Topical Bible: Idolatry: Objects of Animals

◄ Idolatry: Objects of Animals ►

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Idolatry, the worship of created things rather than the Creator, is a recurring theme throughout the Bible. Among the various forms of idolatry condemned in Scripture is the worship of animals or representations thereof. This practice is explicitly prohibited in the Ten Commandments, where God commands, "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath" (Exodus 20:4).

Biblical Instances and Condemnation

The worship of animals or animal-like figures is often associated with the pagan practices of Israel's neighboring nations. One of the most infamous instances of animal idolatry in the Bible is the creation of the golden calf by the Israelites at Mount Sinai. While Moses was on the mountain receiving the Law, the people grew impatient and demanded that Aaron make them gods to lead them. Aaron complied, fashioning a calf from their gold jewelry. The people then declared, "These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!" (Exodus 32:4). This act of idolatry provoked God's wrath, and Moses interceded on behalf of the people to avert their destruction.

The prophet Ezekiel also condemns the idolatrous practices of the Israelites, which included the worship of animal figures. In a vision, Ezekiel is shown the abominations being committed in the temple, including the worship of "creeping things and loathsome beasts" (Ezekiel 8:10). This vision underscores the extent to which idolatry had infiltrated the religious life of Israel, even within the sacred precincts of the temple.

Symbolism and Cultural Context

The worship of animals in the ancient Near East was often linked to the belief that certain animals embodied divine attributes or were manifestations of deities. For example, the bull was a common symbol of strength and fertility and was associated with various gods in Egyptian and Canaanite religions. The Israelites, influenced by these surrounding cultures, were tempted to adopt similar practices, despite the clear prohibitions in their covenant with Yahweh.

The Bible's denunciation of animal idolatry serves as a reminder of the fundamental distinction between the Creator and His creation. In Romans 1:23, the Apostle Paul laments how humanity "exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles" . This exchange represents a profound theological error, as it attributes divine power and honor to that which is inherently finite and created.

Theological Implications

The worship of animals or their images is not merely a violation of a commandment but a distortion of the relationship between God and humanity. It reflects a failure to recognize God's sovereignty and a misplacement of trust in the created order. The biblical narrative consistently calls God's people to exclusive worship of Yahweh, who alone is worthy of reverence and adoration.

Throughout Scripture, the prophets and apostles urge believers to turn away from idols and serve the living God. In 1 Corinthians 10:14, Paul exhorts the church, "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry" . This call to reject idolatry, including the worship of animals, remains relevant for believers today, as it challenges them to discern and resist the subtle forms of idolatry that can infiltrate their lives.

Nave's Topical Index

Romans 1:23
And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Persecution in the First Centuries.
... others were covered with the skins of wild animals, and thrust ... with the church, they
still clung to their idolatry, only changing the objects of their ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /2 persecution in the first.htm

Persecution in the First Centuries
... others were covered with the skins of wild animals and thrust ... with the church, they
still clung to their idolatry, only changing the objects of their ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 2 persecution in the.htm

Paul in Athens.
... he had observed that their city was "wholly given to idolatry." The objects of worship ...
to account for the production of men and other animals, without the ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xx paul in athens.htm

The True Gnostic Exercises Patience and Self-Restraint.
... as animals; and some by transposition, as inanimate objects. ... impulses and perceptions
of the irrational animals, but they ... For it was full of idolatry, and was ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xx the true gnostic exercises.htm

False Brethren and False Principles in the Church: Spirit and ...
... With how much more truth do dumb animals, such as mice, swallows, and ... upon all who
assisted in the fabrication of these objects of the heathen idolatry. ...
/.../killen/the ancient church/chapter iii false brethren and.htm

Second Commandment
... this day do not use designs of animals, etc., in ... president feel if Americans made
such hideous objects to resemble ... to the senses is the origin of all idolatry. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/weighed and wanting/second commandment.htm

The Uproar in Ephesus.
... Ephesians placed in their houses as objects of private ... While the votaries of idolatry
and superstition have ... and those who reared and sold animals for sacrifice ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xxiii the uproar in.htm

Whether the Cause Assigned for the Production of the Lights is ...
... in his works, and is most useful for perceiving objects. ... signs," rather than "causes,"
to guard against idolatry. ... yielding seed, as also were animals and man ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the cause assigned for.htm

He Then Wonderfully Displays the Eternal Life, which is Christ, to ...
... Why, either that irrational animals are rational, or that ... deceives to this new kind
of idolatry, banishing them ... whereon those who hope are the objects of the ...
/.../gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/section 2 he then wonderfully.htm

Paul and Barnabas in Lystra.
... All the objects around us bear witness to the ... of plants, and the mechanism of animals,
is incomparably ... for our deliverance from that gross idolatry, which once ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xv paul and barnabas.htm