Beth HaDerech; Messianic Jewish Teachings Online

Worship of HaShem vs. Idol Worship

Why do people pray to idols? What does idol worship mean today? What is an idol? Is there new idols today? Idol worship begins in the mind—it starts with an incorrect perception of who HaShem is. It says you can turn an abstract, invisible God into a concrete, metal, wood or plastic god, which of course, is impossible.  It is written by the Rambam’s 13 principles of the Jewish faith‎:  “I believe with perfect faith that God does not have a body. Physical concepts do not apply to Him. There is nothing whatsoever that resembles Him at all.” Idol worship doesn’t just mean singing and dancing and bowing in front statues, it does means believing in any force, object or item outside of the  infinite, or the all-powerful God Himself; an angel, a man of God, a constellation, a force of nature, a living creature—or simply a funny-looking [...]