Topical Bible: Idolatry: They Who Practise are Ignorant and Foolish

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Idolatry, the worship of idols or the excessive reverence for something other than God, is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, consistently condemned as a grave sin. The practice of idolatry is often associated with ignorance and foolishness, as it involves the worship of created things rather than the Creator Himself.

Biblical Condemnation of Idolatry

The Bible explicitly condemns idolatry, emphasizing the folly of worshiping lifeless images. In the Ten Commandments, God commands, "You shall have no other gods before Me. 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" (Exodus 20:3-4). This foundational directive underscores the exclusivity of worship that God demands from His people.

Ignorance and Foolishness of Idolaters

Scripture often portrays idolaters as ignorant and foolish. In Isaiah 44:9, the prophet declares, "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" . This passage highlights the senselessness of idol worship, as those who create and venerate idols are blind to the truth and bring shame upon themselves.

Jeremiah echoes this sentiment, stating, "Everyone is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a lie, and there is no breath in them" (Jeremiah 10:14). The prophet emphasizes the lack of understanding among idolaters, who fail to recognize the lifelessness and deceit inherent in their objects of worship.

The Futility of Idols

The Bible frequently underscores the futility of idols, contrasting them with the living God. In Psalm 115:4-8, the psalmist writes, "Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see... Those who make them will be like them, as will all who trust in them" . This passage illustrates the impotence of idols and the spiritual deadness of those who trust in them.

The Call to True Worship

Throughout Scripture, God calls His people to turn away from idolatry and embrace true worship. In Acts 17:29-30, Paul addresses the Athenians, saying, "Being then God’s offspring, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination. Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent" . Here, Paul highlights the ignorance of idol worship and calls for repentance and recognition of the true God.

Conclusion

The Bible consistently portrays idolatry as an act of ignorance and foolishness, urging believers to reject the worship of created things and to devote themselves wholly to the one true God. Through the prophets and apostles, Scripture calls for a return to genuine worship, grounded in the knowledge and reverence of the Creator.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Romans 1:21,22
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Proposition Though the Necessity and Indispensableness of all the ...
... commonly they yield and submit to practise those things ... The natural consequence of
which absurd idolatry, and also ... upon them for it was, that they were given ...
/.../v proposition v though the.htm

On the Education of Children
... nature, and is, indeed, the original idolatry, which is not ... or, at least, sufficiently
resolute to practise it, " to ... that they are not now, as they were once ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 95 on the education.htm

Though in Almost Every Age There have Indeed Been in the Heathen ...
... it their business to study and practise the duties ... respect to the worship of God,
idolatry prevailed universally ... so as to be without excuse, yet "they did not ...
/.../vi proposition vi though in.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

Sin in the Heart the Source of Error in the Head
... 1:29, 32); and that those who practise such sins ... retain God in their knowledge, and
therefore they come to ... The origin of idolatry, and of infidelity, is not in ...
/.../shedd/sermons to the natural man/sin in the heart the.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

Paul in Ephesus.
... the established order of nature, to patronise idolatry, and encourage ... and fortunetellers
of other nations, to practise their arts, wherever they could find ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xxii paul in ephesus.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

"But if Ye have Bitter Envying and Strife in Your Hearts, Glory ...
... covetousness is called idolatry, self idolatry and earth idolatry. ... love what we know,
or practise any thing. ... meekness and wisdom, for truly they are inseparable ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon iv but if ye.htm

Knox -- the First Temptation of Christ
... destroying His ordinances, and building up idolatry, which did so ... by the three wise
men, that they had learned ... things mark, what hath been the practise of the ...
/.../various/the worlds great sermons volume i/knox the first temptation.htm