Topical Bible: Idolatry: They Who Practise are Estranged from God

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Idolatry, in the biblical context, refers to the worship of idols or the elevation of anything or anyone to a status that rivals or surpasses the worship due to the one true God. It is a recurring theme throughout the Scriptures, consistently condemned as a grievous sin that leads to estrangement from God.

Old Testament Context

The Old Testament is replete with warnings against idolatry. The first of the Ten Commandments explicitly states, "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3). This command underscores the exclusivity of worship that God demands from His people. Idolatry is portrayed as spiritual adultery, a betrayal of the covenant relationship between God and Israel.

In Deuteronomy 4:23-24, Moses warns the Israelites, "Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that He made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything He has forbidden you. For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God." This passage highlights the seriousness with which God views idolatry, emphasizing His jealousy and the consuming nature of His holiness.

The prophets frequently rebuked Israel for their idolatrous practices. Isaiah 44:9-11 ridicules the futility of idol-making, stating, "All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Those who would speak up for them are blind; they are ignorant, to their own shame." The prophets called the people to repentance, urging them to return to the worship of Yahweh alone.

New Testament Perspective

The New Testament continues the denunciation of idolatry, expanding its definition to include not only the worship of physical idols but also the elevation of any created thing above God. In Romans 1:22-23, Paul describes the descent into idolatry: "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."

Paul further warns the Corinthians, "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry" (1 Corinthians 10:14). This exhortation reflects the ongoing danger of idolatry for believers, urging them to remain vigilant and devoted to God alone.

In Colossians 3:5, idolatry is equated with covetousness: "Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry." This broadens the understanding of idolatry to include any desire or practice that supplants God’s rightful place in the believer’s life.

Estrangement from God

The practice of idolatry results in a profound estrangement from God. It is a rejection of His sovereignty and a breach of the intimate relationship He desires with His people. Ezekiel 14:5-6 captures this estrangement: "I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted Me for their idols. Therefore, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: Repent and turn away from your idols; turn your faces away from all your abominations.’"

Idolatry leads to spiritual blindness and hardening of the heart, as seen in Psalm 115:4-8, where the psalmist describes idols as lifeless and those who trust in them as becoming like them. This spiritual deadness is a direct consequence of turning away from the living God.

Call to Faithfulness

Throughout Scripture, the call is clear: God’s people are to worship Him alone, rejecting all forms of idolatry. The estrangement caused by idolatry is not irreversible; God continually calls His people to repentance and restoration. The consistent biblical message is one of returning to God with a whole heart, forsaking all idols, and embracing the fullness of life found in Him alone.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 14:5
That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Eunomius Again Speaks of the Son as Lord and God
... juggling [1011] , under some destiny, just as they who practise this vain ... then, is
what the teachers of the new idolatry preach, and they who follow them ...
/.../gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/section 5 eunomius again speaks.htm

section second.
... race, from the nations abandoned to idolatry and its ... so much account of circumcision
would practise it to ... or by any external legal works, be they religious or ...
/.../the epistle of paul to the philippians practically explained/section second.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

Concerning Worship.
... For this kind of idolatry, whereby man loveth, idolizeth, and embraceth his ... before
he departed from them, as that which they were to practise during his ...
/.../proposition xi concerning worship.htm

Introduction to Oration ii.
... and offer gifts, [2604] in order that idolatry might be ... And with good reason, for
they would not be strengthened ... a wine-jar, that is, to practise ourselves in ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/introduction to oration ii.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... or together, as such, is to commit most gross and horrible idolatry: For albeit ...
creatures that the Lord created, were the holy angels of God, they being called ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm

Answer to Eunomius' Second Book .
... life by reason of the prevalence of idolatry, and making ... bare grandeur of the thought
of God; while the ... no fruit to the curious enquirer, they dismiss without ...
/.../gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/answer to eunomius second book.htm

Seasonable Counsel: Or, Advice to Sufferers.
... evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry (Colossians 3 ... that be are
ordered as well as ordained of God. They are also always in God's hand, as his ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/seasonable counsel or advice to.htm