What does God call an Abomination?

In this 3 part series, we’ll go through what the Bible says about certain topics through specific verses and discuss their meanings.  There are several things that God specifically calls out as being an abomination to Him and it is important for us to know what those are.

This is part 3 on a series of what God calls an abomination.  This post will cover idolatry and occultism.

IDOLATRY

Deuteronomy 27:15 - ‘Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’  “And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen!’

• Idolaters are considered an abomination before God.  This is in direct violation of God’s 1st and 2nd commandments.  God calls anything to do with idols an abomination - whether one makes them, worships them, or keeps them in a secret place. 

• Pagan nations were idolaters and God does not want His people associated with that practice.  Our God is a jealous God.  He requires our utmost devotion.  

OCCULTISM

Deuteronomy 18:9-12 - “When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations.  There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.  For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. 

• God calls anything to do with witchcraft, divination, and the occult an abomination.  God specifically tells His people not to allow their curiosity to run rampant and seek out knowledge of the occult. 

• Anything to do with the occult is trying to assume or bring in the power of Satan and his demons.  This should be fully rejected by CHristitans.  Our culture today is now more tolerant of the occult than Christianity.

• These verses also make mention of forcing children to pass through fire which is in reference to the worship of Molech, a Canaanite god who demanded child sacrifices via burning.  God’s judgment was on the Canaanites because of their occult practices.  God warns the Israelites that they too will be judged should they follow the same practices.  

• This command can also be found in Leviticus 18:21 - And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.

• The worship of Molech could be seen as an ancient version of birth control via infanticide.  They would elimate children born out of wedlock, which were the result of sexual acts in their religion. A metal statue of the god was heated until it was red hot.  A living infant was then placed in the hands of the heated statue while onlookers beat drums to drown out the sound of the child’s screams while it burned to death.