The worship of the sun is a practice that has been observed in various cultures throughout history, and the Bible addresses this form of idolatry in several passages. The sun, as a prominent celestial body, was often deified and revered as a source of life and power. However, the Scriptures consistently condemn the worship of the sun, emphasizing the exclusive worship of Yahweh, the Creator of the heavens and the earth.

Old Testament References

In the Old Testament, the worship of the sun is explicitly prohibited. Deuteronomy 4:19 warns the Israelites against being led astray to worship celestial bodies: "And beware not to lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, things that the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven."

The practice of sun worship is further condemned in Deuteronomy 17:2-5, where it is stated that if a man or woman is found among the Israelites who has "gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven," they are to be stoned to death after a thorough investigation, as this is considered an abomination.

The prophet Ezekiel also records a vision of sun worship taking place within the temple itself, highlighting the severity of this idolatry. In Ezekiel 8:16, he describes seeing "about twenty-five men with their backs to the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, and they were bowing down to the sun in the east."

Historical Context

The ancient Near Eastern cultures surrounding Israel, such as the Egyptians, Canaanites, and Babylonians, often engaged in sun worship. The Egyptians, for instance, revered Ra, the sun god, as one of their principal deities. This cultural influence posed a constant temptation for the Israelites, who were called to remain distinct and faithful to the worship of Yahweh alone.

New Testament Perspective

While the New Testament does not specifically address sun worship, it continues the theme of rejecting idolatry in all its forms. Romans 1:25 speaks to the broader issue of idolatry, stating that people "exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen."

Theological Implications

The worship of the sun, as with other forms of idolatry, represents a fundamental misunderstanding of the created order and the nature of God. The sun, while a magnificent part of God's creation, is not to be worshiped. Instead, it serves as a testament to the power and majesty of the Creator. Psalm 19:1-2 declares, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge."

The Bible consistently calls believers to direct their worship and devotion to God alone, recognizing Him as the sovereign Lord over all creation. The sun, like all created things, is to be appreciated as part of God's handiwork, but never to be revered as divine.Job 31:26-28
If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;
Nave's Topical Index

Jeremiah 8:2
And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung on the face of the earth.
Nave's Topical Index

Ezekiel 6:4,6
And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols.
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Ezekiel 8:16
And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were 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.
Nave's Topical Index

Sapor King of Persia is Excited against the Christians. Symeon ...
... voice, averted his countenance, and passed by; for the eunuch had been formerly
a Christian, but had recently yielded to authority, and had worshiped the sun. ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of sozomenus/chapter ix sapor king of persia.htm

The Hardening Operation of Love.
... exaltation, aspiring to loftier heights, he discovers immediately that the Sun of
Righteousness ... changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxxi the hardening operation of.htm

Joshua's Conquest.
... The chief god was Baal, the sun, who was worshiped at different places under
different names, but everywhere his worship was fierce and cruel. ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter viii joshuas conquest.htm

Whether any Kind of Worship is Due to the Relics of the Saints?
... relics of the blessed martyrs, as being the members of Christ, should be worshiped
in all ... I will not say the relics of the martyrs, but either the sun or the ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether any kind of worship.htm

Following the Cloud.
... Tabernacle door while Moses talked with God, and all the people saw it and worshiped. ...
It was something above the light of the sun, for Moses had seen the Glory ...
/.../lathbury/childs story of the bible/chapter xii following the cloud.htm

How the Iberians Received the Faith of Christ.
... the Son of God; but the name of Him who was to be worshiped, and the ... was everywhere
diffused by them, so as to conceal the heavens and the sun; profound night ...
/.../chapter vii how the iberians received.htm

Frances Power Cobbe.
... us hold in our hearts, whom nearly all of us have worshiped on our ... nor will mankind
ever recover, any perfect and infallible picture, any sun-drawn photograph ...
//christianbookshelf.org/schaff/the person of christ/frances power cobbe.htm

The Oration. To-Day is the Festival of Our Great Emperor: and we ...
... itself contains, with the radiance of wisdom bright beyond the splendor of the sun. ...
say now that there is no nation where, in some form, God is not worshiped. ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/chapter i the oration to-day is.htm

National Apostasy
... Idolatrous temples and consecrated groves, wherein were worshiped the works of men's
hands ... cries of a heathen priesthood who sacrificed to the sun, moon, and ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 8 national apostasy.htm

What Happened to Solomon
... his life out as a true servant of Jehovah, and that his life's sun would go ... They
still clung to their old religions, and worshiped the gods of their nations. ...
/.../naylor/heart talks/talk twenty-seven what happened to.htm

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