What Does The Bible Say About Idolatry?
The Lord says that the men who make idols and force people to worship them will be standing before the judge. As they have no power and they cannot do any miracle in man’s life. The Lord created man by his own image, so they should not make any statues or idols.
Idols can give man no profit, as they are unable to help anyway. They are just like nonliving objects who have no strength to move or do any work.
Men should not spend their precious jewelry on male such objects. By making such idols, they lead many people from the presence of God. The craftsmen make those idols with the log of trees, and upon the wood, they curve the face of such gods. The Lord hates such idols because he is a jealous God (Isaiah 44:9-20).
Bible Verses About Idolatry
Psalm 135:15-18(KJV)“The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have them, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths. They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them”
Explanation:- The idols cannot do anything because they are unable to move and speak. People who worship them and bow before them will receive a curse from the Lord and will be thrown into the lake of fire forever.
Isaiah 45:20(KJV)“Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save”
Explanation:- In the times of the prophet Isaiah the children of Israel had departed from their faith and they worshipped the idols.
Isaiah warned them to stay away from their worships because the Lord will punish them due to their disobedience.
Galatians 4:8(KJV)“Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods”
Explanation:- Paul has told the people of Galatians worshipped idols before they knew Jesus. But now they have learned the truth which is found only in Jesus so he asked them to stop such kind of gossip anymore.
Jeremiah 1:16(KJV)“And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands”
Explanation:- The Lord called upon Jeremiah to address the children of Israel, who had turned away from worshipping God and instead worshipped idols. Through Jeremiah, the Lord sought to guide the people back to righteousness and away from their disobedience, which had made God angry. Jeremiah admonished the people for their behavior, urging them to turn away from their idols and return to the Lord.
Exodus 20:4-5(KJV)“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me”
Explanation:- The Lord told the Israelites that before him there will be no other image or any curved statues. The Lord hates any kind of worship that goes to the idols except him. The Lord reminded the children of Israel again and again so that they may not commit such mistakes which can lead them into greater destruction.
Exodus 23:13(KJV)“And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth”
Explanation:- Moses was chosen by the Lord to bring Israel out from Egypt and the Lord has used him throughout his life. The Lord also told them not to bow down before any idols because they are useless and they have no power on their own.
Zechariah 10:2(KJV)“For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd”
Explanation:- At the time of Israel’s reign there were many other Nations who were surrounding them and they had various types of idols. Those Nations who were not chosen by the Lord used to worship idols by making their own hands.
But the Jews were strictly prohibited to worship any kind of idols. But repeatedly they used to follow the cultures of their surrounding Nations and that they left the way of the Lord and received many punishments from the Lord.
Isaiah 42:8(KJV)“I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images”
Explanation:- The Lord of Israel is one and unique. He says that he never shares his glory with anyone. He alone is the Lord who created the Heavens and the earth. He also deserves the praises from the man due to his mighty works that he did for the men.
1 John 5:21(KJV)“Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen”
Explanation:- This verse teaches us that we should not worship any kind of idols that the people in this world worship. We should not bow down before the man-made gods who cannot give us salvation.
Leviticus 19:4(KJV)“Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the Lord your God”
Explanation:- The human being has the natural tendency to make any kind of idol and to bow down before them that’s why the Lord knew it very well and wanted the children of God again and again not to do such a sin because they will inherit the curse from the Lord if they do so.
Leviticus 26:1(KJV)“Ye shall make you no idols or graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God”
Explanation:- Even the children of Israel knew the Lord from their forefathers and even they also experience God’s goodness in their lives, still they have the disobedience which led them to make Idol and worship them. But God used to hate such kinds of activities among his children.
1 Corinthians 10:14(KJV)“Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry”
Explanation:- The people of God should not have any kind of evil practices and idolatry among them. They must be free from all kinds of worldly activities that do not support the will of God.
God wants his children to live a righteous and Holy life which can help them to communicate with their creator in times of hardships and trials.
Psalm 16:4(KJV)“Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips”
Explanation:- The Lord says that if anyone drinks or eats the food that is offered to the idols will receive trials in his life. He has to face sorrows in his life due to disobedience by receiving such food or drink.
Deuteronomy 27:15(KJV)“Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen”
Explanation:- The man who makes the idols and images of god’s will be cursed by God. Because he misled people by making such useless idols.
The Lord hates such people who take his children from him. They will suffer at the judgment and receive the reward that they have been doing on this earth.
Deuteronomy 7:25(KJV)“The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therin: for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God”
Explanation:- Idols have no value before the children of God. But surrounding people who do not know the one true living God, depend on such images. But the Lord says that whosoever will worship such idols will not be able to enter heaven.
Isaiah 46:7(KJV)“They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble”
Explanation:- The people who worship idols are so foolish because they know that they are unable to move and talk, yet they consider them as their God.
Those idols cannot walk by themselves. But the people believe that they will help them in their troubles.
Isaiah 42:17(KJV)“They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods”
Explanation:- Living the God who created the heavens and the earth the children of Israel turn their face towards the idols.
The Lord found it to be a great sin from his people so he decided to destroy them but his love always made him change his decision again and again.
Habakkuk 2:19(KJV)“Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it”
Explanation:- The Lord smiled at the works of his children when they made Idol by the stone and wood. Such idols have no power at all because they cannot move by themselves and when they can’t take the breath but still, the people are worshipping them to get the strength and shelter from such kinds of helpless objects.
Example Of Idolatry In The Bible
The Jews were called to be a special nation in the eyes of the Lord. But due to their disobedience, the Lord punished them many times. All of the people of Israel forget what the Lord had done to their forefathers, and they started following the idols of their surrounding nations.
1 Samuel 15:23(KJV)“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king”
Explanation:- When the Israelites began to turn from the Lord, it affected them badly. The Lord repeatedly prohibited them not to worship any idols.
They missed the glorious blessings that they have from the Lord. When God saw his people departing from his face, he brought many trials and hardships in thor life.
The Jews were looking for a king and the Lord wanted them to be his people. But when they rejected God, the Lord allowed them to have a king.
Jeremiah 7:18(KJV)“The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger”
Explanation:- When the children of Israel prepared themselves to worship before the other gods the Lord was extremely angry upon them and he decided to separate himself from their presence.
The Lord told Jeremiah to remind them that they were the chosen nation and the Lord had many blessings for them if they stayed in his promises.
Hosea 11:2(KJV)“As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images”
Explanation:- When the children of God left their creator and protector the Lord was extremely upset and decided to punish them.
But his mercy saved them repeatedly. Though they left him his love always sought fellowship with them again and again.
