What does the Bible say about ancestral worship?

Top passages, ranked by readers

Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible

• Deuteronomy 18:9-13 7 votes

  [9] When you are come into the land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. [10] There shall not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices sorcery, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, [11] or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. [12] For whoever does these things is an abomination to Yahweh: and because of these abominations Yahweh your God does drive them out from before you. [13] You shall be perfect with Yahweh your God.

• Psalms 115:17 6 votes

  The dead don't praise Yah, Neither any who go down into silence;

• 2 Kings 1:1-18 4 votes

  [1] Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. [2] Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said to them, Go, inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover of this sickness. [3] But the angel of Yahweh said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and tell them, Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you go to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron? [4] Now therefore thus says Yahweh, You shall not come down from the bed where you are gone up, but shall surely die. Elijah departed. [5] The messengers returned to him, and he said to them, Why is it that you have returned? [6] They said to him, There came up a man to meet us, and said to us, Go, turn again to the king who sent you, and tell him, Thus says Yahweh, Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you send to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron? therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you are gone up, but shall surely die. [7] He said to them, What manner of man was he who came up to meet you, and told you these words? [8] They answered him, He was a hairy man, and girt with a belt of leather about his loins. He said, It is Elijah the Tishbite. [9] Then [the king] sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. He went up to him: and, behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. He spoke to him, man of God, the king has said, Come down. [10] Elijah answered to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from the sky, and consume you and your fifty. Fire came down from the sky, and consumed him and his fifty. [11] Again he sent to him another captain of fifty and his fifty. He answered him, man of God, thus has the king said, Come down quickly. [12] Elijah answered them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from the sky, and consume you and your fifty. The fire of God came down from the sky, and consumed him and his fifty. [13] Again he sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. The third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, and said to him, man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty your servants, be precious in your sight. [14] Behold, fire came down from the sky, and consumed the two former captains of fifty with their fifties; but now let my life be precious in your sight. [15] The angel of Yahweh said to Elijah, Go down with him: don't be afraid of him. He arose, and went down with him to the king. [16] He said to him, Thus says Yahweh, Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word? therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you are gone up, but shall surely die. [17] So he died according to the word of Yahweh which Elijah had spoken. Jehoram began to reign in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son. [18] Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, aren't they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

• 2 Chronicles 33:6 3 votes

  He also made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom; and he practiced sorcery, and used enchantments, and practiced sorcery, and dealt with those who had familiar spirits, and with wizards: he worked much evil in the sight of Yahweh, to provoke him to anger.

• John 4:21-24 3 votes

  [21] Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will you worship the Father. [22] You worship that which you don't know. We worship that which we know; for salvation is from the Jews. [23] But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to be his worshippers. [24] God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

• Romans 14:11 2 votes

  For it is written, "'As I live,' says the Lord, 'to me every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess to God.'"

• John 4:24 2 votes

  God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

• Joshua 24:15 2 votes

  If it seem evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.

• Luke 4:8 2 votes

  Jesus answered him, "Get behind me Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.'"

• Isaiah 25:1 2 votes

  Yahweh, you are my God; I will exalt you, I will praise your name; for you have done wonderful things, [even] counsels of old, in faithfulness [and] truth.

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