What does the Bible say about sun worship?

The sun was the greater light given to rule the day. The Israelites particularly observed this by beginning their day-time at sunrise (in distinction from 12 o'clock at night), and closing it at sunset, which necessarily made their days and their hours in summer much longer than in winter. Ps. 19:1-6; Ps. 113:3; Ps. 136:8.

SUN WORSHIP. The Israelites were cautioned against worshipping the sun, nevertheless they fell into that idolatry, and set up high places for the sun in Jerusalem. Deut. 4:19; 2 Kings 23:5, 11.

Zoroaster founded a heathen cult, whose writings are set forth in the Zend-Avesta. His followers are the Parsees and Guebres of India. The Parsees worship the sun. The children of Israel were bidden to stone to death any man or woman who worshipped the sun (see Deut. 17:2-7). Yet Freemasons are asked to “join hands” with such. Moses would have given Freemasonry short shrift in his day.

Zoroaster founded a heathen cult, whose writings are set forth in the Zend-Avesta. His followers are the Parsees and Guebres of India. The Parsees worship the sun. The children of Israel were bidden to stone to death any man or woman who worshipped the sun (see Deut. 17:2-7). Yet Freemasons are asked to “join hands” with such. Moses would have given Freemasonry short shrift in his day.

(4) The last picture here is that of priestly apostasy; in this way it is the natural conclusion of the whole. Approach to God is what His house speaks of. The apostasy of the priesthood leaves this approach no longer possible; and this is complete in what is before us. "And he said unto me, Seest thou, son of man? Thou shalt see yet again greater abominations than these. And he brought me into the inner court of Jehovah's house, and behold, at the entry of the temple of Jehovah, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men with their backs toward the temple of Jehovah, and their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the sun towards the east."

These twenty-five men are necessarily a priestly company. They are representatives of the twenty-four courses into which we know the priesthood were divided, with the high-priest at the head of them. They are not indeed spoken of as priests, and at this we need not at all wonder, for the plain reason that they are apostate; but their position is between the porch and the altar, therefore in the priestly court, where no others were allowed. "And He said unto me, Seest thou, son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here, that they yet fill the land with violence, and keep again provoking Me to anger; and behold, they put the vine-branch to their nose. Therefore will I also deal in wrath. Mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet I will not hear them." Thus the very ones, chosen out of the chosen nation itself, to draw near to God, are seen with their backs turned upon His house, and worshiping the sun, the foremost feature in those heavens which "declare God's glory and show His handiwork," as the Psalmist reminds us (Ps. 19).

But there remains worse behind, because both of the place and of the persons engaged in the adoration of the sun, the great object of Sabian and subsequently Persian idolatry. "Then said he to me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. And he brought me into the inner court of Jehovah's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of Jehovah, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of Jehovah, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east." The prophet particularly notes their number answering to the courses of priesthood and the high priest, with their backs toward Jehovah's temple, and their faces toward the east.

Alas! Though men observe the marvels of the universe, they do not always discern in them the glory of God. They can take cognisance of "the glory of the celestial" and of "the glory of the terrestrial", observing that there is "one glory of the sun, and another of the moon" and that "star differs from star in glory"; but how often it has been to worship the host of heaven instead of the God that created all. Even among God's earthly people Israel, who had the oracles of God, there were found in the temple of Jehovah those who worshipped the sun (Ezek. 8:16) and those who worshipped the moon, the queen of heaven (Jer. 7:18).

Just before the captivity of Judah, there was the outward pretension to the worship of Jehovah, but idolatry had even come into that which bore Jehovah's Name. They were still saying, "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord" (Jer. 7:4), vainly imagining that the formal, though corrupt, worship would save them from God's judgment, because of the existence of the building called by God's Name. But God had pronounced His judgment on Jerusalem, His glory being about to depart from the temple, and this because of the awful corruptions in that which bore His Name. Ezekiel was taken in spirit to Jerusalem, to see what was going on in the temple, and he wrote, "So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things … and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed upon the wall," and the elders of Israel were there with censers, burning incense to the idols. There were also women, "weeping for Tummuz", and sun worshippers with their backs towards the temple and worshipping the sun towards the east.

Also, if they lifted their eyes up to heaven, beyond the level of earthly creatures, let them be sure to look above the sun, moon and stars (v.9), to the One who had created all these things, rather than to worship these visible works of God's hands. Faith believers in the One "whom no man has seen or can see" (1 Tim.6:16). Though God has created these wonderful heavenly bodies, they are there only to direct our attention to their unseen Maker. Yet Israel later turned again to worship idols of every sort (Ezek.8:9-12), as well as the sun (Ezek.8:16). Then Isaiah 47:13 speaks of the multitude of Israel's counsels by "the astrologers, the stargazers and the monthly prognosticators." Thus there were star worshipers and moon worshipers (true of monthly prognosticators). These same evils are prevalent in the knowledge of the Word of God.

In contemplating the sun and the moon, had Job been enticed to worship them, as many others are enticed? (vv.26-27). Both of these are amazing objects, but Job looked higher than them and had not even secretly given them honour. He recognised that anything that usurps God's place in the heart is an idol, and if he had been guilty of even secretly allowing this in his thoughts, then this would be iniquity deserving of judgment (v.28), for it would amount to denying the God who is infinitely high above all.

Again, he knew that deceit and false witness was wrong; see, verse 5: that adultery was wrong; see, verse 9: that idolatry was wrong; see, verses 26-28; since the worship of sun and moon was the most primitive form that idolatry took. So also he knew that he was not to covet what his neighbour possessed, for in contrast he should be a giver to his necessities, as we see in verses 13-22.