The worship of the moon, as a celestial body, is a practice that has been observed in various cultures throughout history, including those surrounding the ancient Israelites. In the biblical context, the worship of the moon is consistently portrayed as idolatrous and contrary to the worship of Yahweh, the one true God.

Old Testament References

The Old Testament contains several references to the worship of celestial bodies, including the moon, which was prevalent among Israel's neighboring nations. In Deuteronomy 4:19, the Israelites are warned: "And when you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven." This passage underscores the prohibition against worshiping the moon, emphasizing that these celestial bodies are creations of God, not deities themselves.

In 2 Kings 23:5, during the reforms of King Josiah, it is recorded that he "did away with the idolatrous priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the cities of Judah and the places around Jerusalem—those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, and to the constellations and all the host of heaven." This action highlights the extent to which moon worship had infiltrated the religious practices of Judah, necessitating reform and a return to the exclusive worship of Yahweh.

Prophetic Denunciations

The prophets also spoke against the worship of the moon. In Jeremiah 8:2, the prophet declares that the bones of the kings, officials, priests, prophets, and inhabitants of Jerusalem will be spread out before the sun, moon, and all the host of heaven, "which they have loved and served, and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped. They will not be gathered or buried, but will be like dung lying on the ground." This vivid imagery serves as a stark warning against idolatry and the futility of worshiping created things rather than the Creator.

New Testament Context

While the New Testament does not explicitly address moon worship, it continues the theme of rejecting idolatry in all its forms. In Acts 19:35, the city clerk of Ephesus refers to the worship of Artemis, whose image was believed to have fallen from the sky, possibly alluding to celestial worship. The early Christian message consistently called for the abandonment of idols and the exclusive worship of God through Jesus Christ.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, the worship of the moon is seen as a violation of the First Commandment, "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3). The moon, like all of creation, is a testament to God's power and majesty, but it is not to be an object of worship. The biblical narrative consistently calls God's people to recognize the distinction between the Creator and His creation, urging them to direct their worship solely to God.

Cultural and Historical Context

In the ancient Near East, the moon was often personified and deified, with various cultures attributing to it powers of fertility, timekeeping, and influence over human affairs. The Israelites, living amidst these cultures, were repeatedly cautioned against adopting such practices. The biblical injunctions against moon worship served to maintain the distinctiveness of Israel's monotheistic faith in a polytheistic environment.

In summary, the worship of the moon is consistently condemned in the Bible as idolatry, a practice that detracts from the worship of the one true God. The biblical texts call for a clear distinction between the Creator and His creation, urging the faithful to worship God alone.2 Kings 23:5
And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense to Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.
Nave's Topical Index

Job 31:26,27
If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;
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Jeremiah 7:18
The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
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Jeremiah 8:2
And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung on the face of the earth.
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Jeremiah 44:17-19,25
But we will certainly do whatever thing goes forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.
Nave's Topical Index

Whether any Kind of Worship is Due to the Relics of the Saints?
... relics of the blessed martyrs, as being the members of Christ, should be worshiped
in all ... say the relics of the martyrs, but either the sun or the moon or even ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether any kind of worship.htm

Book Five a Year of Decision. ...
... and creeping things." [130] "They exchanged thy truth for a lie, and worshiped and
served ... or the equinoxes, or the eclipses of the sun and moon, or anything of ...
/.../augustine/confessions and enchiridion/book five a year of.htm

The Oration. To-Day is the Festival of Our Great Emperor: and we ...
... The inferior splendor of the moon, alternately diminished and increased at stated
periods ... now that there is no nation where, in some form, God is not worshiped. ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/chapter i the oration to-day is.htm

National Apostasy
... Idolatrous temples and consecrated groves, wherein were worshiped the works of men's
hands ... of a heathen priesthood who sacrificed to the sun, moon, and stars. ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 8 national apostasy.htm

Wyclif -- Christ's Real Body not in the Eucharist
... in his own order; for as one clearness is in the sun, another in the moon, and a ...
And he is worshiped over all things as God, and showeth himself as he were God ...
/.../various/the worlds great sermons volume i/wyclif christs real body.htm

Eastern Wise-Men, or Magi, visit Jesus, the New-Born King.
... for they were never nearer to each other than double the apparent diameter of the
moon. ... homage; he was but a helpless Babe, yet they fell down and worshiped him ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xiii eastern wise-men or magi.htm

The Time of the Evening.
... the duration of the second beast power we will know the time the sun, moon and stars ...
They loved and worshiped God in quite a degree of simplicity and equality. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/orr/the gospel day /chapter ii the time of.htm

Whether the Cause of Idolatry was on the Part of Man?
... to worship fire, or by Ninus, who caused the statue of his father Bel to be worshiped. ...
circle of the stars, or the great water, or the sun and the moon, to be ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the cause of idolatry.htm

Preaching among the Heathen
... Many of the inhabitants of Lystra worshiped at a temple dedicated to Jupiter ... first
directed attention to the wonderful works of God"the sun, the moon, and the ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 18 preaching among the.htm

The Holy Spirit -56 and the Church (57-60)
... neither the whole Church nor any part of it wishes to be worshiped as God ... I am not
even certain about another question: whether the sun and moon and all the ...
/.../augustine/handbook on faith hope and love/chapter xv the holy spirit.htm

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