The Mosaic Covenant was adamant in its repudiation of idolatry: You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or the earth beneath or in the waters below.

Accordingly, You shall not bow down to them, for I, the Lord your God am a jealous God punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generations that hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments (Exod. 20:4-6). Not only is it unacceptable, but results in a plethora of sinful behavior.

We are also alerted to its complex nature. It appears multi-faceted–whether associated with anything in heaven above, the world beneath, or the waters below. Consequently, whether animate or inanimate, whether abstract or concrete, or whether intentional or not.

Materialism serves as a prime case in point. In this regard, Jesus observed: No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money (Matt. 6:24).

So it is that we set out to consider this critical topic in greater detail. In the process, we will rely heavily but not exclusively on biblical narrative. Furthermore, we recognize that this constitutes a problem not only in a traditional society for its industrial counterpart. All things considered, one is encouraged to worship the Almighty–who alone is worthy of our veneration. With such in mind, let our quest begin.