Topical Bible: Idolatry: Consists in Bowing Down to Images

◄ Idolatry: Consists in Bowing Down to Images ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

Idolatry, in the context of biblical teachings, refers to the worship or veneration of images, statues, or any physical representations as deities. This practice is explicitly condemned throughout the Scriptures, as it detracts from the worship of the one true God. The act of bowing down to images is seen as a direct violation of the commandments given by God to His people.

Biblical Prohibition of Idolatry

The prohibition against idolatry is rooted in the Ten Commandments, where God commands His people to worship Him alone. In Exodus 20:4-5 , it is written: "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me."

This commandment underscores the exclusivity of worship that God demands, emphasizing that no physical representation should be revered or worshipped as divine.

Historical Instances of Idolatry

Throughout the history of Israel, instances of idolatry are recorded, often leading to divine judgment. One notable example is the incident of the golden calf in Exodus 32. While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the law from God, the Israelites grew impatient and asked Aaron to make them gods to lead them. Aaron complied and fashioned a golden calf, and the people proclaimed, "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 anger, resulting in severe consequences for the people.

Another significant instance is found in 1 Kings 12:28-30 , where Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel, made two golden calves and said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt." This led Israel into sin, as they began to worship these idols.

Prophetic Condemnation of Idolatry

The prophets of Israel consistently condemned idolatry, calling the people to return to the worship of Yahweh. Isaiah, for instance, ridicules the futility of idol worship in Isaiah 44:9-20, highlighting the absurdity of creating gods from wood and stone. In Isaiah 44:17 , he writes, "From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, 'Save me, for you are my god.'"

Jeremiah also speaks against idolatry, warning of the consequences of forsaking the true God for lifeless images. In Jeremiah 10:5 , he describes idols 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."

New Testament Perspective

The New Testament continues the denunciation of idolatry, urging believers to flee from it. In 1 Corinthians 10:14 , Paul exhorts the Corinthian church, "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." The apostle John also warns against idols in 1 John 5:21 , saying, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols."

Idolatry is further expanded in the New Testament to include not only the worship of physical images but also the elevation of anything above God in one's life, such as wealth or personal desires. Colossians 3:5 states, "Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry."

Theological Implications

Idolatry, as the act of bowing down to images, represents a fundamental breach of the covenant relationship between God and His people. It signifies a turning away from the Creator to the created, a substitution of the infinite with the finite. This act is not merely a cultural or ritualistic error but a profound spiritual betrayal that incurs divine displeasure and judgment. The consistent biblical narrative against idolatry underscores the importance of worshiping God in spirit and truth, as emphasized by Jesus in John 4:24 : "God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 20:5
You shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Deuteronomy 5:9
You shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Axe at the Root --A Testimony against Puseyite Idolatry
... and set up something seen, instead of bowing down before the ... and in one shape or
another idolatry is the ... I do not mind worshipping God if it consists in doing ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 12 1866/the axe at the roota.htm

Mongrel Religion
... allow them to go the whole length of idolatry in his ... How many there are whose religion
consists in a fear of ... When he saw them each one bowing before his own ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 27 1881/mongrel religion.htm

Concerning Salutations and Recreations, &C.
... or diminish from that subjection we owe to them, which consists in obeying ... that the
angel twice refused this kind of bowing from John ... cap.1. of Idolatry, cap.11 ...
/.../proposition xv concerning salutations and.htm

part ii
... must remember that the Christian religion consists in loving ... from prayerful emotion,
and tears flow down the cheeks ... in church you look upon the images of God's ...
//christianbookshelf.org/calvin/my life in christ/part ii.htm

A Holy Life the Beauty of Christianity: Or, an Exhortation to ...
... net, as iniquity makes men go down her steps ... they made them idols.' The sin of idolatry
threw their ... wherein dost thou think the blessedness of heaven consists? ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a holy life the beauty.htm