Throughout Israel’s history, God repeatedly warned His people against bowing to the heavenly bodies—symbols of pagan idolatry—and called them back to exclusive worship of Him.
Worshipping the sun, moon, and stars was common in surrounding nations, but the Lord desired wholehearted devotion, not divided allegiance. These do not worship the sun and the moon bible verse passages remind us that God alone is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and only He deserves our reverence.
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Key Takeaways
- Idolatry of celestial bodies is strictly forbidden under the Law.
- Pagan nations often worshipped the sun and moon, provoking God’s judgment.
- True worship honors God as the sovereign Maker of heaven and earth.
- Our devotion must be directed to the invisible, omnipotent God, not created things.
15 Bible Verses on “Do Not Worship the Sun and the Moon”
1. Leviticus 26:1
Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image… neither shalt thou set thee up any image; I am the LORD your God.
Explanation:
This foundational command prohibits all images for worship, including representations of the sun or moon. God demands unseen, spiritual devotion rather than veneration of physical objects.
2. Deuteronomy 4:19
And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven… and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars… and be driven to worship them…
Explanation:
Moses warns Israel not to be led astray by the beauty and order of the heavens. Although God placed the sun and moon in the sky, they are signs for seasons and days—not deities to be worshipped.
3. Deuteronomy 17:3
…and worship their gods, even the sun, or the moon, or any of the host of heaven…
Explanation:
As part of the regulations for false worship, God singles out worship of the sun, moon, and stars as capital offenses. Such idolatry was seen as direct rebellion against Yahweh.
4. 2 Kings 23:5
And he put down the idolatrous priests… that burned incense in the high places… to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets…
Explanation:
King Josiah’s reforms included removing priests who led Israel in celestial worship. This underscores how even in Judah, sun and moon worship had infiltrated God’s people.
5. 2 Kings 23:11
And he brake in pieces the images of… the sun… and made dust of them, and strawed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.
Explanation:
Josiah not only tore down altars but also desecrated the idols themselves—demonstrating God’s hatred for sun worship and the need for complete removal of idolatry.
6. 2 Chronicles 33:3
…he built altars in the house of the LORD… and he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.
Explanation:
King Manasseh’s apostasy led him to install altars for the “host of heaven” within the temple. His example shows how easily worship can be diverted from God to created things.
7. Jeremiah 8:2
And they shall spread them… to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven…
Explanation:
Jeremiah condemns Judah’s practice of burying the dead without mourning, as if they were offering them to the stars. It illustrates how celestial worship perverted holy rites.
8. Jeremiah 19:13
And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts;… I will… bring upon that place… all the evil that I have pronounced against it… because they have forsaken me, and… worshipped Baal, and burned their sons for burntofferings unto Baal…
Explanation:
Though focusing more on child sacrifice, this text points to the wider context of worshipping pagan gods, often associated with celestial phenomena like the sunrise or new moon festivals.
9. Jeremiah 44:17–18
But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth… to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her…
Explanation:
Here “queen of heaven” refers to a moon‑goddess figure. Despite warnings, many in exile continued lunar worship—demonstrating the grip of celestial idolatry on the human heart.
10. Jeremiah 44:25
…burning incense unto the queen of heaven… will I cause them to fall by the sword…
Explanation:
God pronounces judgment on those clinging to moon worship. The severe consequence shows the gravity of replacing worship of the one true God with celestial idols.
11. Ezekiel 8:16
He brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house…and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD… about five and twenty men… with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.
Explanation:
In a vision, Ezekiel witnesses leaders of Israel turning their backs on the temple to worship the sun. This highlights how idolatry can persist even within God’s sanctuary.
12. Amos 5:25–27
Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel?
But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch… and the star of your god Remphan…
Therefore will I cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus…
Explanation:
Amos accuses Israel of building shrines to “Remphan,” a star‑god. Their celestial worship led to exile—showing that God rejects offerings accompanied by idolatry.
13. Acts 7:43
Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch… and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them…
Explanation:
Stephen recounts Israel’s idolatry in the wilderness, including star worship. Even after miracles, they fell into celestial idolatry—warning us of the heart’s propensity to stray.
14. Psalm 115:4–8
Their idols are silver and gold… they have mouths, but they speak not… they that make them are like unto them… they that trust in them shall be like unto them.
Explanation:
Although not naming sun or moon, this psalm exposes the futility of all idols—whether metallic images or heavenly bodies—contrasting them with the living God who speaks and acts.
15. Romans 1:25
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator…
Explanation:
Paul condemns mankind’s exchange of truth for lies, worshipping created things—including celestial bodies—instead of the one true God, who is to be glorified forever.
Conclusion and Reflection
These do not worship the sun and the moon bible verse passages warn us against elevating any part of creation—whether sun, moon, or stars—to the status of deity. True worship honors God alone, the Creator of all.
Reflect today: are there any “created things” in your life you’ve given undue devotion? How can you refocus your worship on the invisible, living God?
Call to Action:
Share your thoughts below: Which of these verses challenged you most, and how will you commit to worshipping the Creator rather than the creation? We’d love to hear your reflections!