Worship of the sun and other heavenly bodies was common among the pagan nations of the ancient world. For example, the city of Ur in Mesopotamia from which Abraham migrated was a center of moon worship. The Egyptians worshiped the sun god known as Ra (Gen 12:15). The Lord, speaking through Moses, specifically prohibited this form of idolatry.

The title “the Lord of hosts” applied to God throughout the Old Testament (Psa 24:10; Isa 19:16) is actually a declaration that He is superior to all of the heavenly bodies, since He brought them into being (Gen 2:1).

Worship of the heavenly bodies is also referred to in Deuteronomy 17:3; 2 Kings 17:16; 21:3; 23:5; and Jeremiah 8:2.

DEUTERONOMY 4:19 – Lost thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven [all the heavenly array, NIV], shouldest be driven [enticed, NIV] to worship them, and serve them.