Where does it say in the Torah not to worship idols?

Answer 1

Psalm 115:4-8 (The following combines some excerpts from various translations & paraphrased versions.)

· They make idols of silver and gold; (shiny and glistening)

· Handmade, in a basement shop; (the Message paraphrased version)

· They have a mouth alright but they can't speak with it; and they can't smile; nor frown;

· They have pretty little painted eyes but can't see a darn thing; They can't wink. They can't even stare you down;

· They have pretty little tiny ears but can't hear a stitchin' thing

· They have a nose but can't smell the pretty flowers, nor smell the stench of garbage.

· They have pretty little hands but they can't feel a thing. They can't grasp anything. They can't hold onto anything; they can't even scratch themselves;

· Yes, they have feet alright but they can't walk an inch. They can't run, they can't jump. They can't play hide & seek.

· You can ask the idols a question but they can't reply; They utter no sound with their throat; they can't even gargle. They can't even whisper 'Help' when someone comes along with a sledge hammer.

Another Example of where God ridicules the use of images in worship:

Isaiah 44:13-20 (from the Message version)

13-17 The woodworker draws up plans for his no-god, traces it on a block of wood. He shapes it with chisels and planes into human shape-a beautiful woman, a handsome man, ready to be placed in a chapel. He first cuts down a cedar, or maybe picks out a pine or oak, and lets it grow strong in the forest, nourished by the rain. Then it can serve a double purpose: Part he uses as firewood for keeping warm and baking bread; from the other part he makes a god that he worships-carves it into a god shape and prays before it. With half he makes a fire to warm himself and barbecue his supper. He eats his fill and sits back satisfied with his stomach full and his feet warmed by the fire: "Ah, this is the life." And he still has half left for a god, made to his personal design-a handy, convenient no-god to worship whenever so inclined. Whenever the need strikes him he prays to it, "Save me. You're my god."

18-19 Pretty stupid, wouldn't you say? Don't they have eyes in their heads? Are their brains working at all? Doesn't it occur to them to say, "Half of this tree I used for firewood: I baked bread, roasted meat, and enjoyed a good meal. And now I've used the rest to make an abominable no-god. Here I am praying to a stick of wood!"

20 This lover of emptiness, of nothing, is so out of touch with reality, so far gone, that he can't even look at what he's doing, can't even look at the no-god stick of wood in his hand and say, "This is crazy."

Answer 2

It says it quite often, but the most commonly cited reference is the Second Commandment where God says in Ex. 20:4-5a 4 You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them.

Answer 3

Idolatry is the Second Law of God's Ten Commandments [the transgression... breaking... of which is God's definition of "sin" - see I John 3:4]. Idolatry and Sabbath-breaking are the two "longest" and most transgressed of all the sins man does.

Of idolatry, God says:

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the father upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing Mercy unto thousands [or the thousandth generation] of them that LOVE ME, and KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS." (Ex.20:4-6 KJV)

Idolatry is "worshiping creation"... the things God has made; as man has done since the beginning: the stars and planets, the sun, birds, bugs, trees, rocks, fish, snakes, other men.

But it's also worshiping [trusting in, depending upon, putting one's personal faith in] the things that WE MAKE WITH OUR OWN HANDS... carved and/or chiseled stars, planets, birds, bugs, fish, snakes, other men -- hand-carved images of what God has made that REPRESENTS GOD to people's hearts and minds.

Idolatry can be our homes, cars, kids, jobs... and even, thanks to modern technology... idolatry can be the internet and those little "pocket gods" that nearly everyone possesses these days: Smart phones, I-Phones, etc.. THINGS that blind, deceive and otherwise distract a person's mind and heart from the First Commandment [the First Sin]: "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." (Ex.20:3)

Idolatry is ANYTHING that distracts man from the "Root" First Commandment... from which all the other Commandments take their meaning and intent.

"...Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me." (Matt.25:40)

The Bible tells God's servants: "Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites. And don't grumble as some of them did, for that is why God sent His angel of death to destroy them. All these event happened to them AS EXAMPLES FOR US. They were written down to warn us, who live at the time when this age is drawing to a close. If you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too, may fall into the same sin. But remember that The Temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is Faithful. He will keep temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it. So, my dear friends, FLEE FROM THE WORSHIP OF IDOLS. You are reasonable people. Decide for yourselves if what I am about to say is True. When we bless the cup at the LORD's table, aren't we sharing in the benefits of the blood of Christ? And when we break the loaf of bread, aren't we sharing in the benefits of the body of Christ?" (I Cor.10:9-14 NLT New Living Translation)

"What am I trying to say? Am I saying that the idols to whom the pagans bring sacrifices are real gods and that these sacrifices are of some value? No, not at all. What I am saying is that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don't want any of you to be partners with demons. You cannot drink from the cup of the LORD and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the LORD's table and at the table of demons, too. What? Do you dare to rouse the LORD's jealousy as Israel did? Do you think we are stronger than He is? (verses 19-22)

The "idols" we worship... regardless of the generation [and the technology]... distract us from putting God FIRST in our lives; and lead us into the selfish, uncaring, hateful ways of demons, the "spirit realm that rules this world" [Eph.6:12]. The spirit realm that blinds man's easily-deceived five senses from seeing the Truth of God.