Topical Bible: Idolatry: Warnings Against

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Idolatry, the worship of idols or the elevation of anything above God, is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, with numerous warnings against it. The Scriptures consistently emphasize the exclusive worship of the one true God and the dangers of turning to false gods or material objects.

Old Testament Warnings

The Old Testament is replete with admonitions against idolatry, beginning with the Ten Commandments. In Exodus 20:3-5 , 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, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God." This foundational command underscores the seriousness of idolatry as a violation of the covenant relationship between God and His people.

The prophets frequently warned Israel about the consequences of idolatry. In Isaiah 44:9-11 , the futility of idol-making is highlighted: "All makers of idols are 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? Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all assemble and take their stand; they will be brought to terror and shame."

Jeremiah also speaks against idolatry, emphasizing its senselessness and the judgment it brings. In Jeremiah 10:14-15 , it is written, "Every man 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. They are worthless, a work to be mocked. In the time of their punishment, they will perish."

New Testament Warnings

The New Testament continues the theme of warning against idolatry, expanding it to include not only the worship of physical idols but also the elevation of any desire or pursuit above God. In 1 Corinthians 10:14 , Paul exhorts believers, "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." This call to action is a reminder of the spiritual dangers that idolatry poses to the believer's relationship with God.

In Colossians 3:5 , Paul further broadens the definition of idolatry: "Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry." Here, idolatry is linked to the sinful desires of the heart, indicating that anything that takes precedence over God can become an idol.

The book of Revelation also warns of the ultimate judgment against idolaters. Revelation 21:8 states, "But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death."

Theological Implications

Idolatry is fundamentally a theological issue, as it challenges the sovereignty and exclusivity of God. The Bible's warnings against idolatry serve as a call to maintain the purity of worship and devotion to God alone. The consistent message throughout Scripture is that God alone is worthy of worship, and any deviation from this truth leads to spiritual peril.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Deuteronomy 4:15-19
Take you therefore good heed to yourselves; for you saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spoke to you in Horeb out of the middle of the fire:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Hezekiah
... The solemn warnings against idolatry, spoken through Moses in the hearing of all
Israel, had been accompanied by prophecies of God's willingness to hear and ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 28 hezekiah.htm

The Prescription Against Heretics
... Chapter IV.--Warnings Against Heresy Given Us in the New Testament Sundry Passages
Adduced ... Chapter XL.--No Difference in the Spirit of Idolatry and of Heresy In ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tertullian/the prescription against heretics/

Letters of St. Augustin Index of Subjects
... Infantile protest against idolatry, marvellous, [1553]408. ... Pelagianism, warnings
against, [1633]549-[1634]552. Pelagianism, measures against, [1635]554-[1636]556 ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letters of st augustin index.htm

Minor German Reformed Confessions.
... and evangelical faith, and contains some wholesome warnings against the unchristian ...
the Ten Commandments, the abolition of popish picture idolatry, the Person ...
/.../ 71 minor german reformed.htm

Manasseh's Sin and Repentance
... in it is the stern indictment against Manasseh and his ... he went wrong: first, in his
idolatry; and second, in his contempt of remonstrances and warnings. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/manassehs sin and repentance.htm

Christian Worship,
... have any ornaments of the kind, lest they should fall into idolatry like the ... evils
which arose from pilgrimages that he gave very earnest warnings against them ...
/.../chapter xviii christian worship.htm

A Kingdom's Epitaph
... and His testimonies which He testified against them; and ... I. The less culpable apostasy
before the prophets' warnings. ... The double origin of the idolatry is next ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/a kingdoms epitaph.htm

Isaiah.
... During the reigns of Ahaz, Jotham and Uzziah, oppression, wickedness and idolatry
existed everywhere. ... (1) Warnings and threats against his own people ...
/.../gerberding/the way of salvation in the lutheran church/chapter xv isaiah.htm

The Woman of Samaria
... Idolatry brought sin, and sin brought bad passions, hatred ... those two brother-nations
fighting against each other ... Elijah's warnings had been in vain, and Elisha's ...
/.../kingsley/town and country sermons/sermon xxvi the woman of.htm

An Analysis of Augustin's Writings against the Donatists.
... the theological student, abounded in warnings against its aggressiveness ... of the demand
for purism against the Lord's ... more severely punished than idolatry or the ...
/.../chapter ii name analysis of.htm