Topical Bible: Idolatry: Other Customs of Praise

◄ Idolatry: Other Customs of Praise ►

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Idolatry, in its broadest sense, refers to the worship of idols or the excessive reverence for anything other than the one true God. Throughout the Bible, idolatry is consistently condemned as a grievous sin, as it diverts worship and allegiance away from God. The customs of praise associated with idolatry often involve rituals, ceremonies, and practices that are in stark contrast to the worship prescribed by God in the Scriptures.

Biblical Condemnation of Idolatry

The Bible is replete with warnings against idolatry. In the Ten Commandments, God explicitly commands, "You shall have no other gods before Me. 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 20:3-4). This foundational command underscores the exclusivity of worship that God demands from His people.

Customs of Praise in Idolatry

1. Sacrifices and Offerings: Idolatrous practices often involve sacrifices and offerings to false gods. In the Old Testament, the Israelites frequently fell into the sin of idolatry by adopting the sacrificial customs of surrounding nations. For instance, the worship of Baal and Asherah included offerings of animals and, tragically, even human sacrifices (2 Kings 17:16-17).

2. Feasts and Festivals: Many idolatrous religions celebrated feasts and festivals in honor of their deities. These events were marked by revelry, feasting, and sometimes immoral behavior. The Israelites, influenced by their neighbors, participated in such festivals, which led them away from the worship of Yahweh (Exodus 32:5-6).

3. Rituals and Ceremonies: Idolatry often involves elaborate rituals and ceremonies designed to appease or gain favor from the gods. These could include processions, dances, and other forms of physical expression. The prophets frequently rebuked Israel for engaging in these practices, which were contrary to the worship of the true God (Isaiah 44:9-20).

4. Prayer and Incantations: Prayers and incantations directed toward idols were common in ancient idolatrous practices. These were believed to invoke the presence or power of the deity. The Bible records instances where God's people were tempted to adopt such practices, leading to divine judgment (Jeremiah 7:9).

5. Images and Icons: The creation and veneration of images and icons are central to many idolatrous customs. These physical representations were believed to embody the presence of the deity. The Bible strongly condemns the making and worship of such images, as they detract from the worship of the invisible God (Deuteronomy 4:15-19).

Spiritual Adultery

Idolatry is often described in the Bible as spiritual adultery. The prophets used the metaphor of marital unfaithfulness to illustrate Israel's idolatry, portraying God as a faithful husband and Israel as an unfaithful wife. This imagery highlights the personal and relational nature of idolatry as a betrayal of the covenant relationship with God (Hosea 2:2-5).

New Testament Perspective

In the New Testament, idolatry is expanded beyond the worship of physical idols to include any form of covetousness or placing anything above God. The Apostle Paul warns believers, "Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5). This broader understanding calls Christians to examine their hearts and ensure that their devotion is solely directed toward God.

Conclusion

The customs of praise associated with idolatry are diverse and pervasive, often infiltrating the lives of God's people throughout history. The Bible's consistent message is a call to exclusive worship of the one true God, rejecting all forms of idolatry and the customs that accompany it.

Nave's Topical Index

Judges 16:24
And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us.
Nave's Topical Index

Daniel 5:4
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Religious and Social State.
... the canonical Daniel, and with what we know from other sources of the customs of
the ... state of subjection to the Babylonian king, who ordered idolatry to be ...
/.../daubney/the three additions to daniel a study/religious and social state.htm

Answer to the Objection of the Heathen, that it was not Right to ...
... of grace; you have heard, on the other hand, the ... the evil one, and prefer wisdom
to idolatry, and take ... But do you"for your ancestral customs, by which your ...
/.../clement/exhortation to the heathen/chapter x answer to the objection.htm

Knox in Scotland: Lethington: Mary of Guise: 1555-1556
... He must have heard about it from other prophets ... participation was not unlawful, was
not idolatry, in the ... elsewhere not to "walk after the customs." Paul should ...
/.../lang/john knox and the reformation/chapter vii knox in scotland .htm

The Preacher as a Patriot.
... with the towns and rivers, the customs and history of ... Idolatry in Israel was never
due to theoretic changes of ... if ever, been bestowed on any other country or ...
/.../stalker/the preacher and his models/lecture iii the preacher as.htm

In the Regions Beyond
... Her influence had helped to strengthen idolatry. ... trouble our city, and teach customs,
which are ... With astonishment the other prisoners heard the sound of prayer ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 21 in the regions.htm

The Introduction.
... Presbyters only, or Monks, following the customs of the ... they were exempted from any
other jurisdiction than ... this torrent of superstition and idolatry; for from ...
/.../howie/biographia scoticana scots worthies/the introduction.htm

Sozomen as Author.
... who instituted and perpetuated these customs, consider it ... Divine wrath; while, on
the other hand, he ... attempt of Constantine to abolish idolatry and introduce ...
/.../sozomen/the ecclesiastical history of sozomenus/part ii sozomen as author.htm

First Sunday after Epiphany
... Paul (Galatians 5, 20) terms idolatry and heresies works of ... in plain words, Isaiah
rejects all other sacrifices in ... then, to follow neither the customs of the ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol ii/first sunday after epiphany.htm

The Chosen People
... the world in order to escape temptation to idolatry. ... of separation between Israel
and all other nations ... people had received heathen ideas and customs, and these ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 2 the chosen people.htm

A Warning Rejected.
... churches that separated from Rome present other of her ... of Rome were ever guilty of
idolatry in relation to ... church, "carries with it its customs, practices, and ...
/.../white/the great controversy between christ and satan /21 a warning rejected.htm