Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3
Thou shalt not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14 (& Deuteronomy 5:18)
Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Hebrews 13:4
Idolatry — Spiritual Adultery
"Of the 10 commandments, the first is the greatest - “I am the Lord your God, have no other God´s before me.” Not only is this the greatest command, it is the essential command. If we could but obey this one command, then we would need no other. If our hearts kept fidelity with God, if we truly loved Him with all our heart and with all our soul with all our strength and with all our mind; then we would naturally and without any effort keep every other command."1
"This sin is the transgression of the 1st commandment which says that “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7) The sin of idolatry is committed before any person breaks any other of God's ten commandments. The worship of the flesh and putting the demands, lusts and the interest of another person, a man, a woman, or any thing first and above the demands and commandments of God, and the leading of God's Spirit in one's life, constitutes idolatry. This sin (of other gods) is what begins and leads to the sin of adultery. ... The wicked and perverted teaching that adultery is permissible will reap death, the wages of sin, unless there is a total change and repentance in a person's life."2
Matthew 15:17-20 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man
Mark 7:18-23 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
Deuteronomy 4:23-26 Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the Lord thy God hath forbidden thee. For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord thy God, to provoke him to anger: I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.
Leviticus 18:21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.
Deuteronomy 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.
Joshua 24:14 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.
Joshua 24:23 Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel.
1 Samuel 7:3-4 And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only.
1 Kings 9:6-7 But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people.
2 Kings 23:24-25 Moreover the workers with familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the images, and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, did (King) Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the Lord. And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.
2 Chronicles 15:8 And when (King) Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the Lord, that was before the porch of the Lord.
2 Chronicles 21:11 Moreover he (Jehoram) made high places in the mountains of Judah and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah thereto.
Isaiah 57:1-11 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness. But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore. Against whom do ye sport yourselves? against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood. Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks? Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these? Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice. Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it. And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell. Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved. And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not?
Psalm 50:16-21 But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? Seeing thou hatest instruction, and casteth my words behind thee. When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers. Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.
Examples:
2 Kings 16:3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel.
2 Kings 17:17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.
2 Kings 21:6 And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.
Jeremiah 3:1 They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord.
Jeremiah 13:27 I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?
Ezekiel 23:35-39 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms. The Lord said moreover unto me; Son of man, wilt thou judge Aholah and Aholibah? yea, declare unto them their abominations; That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them. Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths. For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house.
Jeremiah 3:8-10 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord.
Lamentations 4:6 For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.
Ezekiel 16:48 As I live, saith the Lord God, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.
Revelation 2:14, 20-21; 9:21; 14:8; 17:2-4; 18:3, 9; 19:2
Some examples that will bring the curse of death if not recognized and corrected (Deuteronomy 4:24-26):
- Practicing the worship of the flesh, its beauty, its desirability, its feelings, its experiences, its accomplishments, the pursuit of sensuality, etc.
- Example: Beauty pageants, body shows, nudity, modeling for pictures, movie star images.
- Example: Feats of body building, weight-lifting, mountain climbing, boxing, wrestling, running, extreme sports, etc.
- Example: Pursuit of recreational drugs and medications to alter mental states.
- Example: Expecting health through food and fitness fanaticism.
- Putting oneself first with his or her unlawful sexual lust(s) above God and His commandments.
- Example: Any unlawful sexual acts, whether with man or beast (especially where such acts of sins become an obsession and the worshipping of the flesh).
- Example: The practice of fornicators, adulterers, effeminate (using a catamite - engaging in sex with boys), the abusers of themselves with mankind (gay or lesbian homosexual, sodomite).
- Practicing exaltation of self or another person.
- Example: Valuing or loving of son or daughter, father or mother, or anyone more than God.
- Example: Placing the interests of self or another person (man, woman or child) above the demands and commandments of God, and the leading of God's Spirit in one's life.
- Example: Promoting self above the well-being of others.
- Coveting or seeking the possessions of another person.
- Example: Extortioners (gaining money and tithes by fraud and deception for ungodly use while teaching lies).
- Example: Demanding of the people a burdensome, heavy, tithing system, to be given to them and their created ministry, and with their own, created, ministerial headquarters, and who oppress the hireling in his wages and oppress the widow, fatherless and the strangers with such like commands and burdens that is placed upon them.2
- Example: Craving of money, investments, possessions, houses, lands and especially the lottery for financial security.
- Desiring prestige, recognition, office, occupation for sense of worth.
- Example: Chasing recognition by accomplishments, through associations, dropping names, participating in self-promoting events, etc.
- Example: Pursuing sports, hobbies, volunteer work, committee seats, political campaigns and more that connect or associate with other valued individuals.
- Example: Seeking the position of another person.
- Asserting that Church government leaders should have dominion over and abuse their brethren.2
- Example: Seducing church people to look to another god (of drugs to heal and restore them) by leading them to look over and not worry about their sins and its consequences.
- Example: Leading church people to not understand the cause of those diseases which are the fruit of one's sins.
- Example: Promoting false swearers (church people professing to be worshippers of God and covenant keepers, but are not).
- Example: Covering abuse, oppression & violence with his garment (religion clothing over or covering for lies).
- Promoting covenant, oath and promise breaking.
- Example: Teaching that adultery is permissible
- Example: Dealing treacherously (deceiving and hating one's mate).
- Example: Separating & breaking the marriage covenant by divorce and saying such sinning church members are in good standing.
- Example: Not encouraging believers to keep their word: to give, help, share, pray or fulfill any promise.
- Example: Not requiring believers to honestly work for their wages and give honest reports of matters.
- Denying and replacing God's family authority structure.
- Example: Dishonoring the husband, who is the God appointed head of the family, and who should be respected and honored. (The husband is suggested to be unqualified to be the marital head and lead the family unit.)
- Example: Dishonoring men (Men are put down, belittled, made to appear as stupid, ignorant and incapable of leadership or accomplishment).
- Example: Establishing female-centrism.
- Example: Promoting children's rights.
- Example: Undermining parental education, guidance and control over children.
- Example: Neglecting the preparation of boys for manhood, marriage and community and church leadership.
- Example: Neglecting the preparation of girls for womanhood, marriage and community and church participation.
- Elevating animals to human-like status.
- Example: Adoring of animal or pet (dogs and cats, etc.) [pets treated with privilege and calling them by children terms].
- Example: Valuing pets as members of the family (in many cases having a much higher status while being accepted, honored, respected, fed, protected and exalted more than any member of the family).
- Example: Engaging in elevation of protections for wildlife above human well-being.
- Pursuing TV, music, videos, movies, concerts, shows et cetera as an entertainment to dull the mind to things of God.
- Establishing concepts and ideas against God, His power, or His authority.
- Example: Promoting eastern mysticism, spiritism, scientology, environmentalism, animal rights, and nature as living.
- Example: Seeking solutions to human problems via tyranny through communism, socialism, environmentalism, ecumenicalism, one world government, world-wide courts, etc.
- Example: Believing that evolution is the creative force behind the cosmos.
- Example: Pretending all things can be considered or evaluated through the scientific method.
- Example: Teaching God cannot provide for His creation by generating oil, natural gas, and other resources.
- Example: Defrauding and destroying people through promoting: environmental or global warming agendas, (super-taxes derived from: natural fuel restrictions, carbon dioxide limitations, anti-nuclear energy policies and more], racial/unwanted culling (abortion and euthanasia), political oppression (activist judges, dishonest/unaccountable government officials), war-mongering (enriches some at others expense), etc.
- Rescue by polity (i.e. government by its policies & programs)
- That morality is derived apart from God the Creator
- The denial of value in self-sacrifice and bearing other's burdens
- The practice of rugged individualism in its varied forms
- The 'You deserve ...' mindset
- The pursuit of personal satisfaction or fulfilment via self-declared purpose and meaning
- That success is excess or notoriety
- The pursuit of sexual gratification as an end unto itself
- Trust in the 'Health and Wealth' gospel
- The pursuit of entertainment to appease guilt and assuage personal aimlessness
- False science, especially as promoted by ideological and political correctness
- That evolution is the life-giver
- That man is the smartest and highest being
- That longevity and health can be derived by DNA manipulation
- The denial of the reality of the body by falsely asserting the"real me"
- The rejection of biological male and female in humanity
- ... and more ...
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Deuteronomy 6:4-7
Page 1
—1— | -2- -3- | -4- | -5-
-Forsaking God, entering idolatry-