The Bible makes it clear that worshipping the sun or any created thing is idolatry and an abomination to God. God alone is worthy of worship, as He is the Creator of all things (Genesis 1:1). The Bible condemns the worship of the sun, moon, stars and all of the heavenly host (Deuteronomy 4:19). Here is an overview of what the Bible teaches about sun worship:
God Condemns Sun Worship
In Deuteronomy 17:2-5, God commands that anyone who worships the sun, moon or stars should be stoned to death. This shows how seriously God takes idolatry and false worship. Other passages like Deuteronomy 4:19, Jeremiah 8:2 and Ezekiel 8:16 all condemn the worship of celestial objects like the sun.
One of the first commandments forbids worshipping idols or created things (Exodus 20:3-6). The Bible makes it clear throughout that sun worship is idolatry, which is an abomination and provokes God to jealousy and anger.
Examples of Sun Worship Condemned in the Bible
There are instances in the Old Testament where the Israelites and their neighbors fell into sun worship. When this happened, prophets condemned the practice and warned of God’s judgment.
In 2 Kings 23:5, 11, King Josiah destroyed the altars made for star and sun worship, which the Israelites had erected. The Israelites had embraced various pagan customs, including worshipping and sacrificing to the sun (2 Kings 21:3,5).
God’s judgment fell on the kingdom of Israel when they embraced practices like sun worship (2 Kings 17:16). The prophets Jeremiah and Zephaniah explicitly condemned Judah’s star worship and warned it would provoke God’s wrath (Jeremiah 8:2, Zephaniah 1:5).
Ezekiel 8:16 shows that 25 men had their backs to the temple of the Lord and were worshipping the sun. This provoked the Lord to anger at the idolatry of His people.
Why Sun Worship is Wrong
The Bible gives several reasons why sun worship is wrong and offensive to God:
- It is idolatry – worshipping anyone or anything other than the one true God is inherently sinful (Exodus 20:3-6, Isaiah 42:8).
- The sun and stars are created things, not the Creator. Worship is due to God alone as Creator of all (Genesis 1:1, 14, Psalm 19:1).
- Sun worship provokes God to jealousy and stirs His anger (Deuteronomy 32:16-21, Ezekiel 8:3-5).
- The sun and other celestial objects have no power in and of themselves, they cannot hear or respond.
- God’s glory and majesty infinitely surpasses that of any created thing (Psalm 8:1,3, Psalm 19:1).
Ultimately, sun worship ascribes to a created thing the worship, awe and glory that only God deserves. It is an insult to the majesty, authority and glory of the Creator of the universe.
Examples of Sun Worship in the Ancient Near East
Various forms of sun worship were practiced in the nations surrounding Israel in Old Testament times. These included:
- Egypt – Worship of the sun god Ra was an important part of the Egyptian religion. Temples oriented to capture sunlight were dedicated to Ra.
- Canaanite religions – Baal, one of the chief gods of Canaan, was associated with the sun. The religion focused on astral bodies and their cycles.
- Assyro-Babylonian religion – Shamash was the Mesopotamian sun god and lord of justice. Nusku was the god of the lamp and light.
- Persian religion – Zoroastrianism featured worship of Ahura Mazda, associated with light and the sun. Fires and solar discs symbolized their gods.
This cultural setting helps explain why sun worship presented such a temptation for ancient Israel. God’s repeated condemnations were meant to dissuade them from these pagan practices.
Parallels to Sun Worship Today
While fewer people today engage in overt sun worship, the same errors that made sun worship wrong still occur today. Whenever people worship created things rather than the Creator, they are essentially engaging in idolatry.
Some examples of modern parallels include:
- Nature worship – Revering the earth, stars, or nature itself as divine.
- Veneration of famous people – Treating celebrities or public figures as idols.
- Consumerism – Finding identity and meaning in material possessions.
- Hedonism – Pursuing pleasure as life’s highest goal.
- Narcissism – Worship of oneself and one’s image.
The principle remains the same – God alone is worthy of worship, awe and glory. Anything less is a form of idolatry.
Key Bible Passages on Sun Worship
Here are some key Bible verses that speak to the issues of sun worship and idolatry:
You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God – Exodus 20:4-5 (ESV)
And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. – Deuteronomy 4:19 (ESV)
All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree. For my sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; behold, it descends for judgment upon Edom, upon the people I have devoted to destruction. – Isaiah 34:4-5 (ESV)
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place. – 1 Chronicles 16:26-27 (ESV)
There are many other verses condemning sun worship, star worship, and idolatry of any kind. God alone deserves all praise, honor, and glory as the Creator of the universe.
Conclusion
The Bible uniformly condemns sun worship as idolatry. While the sun and other celestial bodies may reflect God’s creative power and majesty, they are created beings meant to point us toward the glory of God. Worshipping the sun or stars as deities provokes God to jealousy because He alone is worthy of worship. He is the infinite, all-powerful Creator of the universe. Even in our modern scientific age, we must be on guard against all forms of idolatry that elevate the created above the Creator.