Topical Bible: Idolatry: Other Customs of Prayers to Idols

◄ Idolatry: Other Customs of Prayers to Idols ►

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Idolatry, as depicted in the Bible, extends beyond the mere worship of graven images or false gods. It encompasses a variety of customs and practices that involve prayers and rituals directed towards idols, which are strictly condemned in Scripture. The Bible provides numerous examples and warnings against such practices, emphasizing the exclusive worship and devotion owed to the one true God.

Biblical Condemnation of Idolatrous Prayers

The Bible consistently condemns the act of praying to idols, highlighting the futility and spiritual danger of such practices. In Isaiah 44:17-20, the prophet vividly describes the absurdity of idol worship, where a craftsman uses part of a tree to warm himself and cook his food, and from the same material, he fashions a god to which he bows down and prays, saying, "Save me, for you are my god!" (Isaiah 44:17). This passage underscores the irrationality of attributing divine power to man-made objects.

Jeremiah also speaks against the customs of idol worship, noting the senselessness of praying to lifeless images. In Jeremiah 10:5, idols are described as "like scarecrows in a cucumber patch; they cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good" . This highlights the impotence of idols and the futility of seeking their aid through prayer.

Customs and Practices

Throughout the ancient Near East, various customs were associated with idol worship, including prayers, offerings, and rituals intended to appease or gain favor from these false deities. In 1 Kings 18:26-29, the prophets of Baal are depicted as calling upon their god from morning until noon, crying out, "O Baal, answer us!" (1 Kings 18:26). Their prayers were accompanied by ritualistic dancing and self-mutilation, yet there was no response, illustrating the emptiness of their devotion.

The New Testament continues this theme, warning believers against participating in idolatrous practices. In 1 Corinthians 10:20, Paul admonishes the Corinthian church, stating, "No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons" . This passage highlights the spiritual peril of engaging in idolatrous customs, as they are ultimately offerings to demonic forces rather than the true God.

Spiritual Adultery and Idolatry

Idolatry is often equated with spiritual adultery in the Bible, as it represents a betrayal of the covenant relationship between God and His people. In Ezekiel 23:37, the prophet accuses Israel of committing adultery with idols, stating, "For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols" . This metaphor underscores the seriousness of idolatry as a breach of faithfulness to God.

The Call to Exclusive Worship

The Bible calls for exclusive worship of the one true God, rejecting all forms of idolatry. In the Ten Commandments, God commands, "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3), establishing the foundational principle of monotheistic worship. The Shema, a central declaration of faith in Deuteronomy 6:4, further emphasizes this, stating, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One" .

Believers are urged to flee from idolatry and to worship God in spirit and truth, as Jesus instructs in John 4:24, "God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth" . This call to genuine worship stands in stark contrast to the empty rituals and prayers directed towards idols, affirming the Bible's consistent message against idolatry in all its forms.

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Judges 10:14
Go and cry to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.
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Isaiah 44:17
And the residue thereof he makes a god, even his graven image: he falls down to it, and worships it, and prays to it, and said, Deliver me; for you are my god.
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Isaiah 45:20
Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray to a god that cannot save.
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Isaiah 46:7
They bear him on the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he stands; from his place shall he not remove: yes, one shall cry to him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.
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Jonah 1:5
Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man to his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.
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Library

General Remarks on the History of Missions in this Age.
... and barbarians were given to idolatry, men waged ... a concatenation, without this connexion
with other operations of a ... subjects; he lived after the customs of his ...
/.../neander/light in the dark places/general remarks on the history.htm

The Preacher as a Patriot.
... with the towns and rivers, the customs and history ... the worship of Baal and the other
Canaanite divinities ... Idolatry in Israel was never due to theoretic changes ...
/.../stalker/the preacher and his models/lecture iii the preacher as.htm

In the Court of Babylon
... into close association with idolatrous customs, and under ... king's table was consecrated
to idolatry; and one ... Hebrews were examined, with other candidates, for ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 39 in the court.htm

He that Doubteth is Damned if He Eat, Because He Eateth not of ...
... who lived on vegetables charged the other with idolatry. ... 8. Compliance with worldly
customs at new-year's day. ... this practicing indulgences, and other things of ...
/.../finney/lectures to professing christians/he that doubteth is damned.htm

Though in Almost Every Age There have Indeed Been in the Heathen ...
... allowed men to continue the idolatry of their ... the subtile disputations of other
philosophers; whereas ... affections, and vicious inclinations, customs, and habits ...
/.../vi proposition vi though in.htm

Sozomen as Author.
... who instituted and perpetuated these customs, consider it ... attempt of Constantine
to abolish idolatry and introduce ... of a special incident; in other words, he ...
/.../sozomen/the ecclesiastical history of sozomenus/part ii sozomen as author.htm

Faustus Repels the Charge of Sun-Worship
... who still preserve traces of their old customs, of which ... On the other hand, we have
the prophetic intimations ... this very explanation of their idolatry, on which ...
/.../faustus repels the charge of.htm

The Apostasy.
... council(75) finally established this system of idolatry. ... fraud, iniquity, and every
other obstacle that ... The most absurd and superstitious customs prevailed. ...
/.../white/the great controversy between christ and satan /3 the apostasy.htm

What Carey did for Literature and for Humanity
... Description of their Manners and Customs, and Translations ... the landlords of the poor
and other men of ... unfair means of rendering even idolatry detestable," but ...
/.../smith/the life of william carey/chapter xi what carey did.htm

An Era of Spiritual Darkness
... see Appendix) finally established this system of idolatry. ... fraud, iniquity, and every
other obstacle that ... The most absurd and superstitious customs prevailed. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the great controversy/chapter 3 an era of.htm