Topical Bible: The Moon: Worshipping of Condemned As Atheism

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The moon, as one of the celestial bodies created by God, holds a significant place in the biblical narrative. It serves as a marker for times and seasons, as stated in Genesis 1:14: "And God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years.'" However, the worship of the moon, along with other celestial bodies, is explicitly condemned in Scripture as a form of idolatry and atheism, which is the denial of the one true God.

In the ancient Near East, moon worship was prevalent among various cultures, including the Canaanites and Babylonians. The Israelites, living amidst these cultures, were repeatedly warned against adopting such practices. Deuteronomy 4:19 cautions, "And when you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven."

The act of worshipping the moon is seen as a rejection of God's sovereignty and a turn towards atheism, as it places created things above the Creator. This is further emphasized in Deuteronomy 17:3, where the Israelites are warned against serving "other gods and bowing down to them, to the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden."

The prophets also spoke against moon worship, highlighting it as a symptom of Israel's spiritual adultery. In 2 Kings 23:5, King Josiah's reforms included the removal of idolatrous priests who "burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven." This action was part of a broader effort to restore true worship and eliminate practices that led the people away from God.

The New Testament continues this theme by affirming the supremacy of Christ over all creation, including the moon. Colossians 1:16 states, "For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him." This underscores the belief that worship is due to God alone, as the Creator of all things.

Throughout Scripture, the worship of the moon is consistently portrayed as a deviation from true faith, equated with atheism in its denial of God's rightful place as the sole object of worship. The biblical narrative calls believers to recognize the moon as part of God's creation, serving His purposes, and to direct worship exclusively to Him.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 31:26,28
If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Refutation of the Jews
... it is Who was crucified with the sun and moon as witnesses ... Of course, if the heathen
were worshipping some other god, and ... It is already exposed and condemned. ...
/.../athanasius/on the incarnation of the word/chapter 6 refutation of the.htm

On Idolatry
... thing in the heavens, the sun, the moon, or the ... is committed with the intention of
worshipping that God ... Those persons are to be wholly condemned, who affirm ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 23 on idolatry.htm

Rom. I. 18
... We are chastened now, that we should not be condemned with the ... the second after it
is their also worshipping idols, as ... For as in a night without a moon, if any ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily iii rom i 18.htm

A Discourse of Mercifulness
... when he shall be judged let him be condemned, and let ... all to themselves but be as
the moon which, having ... as if you were praying, as if you were worshipping God ...
/.../15 a discourse of mercifulness.htm

The Resurrection of the Dead, and Eternal Judgment:
... The third is, to shew us the difference that is between the glory of the light of
the sun, from that of the moon; and also how one star differeth from another ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the resurrection of the dead.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... I am of the belief, that other things also, that were formed after, were not made
of that first chaos, as the sun, the moon, the stars, the light, the souls of ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm