Topical Bible: Idolatry: Zeal Against: Israel

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Idolatry, the worship of idols or false gods, is a recurring theme in the history of Israel, and the nation's zeal against it is a significant aspect of its religious and cultural identity. The Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, provides numerous accounts of Israel's struggle against idolatry and the fervent efforts to eradicate it from their midst.

Biblical Mandate Against Idolatry

The prohibition against idolatry is rooted in the Ten Commandments, where 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 exclusive worship of Yahweh and sets the stage for Israel's ongoing battle against idolatrous practices.

Zeal of the Patriarchs and Leaders

Throughout Israel's history, key figures demonstrated zeal against idolatry. For instance, Abraham, the patriarch, is traditionally understood to have rejected the idolatry of his father's house, setting a precedent for his descendants. Later, Moses, as the leader of the Israelites, displayed fervent opposition to idolatry, notably when he destroyed the golden calf and rebuked the people for their sin (Exodus 32:19-20).

The Judges and Kings

During the period of the Judges, leaders like Gideon took decisive action against idolatry. Gideon destroyed the altar of Baal and the Asherah pole, earning him the name Jerubbaal, meaning "Let Baal contend against him" (Judges 6:25-32). This act of zeal was a direct challenge to the idolatrous practices that had infiltrated Israelite society.

The monarchy period also saw kings who were zealous against idolatry. King Hezekiah is noted for his reforms, which included the removal of high places, breaking the sacred pillars, and cutting down the Asherah poles (2 Kings 18:4). Similarly, King Josiah's reforms were marked by a comprehensive purge of idolatrous elements from the land, as he "smashed the altars and pulverized the Asherah poles" (2 Kings 23:14).

Prophetic Condemnation

The prophets of Israel were vocal in their condemnation of idolatry, often using vivid imagery to convey the spiritual adultery of idol worship. Isaiah, for example, mocked the futility of idol-making, emphasizing the absurdity of worshiping man-made objects (Isaiah 44:9-20). Jeremiah lamented the pervasive idolatry in Judah, warning of impending judgment (Jeremiah 2:27-28).

Post-Exilic Reforms

After the Babylonian exile, the returned exiles under leaders like Ezra and Nehemiah exhibited renewed zeal against idolatry. Ezra's reforms included the dissolution of marriages with foreign women, which were seen as a conduit for idolatrous influence (Ezra 10:10-11). Nehemiah's efforts to rebuild Jerusalem's walls were accompanied by a spiritual renewal that emphasized adherence to the Law and rejection of idolatry (Nehemiah 13:23-27).

Cultural and Religious Identity

The zeal against idolatry became a defining characteristic of Israel's cultural and religious identity. This fervor was not merely a rejection of foreign gods but a reaffirmation of the covenant relationship with Yahweh. The struggle against idolatry was a constant reminder of the call to holiness and the distinctiveness of Israel as a people set apart for God's purposes.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Chronicles 31:1
Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and broke the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Impure Zeal
... That shows the impurity of his 'zeal,' which flamed only against what it ... advantage
to destroy, and left the more popular and older idolatry undisturbed. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/impure zeal.htm

Jehoshaphat's Reform
... Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat.'"2 ... by side with the removal
of idolatry, this king ... Levites, or 'laymen,' because of their zeal in the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/jehoshaphats reform.htm

Expository Treatise against the Jews.
... "For the zeal of Thine house ... "And they that drink sang against me," that ... Was it on
account of the idolatry of the people? Was it for the blood of the prophets? ...
/.../expository treatise against the jews.htm

The Bohemian Brethern and the Waldenses.
... of all their writings before the Reformation, and which prove their zeal for Christian ...
The Catechism is directed against the idolatry and superstition of ...
/.../ 72 the bohemian brethern.htm

On Zeal
... I instance in idolatry, worshipping of angels, saints, images ... for almost a hundred
years, for and against wearing a ... himself for ME;" proportion your zeal to the ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 92 on zeal.htm

The War of Truth
... Idolatry and infidelity we fiercely denounce, but the men ... Joshua won the day against
the Amalekites, who had ... he were a statue, and his friends assist his zeal. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the war of truth.htm

Hezekiah
... In his zeal to make the temple services a ... and in stemming the tide of idolatry which
threatened ... Palestine, this time directing their forces against the fenced ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 28 hezekiah.htm

The Conversion of the Jailor of Philippi.
... the jailor inflamed with the same zeal against those blasphemers ... arrested his arm,
already raised against himself. ... and the invocations of idolatry, were heard ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xviii the conversion of.htm

The Prophet Hosea.
... the prevailing one; but, inwardly, idolatry obtained almost ... ie, the Lord is help.)
Zeal for the ... vi.11, where, after the threatening against Israel, we suddenly ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet hosea.htm

The Trial by Fire
... His fiery zeal and his naturally stern character broke out ... The very genius of idolatry
is set before us ... the nation, and was Elijah's protest against the very ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the trial by fire.htm