Spiritual Dictionary Section I

Ichabod- “Ichabod – the glory is departed.” GC 33

 

Idols – See Images.

 

Idol- “Anything which tends to abate our love for God or to interfere with the service due Him, becomes thereby an idol.” SDG 57

 

Idol – “No misfortune is so great as to become the worshiper of a false god. No man is in such miserable darkness as he who has lost his way to heaven. It seems that an infatuation is upon him, for he has a false god. To turn this worship of the human, fallen, corrupt beings of earth to the only true object of worship seems a hopeless task. There are in our time continual repetitions of Belshazzar’s feast and Belshazzar’s worship; and Belshazzar’s sin is repeated when the heart, which God requires to be given to Him in pure and holy devotion, is turned away from Him to worship a human being, and the lips are made to utter words of praise and adoration which belong alone to the Lord God of heaven. When the affections God claims to cluster about Him are made to center upon earthly objects, a woman, a man, or any earthly things, God is superseded by the object which enchains the senses and affections, and the powers which were solemnly dedicated to God are bestowed upon a human being who is defiled with sin.” TM 435

 

Idolatry- “Covetousness which is idolatry.” Col 3:5

 

Idolatry – “Idolatry being spiritual adultery…” PP 306

 

Idolatry – “…. In many families the mantle shelves, stands, and tables are filled with ornaments and pictures. Albums filled with photographs of the family and their friends are placed where they will attract the attention of visitors. Thus the thoughts, which should be upon God and heavenly interests, are brought down to common things. Is not this a species of idolatry?…. Many are creating unnecessary cares and anxieties for themselves by devoting time and thought to the unnecessary ornaments with which their houses are filled. The power of God is needed to arouse them from this devotion; for to all intents and purposes it is idolatry.” II SM 317-318

 

Idolatry – “The parading of bows and ribbons, ruffles and feathers, and gold and silver ornaments is a species of idolatry and is wholly inappropriate for the sacred service of God, where the eye of every worshipper should be single to His glory. All matters of dress should be strictly guarded, following closely the bible rule. Fashion has been the goddess who has ruled the outside world, and she often insinuates herself into the church.” 5T 499

 

Idolatry- “The teaching which has become so widespread that the divine statutes are no longer binding upon men, is the same as idolatry in its effect upon the morals of the people.” PP 143

 

Idolatry- “Whatever alienates the affections from the Creator, whatever weakens and deadens moral power usurps His throne, and receives the service that is due to Him alone.” Temperance 38

 

Idolatry – “When men have taken upon themselves the vows of consecration, to devote all their powers to the sacred service of God; when they occupy the position of expositors of Bible truth, and have received the solemn charge; when God and angels are summoned as witnesses to the solemn dedication of soul, body, and spirit to God’s service—then shall these men who minister in a most holy office desecrate their God-given powers to unholy purposes? Shall the sacred vessel, whom God is to use for a high and holy work, be dragged from its lofty, controlling sphere to administer to debasing lust? Is not this idol worship of the most degrading kind?—the lips uttering praises and adoring a sinful human being, pouring forth expressions of ravishing tenderness and adulation which belong alone to God—the powers given to God in solemn consecration administering to a harlot;…” TM 434

 

Image – Form, object, or worship that signifies ownership, surrender, service, or obedience to the original that the image copies. C.O.

Jesus is the express image of God. Hebrews 1:1-3; II Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:13-15; John 14:7-10

Man was made in the image of God. Genesis 1:26-27; I Corinthians 11:7

          The children of man were “begat” in his image. Genesis 5:3

          Image expresses ownership. Matthew 22:15-22

When man rebelled against God, man needed help to reveal the image of God. Colossians 3:10; II Corinthians 3:18

God commanded man to not make images of any kind, which will distort our perceptions of God. Exodus 20:1-6; Deuteronomy 16:22

Man rebelled and made images. Romans 1:18-30; I Kings 14:21-24; II Kings 10:1-31; II Kings 17:6-23; Daniel 2&3

When man is surrendered to God the first things that is to be done is to remove the images of rebellion. II Kings 18:1-6; II Kings 23:1-20; II Samuel 6:17-21

The last great struggle will be over image worship. Revelation 13:1-17; 14:9-11; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4

 

Altar of Jereboam is rent at the command of the prophet. I Kings 13:1-10

God destroys His temples that His people turned into places of idolatry. II Kings 25:8-10; II Chronicles 36:17-21; Daniel 9:26-27

God instructed Israel that when they got to Canaan they were to destroy their pictures (no pictures like in Pompeii), destroy their molten images, and pluck down their high places. Numbers 33:50-52

God tells us not to make a graven image of any thing. Deuteronomy 4:14-24; 5:8-9; Exodus 20:4-5

God tells us that we should destroy the heathen altars, break down their images (do not preserve them as artwork), cut down their groves, make no molten images. Exodus 34:11-17

God wants us to not mention the names of the other gods; do not swear by them, do not serve them, nor bow yourselves to them. Joshua 23:7

 

Images - What God wants us to do with pagan images and gods.

What God wants us to do with idols, relics, and abominations when we are right with Him:

God created us in His image. Genesis 1:26-27

Israel to destroy the high places, overthrow their altars, break down their pillars, burn their groves with fire, and hew down their graven images. Exodus 34:10-17; Numbers 33:50-56; Deuteronomy 7:5,25-26; 12:1-3; Judges 8:24-27

King Asa reforms Israel by taking away the Sodomites out of the land, removed all of the idols, and even removed his mother from being queen due to her idolatry. I kings 15:9-14; II Kings 10:18-28; II Kings 11:17-18; II Chronicles 15

King Jehu destroys the idolatry of Baal but does not address the images made by Jereboam.  II Kings 10:18-29

King Josiah destroys the idolatry of the land. II Kings 23; II Chronicles 34:1-9

Moses took the sin of Israel - the golden calf - and burned it, stamped it, ground it up, and cast it into water. Deuteronomy 9:21; Exodus 32:20

No idols, no graven images, no standing images/pillars (no obelisks), no figures of stone. Leviticus 26:1

Paul encourages the people to burn the books of magic. Acts 19:13-20

Paul encourages the people to turn away from the purchase of small idols to Diana of the Ephesians, the silver smiths are angry. Acts 19:23-41

When the Ark of the Covenant is taken captive by the Philistines and placed in their temples, their gods ended up on their faces on the ground and then chopped up. I Samuel 5

 

What happens when we allow evil objects into our lives:

Ahaz builds a copy of a Syrian altar that he had made sacrifice on it. II Kings 16:10-18

Along with idolatry comes incest and homosexuality as well as spiritualism. Leviticus 18; Deuteronomy 18:9-14

Ananias and Sapphira are killed in testimony of their idolatry to money. Acts 5:1-11

Assyria conquers Israel and brings in heathen from other lands to take over the land of Israel, and they in turn bring their idols. II Kings 17:24-41

Israel had strange god in their hands and in their ears. Genesis 35:1-4; Exodus 32:1-6; 33:3-4

Jereboam the son of Nebat doubts the prophecy of Ahijah and builds a counterfeit worship system, with holy days, a priesthood, and two golden calves.  I Kings 12:25-33

List of evils that Israel conducted in the time of Jesus. Matthew 23

List of idolatries conducted by Israel. II Kings 17:6-23

List of sins in Ezekiel 8

Manasseh's list of idolatries. II Chronicles 33:1-9; II Kings 21:1-18

Rebellion against God in building images to imaginary gods:

Solomon, in his rebellion against God, built temples for his wives foreign gods in Jerusalem. I Kings 11:1-11; PK 57

Worshipping other gods breaks the covenant that we have with God. Deuteronomy 31:20

See Abominations.