Topical Bible: Idolatry: They Who Practise: Pollute the Name of God

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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, consistently condemned as a grievous sin. Those who engage in idolatry are seen as polluting the holy name of God, defiling the covenant relationship between God and His people.

The Old Testament provides numerous instances where idolatry is directly linked to the profanation of God's name. In Ezekiel 20:39 , the prophet declares, "As for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward, you will surely listen to Me, and you will no longer profane My holy name with your gifts and idols.'" Here, the practice of idolatry is equated with the profanation of God's name, highlighting the deep offense it causes to the divine holiness.

The Israelites, chosen as God's people, were repeatedly warned against the allure of idolatry. In Leviticus 18:21 , the Lord commands, "You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD." The act of sacrificing to idols, particularly through such abominable practices, is seen as a direct violation of God's sanctity and a pollution of His name.

Idolatry is not merely a personal sin but a communal one, affecting the entire nation. In Jeremiah 34:16 , the prophet rebukes the people, saying, "But now you have turned around and profaned My name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free to go wherever they wished, and you have forced them to become your slaves again." The return to idolatrous practices and the breaking of covenants are seen as acts that defile God's name among the nations.

The New Testament continues this theme, emphasizing the spiritual nature of idolatry. In Romans 1:21-23 , Paul writes, "For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles." This exchange of God's glory for created things is a fundamental pollution of His name, as it denies His rightful place as Creator and Sovereign.

Idolatry, therefore, is not only a rejection of God's commandments but a direct affront to His holiness. It is a sin that pollutes His name, leading to spiritual and often physical consequences for those who practice it. The Bible consistently calls for repentance and a return to the worship of the one true God, whose name is to be revered and honored above all.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 20:39
As for you, O house of Israel, thus said the Lord GOD; Go you, serve you every one his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not listen to me: but pollute you my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

A Holy Life the Beauty of Christianity: Or, an Exhortation to ...
... off, though they do hear and look on, and practise lesser things ... Of their silver
and their gold have they made them idols.' The sin of idolatry threw their ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a holy life the beauty.htm

Period I: the Imperial State Church of the Undivided Empire, or ...
... contained in the divine Scriptures, and that they are above ... splendor, majesty and
in the very name Father, the ... Son has been begotten of the Father, God of God ...
/.../ayer/a source book for ancient church history/period i the imperial state.htm

Life and Works of Rufinus with Jerome's Apology Against Rufinus.
... But, since one who turns to idolatry does not thereby ... and not only unsummoned, but
when they are already ... what comes last and most important, "The name of God ...
/.../various/life and works of rufinus with jeromes apology against rufinus /