A list of Scripture on the topic of idolatry arranged in an outline, topical order. The Bible shows us what idolatry is and the spiritual dangers associated.

1. Idolatry consists of
   1. Bowing before it
      1. Isaiah 44:17, “But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god.”
      2. Daniel 3:10, “You, O king, have made a decree that every man who hears the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery, and bagpipe and all kinds of music, is to fall down and worship the golden image.”
   2. Prayer
      1. Isaiah 44:17, “But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god.”
   3. Sacrificed to
      1. Psalm 106:38, “And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and their daughters, Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; And the land was polluted with the blood.”
      2. Acts 7:41, “At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.”
   4. Serving
      1. Deuteronomy 7:4, “For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you.”
   5. Slaughtering children
      1. Ezekiel 23:39, ““For when they had slaughtered their children for their idols, they entered My sanctuary on the same day to profane it; and lo, thus they did within My house.”
   6. Worship
      1. Exodus 20:5, “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me.”
      2. Deuteronomy 30:17, “But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them.”
   7. Worship of true God by an image
      1. Abomination
         1. Exodus 32:4-6, “He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” 5 Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” 6 So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.”
2. Idolatry described as
   1. Abomination
      1. Deuteronomy 7:25, ““The graven images of their gods you are to burn with fire; you shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, or you will be snared by it, for it is an abomination to the Lord your God.”
   2. Defilement
      1. Ezekiel 36:18, “Therefore I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols.”
   3. Demonic
      1. 1 Corinthians 10:19, “No, but I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become sharers in demons.”
   4. Detestable
      1. Ezekiel 20:7, “I said to them, ‘Cast away, each of you, the detestable things of his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.’”
   5. Foolish
      1. Romans 1:21-23, “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.”
   6. Forgetting God
      1. Deuteronomy 8:19, “It shall come about if you ever forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish.”
   7. Forsaking God
      1. 2 Kings 22:17, ““Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore My wrath burns against this place, and it shall not be quenched.”
      2. Jeremiah 16:11, ““Then you are to say to them, ‘It is because your forefathers have forsaken Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and have followed other gods and served them and bowed down to them; but Me they have forsaken and have not kept My law.”
   8. Going after other gods
      1. Deuteronomy 8:19, “It shall come about if you ever forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish.”
   9. Going astray
      1. Ezekiel 44:10, “But the Levites who went far from Me when Israel went astray, who went astray from Me after their idols, shall bear the punishment for their iniquity.”
   10. Stumbling block
       1. Ezekiel 14:3, “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all?”
   11. Vain
       1. Isaiah 44:16, “No one recalls, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!”
3. Idolatry is forbidden
   1. Exodus 20:3-4, “You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.”
   2. Leviticus 26:1, “You shall not make for yourselves idols, nor shall you set up for yourselves an image or a sacred pillar, nor shall you place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it; for I am the Lord your God.”
4. Objections pertaining to idolatry
   1. Angels
      1. Colossians 2:18, “Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind.”
   2. Earthly creatures
      1. Romans 1:23, “and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.”
   3. Sun, Moon, Stars
      1. 2 Kings 23:5, “He did away with the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah and in the surrounding area of Jerusalem, also those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and to the moon and to the constellations and to all the host of heaven.”
   4. Work of hands
      1. Psalm 115:4, “Their idols are silver and gold, The work of man’s hands.”
5. Warnings concerning idolatry
   1. Avoid
      1. Joshua 23:7, “so that you will not associate with these nations, these which remain among you, or mention the name of their gods, or make anyone swear by them, or serve them, or bow down to them.”
      2. 1 Corinthians 5:11, “But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.”
   2. Don’t take into house
      1. Deuteronomy, “You shall not bring an abomination into your house, and like it come under the ban; you shall utterly detest it and you shall utterly abhor it, for it is something banned.”
   3. Flee from idolatry
      1. 1 Corinthians 10:4, “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.”
   4. Judgment upon
      1. Romans 1:24-25, “Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”