of which the tabernacle's boards, on which the coverings were stretched ...
/.../book iv of marcions antitheses.htm

The Scriptures Reveal Eternal Life through Jesus Christ
... altogether the purging of their hearts and consciences from lust and idol-sins,
and ... God whom we represent." Then the Gospel takes all these coverings and veils ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture iv the scriptures reveal.htm

The Journey of the Three Holy Kings to Bethlehem
... Round these idol-trees stood little stone pillars on each of which were small ... had
stretched the threads between the trees and plaited broad coverings out of ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/xiii the journey of the.htm

The Close of the Theban Empire --(Continued)
... One of these coverings was found ... another, who has been relegated to Turin, appears
to be placed between two long staves, each surmounted by an idol, and, to ...
/.../chapter ithe close of the.htm

The Life and Death of Mr. Badman,
The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3. <. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the life and death of.htm