Using Ancient Mythology to Illustrate Modern Idolatry
Idolatry, in its strictest sense, refers to the worship of deity in a visible form, whether through images representing the true God or false divinities [2]. Paul describes the origin of idolatry in Romans 1:21-25, noting that humanity forsook God, leading to ignorance and moral corruption [1]. This act of forsaking God and turning to created objects for worship is a central theme throughout biblical texts.
The Old Testament provides numerous examples and prohibitions against idolatry. The Ten Commandments explicitly forbid it, stating, "You shall have no other gods before me" and "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them" (Exodus 20:3-5; Deuteronomy 5:7-9) [3]. These commands highlight that idolatry is not merely the worship of other gods, but also the worship of the true God through an image [3]. The Israelites' history is marked by repeated struggles with idolatry, often influenced by contact with surrounding heathen cultures [1]. For instance, Rachel's theft of her father's teraphim in Genesis 31:19 is an early biblical allusion to idolatrous customs [2]. During their time in Egypt, the Israelites "defiled themselves with the idols of the land" [2].
The incident of the golden calf in Exodus 32 serves as a prominent illustration of idolatry. The people, impatient with Moses' absence, demanded Aaron make them gods to go before them. Aaron fashioned a calf, and the people declared, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!" (Exodus 32:4). This act was a direct attribution to an idol of what they had previously said Moses had done, demonstrating how idolatry can involve attributing divine power to created things [12]. The term "calf" itself might have been used contemptuously by the biblical writer, as the idol could have been a bull, representing power, domination, and fertility, similar to the Egyptian god Amon-Re [12].
Idolatry can manifest in various forms. Easton's Bible Dictionary categorizes these as fetishism (worship of natural objects like trees, rivers, or stones), nature worship (adoration of celestial bodies like the sun, moon, and stars), and hero worship (veneration of deceased ancestors or heroes) [1]. Beyond these external manifestations, the Bible also addresses internal forms of idolatry. John Gill, commenting on Job 31:25, suggests that idolatry can involve a "secret enticement" of the heart, where one entertains thoughts of created things being deities and privately worships them through reverence, affection, trust, or confidence [11]. This "idolatry in the heart" involves setting up idols there, even without overt physical acts of worship [11].
The New Testament further develops the understanding of idolatry, extending it beyond literal images to encompass anything that takes God's rightful place in a person's life. Paul's letter to the Romans describes how humanity's suppression of the truth about God led them to worship and serve created things rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25) [1]. This universal sinfulness, affecting both Gentiles and Jews, is a foundational concept in Paul's theology, preceding his discussion of righteousness through faith [8].
The concept of sin is intrinsically linked to idolatry. Sin is not merely an action but a state of being, originating from a love of self, dishonor to God, ingratitude, and disobedience [6]. All human beings are born sinners [4], and while the godly strive against their sinful nature, the wicked indulge it [4]. Deliberate sins are often committed with an insolent or arrogant attitude, representing rebellion against God [7]. The apostle John states that "He that committeth sin is of the devil" (1 John 3:8), contrasting this with those who do righteousness [5]. Augustine, as cited by Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, clarifies that while one can become a child of the devil by imitating him, the devil does not "beget" in the same way God does [5]. To claim one has not sinned is to make God a liar (1 John 1:10), indicating a denial of both actual sins and the inherent corrupt nature [9].
The metaphor of idolatry as a "root" that, if cultivated, leads to "idol worship" as its "fruit" is found in Deuteronomy 29:18 [10]. This illustrates the progression from an internal disposition to external acts. The prophet Zechariah depicts idolatry as "potently and aggressively evil," something that God must purge from his people, symbolically shipping it back to its source in Babylonia, a land condemned as wicked and idolatrous (Zechariah 5:11) [13]. In the New Testament, Babylon becomes a symbol for the evil Roman Empire and, more broadly, for wickedness and idolatry [13].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Idolatry — Image-worship or divine honour paid to any created object. Paul describes the origin of idolatry in Rom. 1:21-25: men forsook God, and sank into ignorance and moral corruption (1:28). The forms of idolatry are, (1.) Fetishism, or the worship of trees, rivers, hills, stones, etc. (2.) Nature worship, the worship of the sun, moon, and stars, as the supposed powers of nature. (3.) Hero worship, the worship of deceased ancestors, or of heroes. In Scripture, idolatry is regarded as of heathen origin, and as being imported among the Hebrews through contact with ”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Idolatry — strictly speaking denotes the worship of deity in a visible form, whether the images to which homage is paid are symbolical representations of the true God or of the false divinities which have been made the objects of worship in his stead. I. History of idolatry among the Jews.--The first undoubted allusion to idolatry or idolatrous customs in the Bible is in the account of Rachel's stealing her father's teraphim. (Genesis 31:19) During their long residence in Egypt the Israelites defiled themselves with the idols of the land, and it was long before the ta”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Idolatry — Forbidden -- Ex 20:2,3; De 5:7. Consists in Bowing down to images. -- Ex 20:5; De 5:9. Worshipping images. -- Isa 44:17; Da 3:5,10,15. Sacrificing to images. -- Ps 106:38; Ac 7:41. Worshipping other gods. -- De 30:17; Ps 81:9. Swearing by other gods. -- Ex 23:13; Jos 23:7. Walking after other gods. -- De 8:19. Speaking in the name of other gods. -- De 18:20. Looking to other gods. -- Ho 3:1. Serving other gods. -- De 7:4; Jer 5:19. Fearing other gods. -- 2Ki 17:35. Sacrificing to other gods. -- Ex 22:20. Worshipping the true God by an image, & c. -- Ex 32:”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 58:3: 58:3 All human beings are born sinners (see 51:5); however, whereas the wicked indulge their sinful nature, the godly fight against it (Rom 7:19-23; Jas 4:1-10).”
- 1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 3:8: He that committeth sin is of the devil--in contrast to "He that doeth righteousness," Jo1 3:7. He is a son of the devil (Jo1 3:10; Joh 8:44). John does not, however, say, "born of the devil." as he does "born of God," for "the devil begets none, nor does he create any; but whoever imitates the devil becomes a child of the devil by imitating him, not by proper birth" [AUGUSTINE, Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John, Homily 4.10]. From the devil there is not generation, but corruption [BENGEL]. sinneth from the beginning--from the time that any beg”
- Genesis (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Genesis 3:13: beguiled--cajoled by flattering lies. This sin of the first pair was heinous and aggravated--it was not simply eating an apple, but a love of self, dishonor to God, ingratitude to a benefactor, disobedience to the best of Masters--a preference of the creature to the Creator.”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 19:13: 19:13 An individual who commits deliberate sins does so with an insolent (86:14) or arrogant (119:21, 69) attitude. • The great sin is rebellion (see 32:1).”
- Romans (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Romans 1:18: 1:18–3:20 Paul delays exploring the theme of righteousness through faith (see 3:21) until after he first teaches about universal sinfulness. Gentiles (1:18-32) and Jews (2:1–3:8) are equally under sin’s power and cannot find favor with God by any action of their own (3:9-20). 1:18 God’s anger is not a spontaneous emotional outburst, but the holy God’s necessary response to sin. The Old Testament often depicts God’s anger (Exod 32:10-12; Num 11:1; Jer 21:3-7) and predicts a decisive outpouring of God’s wrath on human sin at the end of history. While Paul usually de”
- 1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 1:10: Parallel to Jo1 1:8. we have not sinned--referring to the commission of actual sins, even after regeneration and conversion; whereas in Jo1 1:8, "we have no sin," refers to the present GUILT remaining (until cleansed) from the actual sins committed, and to the SIN of our corrupt old nature still adhering to us. The perfect "have . . . sinned" brings down the commission of sins to the present time, not merely sins committed before, but since, conversion. we make him a liar--a gradation; Jo1 1:6, "we lie"; Jo1 1:8, "we deceive ourselves"; worst of al”
- Deuteronomy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Deuteronomy 29:18: 29:18 This metaphor describes idolatry (the root), which, if cultivated, would result in idol worship (the fruit).”
- Job (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Job 31:25: And mine heart hath been secretly enticed,.... Drawn away by beholding the magnitude of these bodies, the swiftness of their motion, their glorious appearance, and great usefulness to mankind, to entertain a thought of their being deities; and privately to worship them, in secret acts of devotion, as by an honourable esteem of them as such, reverence and affection for them, trust and confidence in them; for, as there is a secret worshipping of the true God, so there is a secret idolatry, idolatry in the heart, and setting up of idols there, as well as worshipping them i”
- Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 32:4: 32:4 the shape of a calf: The idol might actually have been an image of a bull, like the images of the Egyptian god Amon-Re that the people had known in Egypt. The bull represented power, domination, and fertility. The writer would then be using the term calf as a way of expressing contempt for the idol. Alternatively, Aaron might have made a calf, feeling that this sin was not as serious as if the idol were a full-sized bull. • these are the gods who brought you out: The people attributed to the idol what they had just said that Moses had done (32:1). Idolatry ex”
- Zechariah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Zechariah 5:11: 5:11 Idolatry is potently and aggressively evil; it cannot be confined, but must be shipped back to its source (Babylonia) by God’s decree. This symbolism indicates that God is able to purge his people of all the various forms of wickedness that separated them from him. • The land of Babylonia was the land of Hebrew captivity (Mic 4:10). The prophets condemn it as wicked and idolatrous (Isa 46–47; Jer 50–51). In the New Testament, Babylon represents the evil Roman Empire (Rev 17:5; 18:2; see 1 Pet 5:13).”