Topical Bible: Idolatry: Objects of Described as No Gods

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Idolatry, a recurring theme throughout the Bible, is the worship of idols or images as gods. The Scriptures consistently emphasize that these objects of worship are not true deities but rather creations of human hands, devoid of life, power, or divinity. The Bible's denunciation of idolatry is rooted in the understanding that there is only one true God, and any worship directed towards idols is misplaced and offensive to Him.

Biblical References:

1. Deuteronomy 32:21 · "They have provoked My jealousy by that which is not God; they have enraged Me with their worthless idols. So I will make them jealous by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation without understanding." This verse highlights the futility of idol worship, as these objects are "not God" and are considered "worthless."

2. Jeremiah 2:11 · "Has a nation ever changed its gods, though they are no gods at all? Yet My people have exchanged their Glory for useless idols." Here, the prophet Jeremiah underscores the absurdity of exchanging the worship of the true God for "no gods at all," emphasizing the emptiness of idols.

3. Isaiah 44:9-10 · "Those who fashion idols are all nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame. Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing?" Isaiah ridicules the creation of idols, pointing out their worthlessness and the shame of those who worship them.

4. Psalm 115:4-8 · "Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak; eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear; noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel; feet, but cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them become like them, as do all who trust in them." This passage vividly describes the impotence of idols and the folly of those who trust in them.

5. 1 Corinthians 8:4 · "So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one." The Apostle Paul affirms the nonexistence of idols as gods, reinforcing the monotheistic belief that there is only one true God.

Theological Implications:

The Bible's portrayal of idols as "no gods" serves as a powerful reminder of the exclusive sovereignty of the God of Israel. Idolatry is not merely a misguided practice but a direct affront to the divine nature and authority of God. The consistent biblical message is that idols, regardless of their material or form, cannot compare to the living God who created the heavens and the earth. Worship directed towards these objects is seen as a grave error, leading individuals away from the truth and into spiritual deception.

Historical Context:

In the ancient Near East, idolatry was prevalent among the surrounding nations, with various deities represented by physical idols. These idols were often crafted from materials such as wood, stone, or metal and were believed to embody the presence and power of the gods they represented. The Israelites, living amidst these cultures, were repeatedly warned against adopting such practices, as seen in the numerous prophetic rebukes and legal prohibitions against idolatry.

Moral and Spiritual Lessons:

The biblical condemnation of idolatry serves as a timeless warning against the human tendency to elevate created things above the Creator. It calls believers to examine their own lives for modern forms of idolatry, which may not involve physical idols but can manifest in the undue prioritization of wealth, power, relationships, or other pursuits over God. The call to worship God alone remains central to the faith, urging believers to recognize and reject anything that competes for the devotion due to Him alone.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 5:7
How shall I pardon you for this? your children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Galatians 4:8
However, then, when you knew not God, you did service to them which by nature are no gods.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

On Idolatry
... take the gods of foreign nations as objects of worship ... of the two-fold idolatry which
has now been described. ... to a creature is pure from idolatry, except that ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 23 on idolatry.htm

For as Soon as He Understood that the Ignorant Multitudes were ...
... engaged in a work similar to that we have described. ... from its lofty height the most
distant objects on the ... demon-worship and the madness of idolatry prevailed. ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/chapter viii for as soon.htm

Covenanting According to the Purposes of God.
... of a people who should be objects of this ... he shall be my son."[553] Jacob, described
as the ... me."[554] Israel, by falling into idolatry, manifestly disregarding ...
/.../the ordinance of covenanting/chapter viii covenanting according to.htm

Galatians Chapter iv.
... was of old time made for these objects to Abraham ... believers he says that it is an
idolatry, this rigid ... acts, and the Prophet by words, have described the events ...
/.../galatians chapter iv.htm

The People among whom we Labour (Continued).
... I have stated the arguments by which that idolatry is defended ... it is fitting that
to these objects special honour ... In books the Sudras are described as the fourth ...
/.../life and work in benares and kumaon 1839-1877/chapter xxix the people among.htm

The Marcionites Depreciate the Creation, Which, However, is a ...
... Book I. Wherein is described the god of Marcion. ... of the crowd, inspired by the common
idolatry, when ashamed ... to the interpretation of natural objects, and so ...
/.../the five books against marcion/chapter xiii the marcionites depreciate the.htm

The Sibylline Oracles.
... They make no gods of gold or silver, nor pictured forms of beasts to worship ... have
brought on these infinite misery." But a day shall come when idolatry shall be ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the sibylline oracles.htm

Answer to the Objection of the Heathen, that it was not Right to ...
... reward of your choice, therefore, as described by Sophocles ... evil one, and prefer
wisdom to idolatry, and take ... lest the multitude of pleasing objects which rise ...
/.../clement/exhortation to the heathen/chapter x answer to the objection.htm

Original Sin
... Satan behind; we run into an idolatry whereof he ... that neither grand nor beautiful
objects please any ... of the ancient Heathens have largely described the vices ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 44 original sin.htm

Chapter xxxv
... taken by Jacob in purging out idolatry by putting ... these monuments were doubtless
originally objects, of worship ... Though Bilhah was heretofore described only as ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxv.htm