Topical Bible: Idolatry: They Who Practise: Boast of It

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Idolatry, the worship of idols or the elevation of anything above the one true God, is a recurring theme throughout the Bible. It is consistently condemned as a grievous sin, leading individuals and nations away from the worship of Yahweh. Those who practice idolatry often boast of their actions, displaying a prideful defiance against divine commandments.

Biblical Instances of Boasting in Idolatry:

1. The Golden Calf Incident: In Exodus 32, the Israelites, under Aaron's leadership, create a golden calf while Moses is on Mount Sinai. They proclaim, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!" (Exodus 32:4). This declaration is a boastful attribution of divine power to a man-made object, directly contravening the first two commandments.

2. The Prophets of Baal: In 1 Kings 18, the prophets of Baal boast of their god's power in a contest against Elijah on Mount Carmel. Despite their fervent cries and self-mutilation, Baal does not respond. Their boastful confidence in an idol is met with silence, highlighting the futility of their worship.

3. Babylon's Pride: In Isaiah 47, Babylon is personified as a boastful woman who trusts in her wickedness and idolatry. She declares, "I am, and there is none besides me" (Isaiah 47:8), arrogantly placing herself in the position of God. This prideful idolatry leads to her downfall, as prophesied by Isaiah.

4. Nebuchadnezzar's Image: In Daniel 3, King Nebuchadnezzar constructs a massive golden image and commands all to worship it. The king's decree is an act of boastful idolatry, asserting his own power and the supremacy of his gods over the God of Israel. The refusal of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to bow down is a testament to their faithfulness amidst such prideful idolatry.

5. The Boast of the Rich Fool: In the New Testament, Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21. The man boasts of his wealth and plans to build larger barns, placing his trust in material possessions rather than God. While not a direct act of idol worship, this parable illustrates the idolatry of wealth and self-reliance, which the man boasts about to his own detriment.

Theological Implications:

Idolatry, particularly when accompanied by boasting, is a direct challenge to the sovereignty and exclusivity of God. It reflects a heart that is hardened and turned away from the truth. The Bible warns that such prideful idolatry leads to judgment and destruction. The prophets and apostles consistently call for repentance and a return to the worship of the one true God, emphasizing His unmatched power and glory.

Warnings Against Boasting in Idolatry:

The Scriptures are replete with warnings against idolatry and the pride that often accompanies it. In Jeremiah 9:23-24, the Lord declares, "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches. But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me" . This passage underscores the futility of boasting in anything other than a relationship with God.

In the New Testament, Paul echoes this sentiment in 1 Corinthians 1:31, urging believers to boast only in the Lord. This call to humility and true worship stands in stark contrast to the prideful idolatry condemned throughout Scripture.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 97:7
Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all you gods.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Though in Almost Every Age There have Indeed Been in the Heathen ...
... their business to study and practise the duties ... notwithstanding all their wise
discourses, they fell lamentably into the practice of the most foolish idolatry. ...
/.../vi proposition vi though in.htm

The Impending Conflict.
... Though in a different form, idolatry exists in the Christian ... give the rein to lust,
and practise the sins ... to grasp the hand of Spiritualism; they will reach ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /36 the impending conflict.htm

Advantages of Revelation Above Natural Reason.
... by the things which we are to practise, I mean ... knowledge of natural religion, so
in case they lose their ... should of course sink into the same idolatry which we ...
/.../sect v advantages of revelation.htm

section iii.
... 59] Superstition, and so easily seduced to the Idolatry of their ... betrayed, are able,
and do emperically practise without his advice, they both proceeding ...
//christianbookshelf.org/browne/religio medici/section iii.htm

Rom. Ii. 17, 18
... we hang our instruments," but still they might not ... will you say, Forsake idolatry,
acknowledge God, and draw ... thing for a Gentile to practise idolatry, and a ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily vi rom ii 17.htm

The Conversion of Cornelius.
... the Maker of heaven and earth, and practise virtue according ... In genius and taste
they may be allowed to ... shadow of death." The altars of idolatry were overthrown ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xiii the conversion of.htm

The Treatise
... of God, the other only makes worse idolatry and the ... to the ban, accurse, rob, murder,
and practise all their wickedness, in whatever way they please and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/luther/a treatise on good works/the treatise.htm

Conclusion
... these: Adultery fornication uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred ...
to our youth, so that they would receive ... and thus would practise them from ...
//christianbookshelf.org/luther/the large catechism/conclusion.htm

The Form of Sound Words
... it; and if it be, my brother commits a sin who does not practise it ... Why, pure idolatry. ...
not really understood that truth; in nine cases out of ten they have not ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 2 1856/the form of sound words.htm

Twenty-Seven Articles Respecting the Reformation of the Christian ...
... God's work and of faith, soon began to set up idolatry and their ... so long as you have
money, no further; and yet they are not ashamed to practise all this ...
/.../iii twenty-seven articles respecting the.htm