Psalm 42:2
King James Version
2 My soul thirsteth for God,
for the living God:
when shall I come and appear before God?
Ever wondered why God hates idolatry?
Of graven images, and things of the world?
Acts 17:29
King James Version
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God,
we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold,
or silver,
or stone,
graven by art and man's device.
God hates idolatry, for these FIVE reasons:
1. God is a LIVING GOD.
Jeremiah 10:10
King James Version
10 But the Lord is the true God,
he is the living God,
and an everlasting king:
at his wrath the earth shall tremble,
and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.
2. There is no life in graven images.
Jeremiah 10:14
King James Version
14 Every man is brutish in his knowledge:
every founder is confounded by the graven image:
for his molten image is falsehood,
and there is no breath in them.
3. The world does not love the Father.
1 John 2:15
King James Version
15 Love not the world,
neither the things that are in the world.
If any man love the world,
the love of the Father is not in him.
4. All that is in the world is not of God.
1 John 2:15-16
King James Version
16 For all that is in the world,
the lust of the flesh,
and the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life,
is not of the Father,
but is of the world.
5. Idolatry leads people away from God.
1 Kings 11:1-10
King James Version
11 But king Solomon loved many strange women,
together with the daughter of Pharaoh,
women of the Moabites,
Ammonites,
Edomites,
Zidonians,
and Hittites:
2 Of the nations concerning which the Lord said
unto the children of Israel,
Ye shall not go in to them,
neither shall they come in unto you:
for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods:
Solomon clave unto these in love.
3 And he had seven hundred wives,
princesses,
and three hundred concubines:
and his wives turned away his heart.
4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old,
that his wives turned away his heart after other gods:
and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God,
as was the heart of David his father.
5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians,
and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord,
and went not fully after the Lord,
as did David his father.
7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh,
the abomination of Moab,
in the hill that is before Jerusalem,
and for Molech,
the abomination of the children of Ammon.
8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives,
which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.
9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon,
because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel,
which had appeared unto him twice,
10 And had commanded him concerning this thing,
that he should not go after other gods:
but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.
God's authority cannot be denied.
No one can deprive our Creator of His might, power, and glory.
Observe how He punished Solomon:
1 Kings 11:11-14
King James Version
11 Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon,
Forasmuch as this is done of thee,
and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes,
which I have commanded thee,
I will surely rend the kingdom from thee,
and will give it to thy servant.
12 Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it
for David thy father's sake:
but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.
13 Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom;
but will give one tribe to thy son
for David my servant's sake,
and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.
14 And the Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon,
Hadad the Edomite:
he was of the king's seed in Edom.
Or how He will punish us.
Exodus 20:5
King James Version
5 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;
We really have no idea of the might, power, and love of God.
On and on, we continue to defy Him.
Through Scripture, and Spirit, we can all adore the ONE, TRUE GOD, and have no other gods beside Him.
God declared early on, how He wanted to be worshiped:
Exodus 20:1-4
King James Version
20 And God spake all these words, saying,
2 I am the Lord thy God,
which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt,
out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 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.
Exodus 20:7
King James Version
7 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain;
for the Lord will not hold him guiltless
that taketh his name in vain.
Jesus also taught us how to love God.
Mark 12:29-30
King James Version
29 And Jesus answered him,
The first of all the commandments is,
Hear, O Israel;
The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul,
and with all thy mind,
and with all thy strength:
this is the first commandment.
Scripture, and Spirit, make everything clear.
All we have to do is desire to humble ourselves before God, knowing the world cannot offer us answers, but God.
Jesus, and His Holy Spirit, will take care of all teaching.
(Image source: Joseph)
