
613 Mitzvot
Negative Mitzvah 6
Not to serve idols
Shemot 20:5
Lo-tishtachaveh lahem velo ta’ovdem ki anochi YHVH Eloheycha El kana poked avon avot al-banim al-shileshim ve’al-ribe’im leson’ay.
you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, YHVH your Elohim, am a jealous El, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
Negative Mitzvah 5 refers prohibits us from worshipping idols by bowing down, burning incense, sacrificing or libation offerings. This mitzvah refers to avodah zarah. Avodah zarah (service to idols), refers to performing rituals specific to a particular idol. If an particular practice is an acceptable manner of wroshipping an idol, then we should not participate in that activity, even if it is not including in the four ways we worship YHVH.
We need to careful examine our culture to make sure if any practices have pagan origins and then reject them. For example, it was common in ancient times to throw coins in a fountain that contained a Roman mythical god for luck. Therefore, we should avoid throwing pennies in a fountain.
Shemot (Exodus) 23:24
You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor follow their practices, but you shall utterly overthrow them and demolish their pillars.
Vayikra (Leviticus) 18:30
Therefore you shall keep my charge, that you do not practice any of these abominable customs, which were practiced before you, and that you do not defile yourselves with them: I am YHVH your Elohim.’
We are not to practice the things that the world does that is contrary to His word. In fact, we are called to be separate and distinct.
1 Corinthians 6:17
Therefore YHVH says, "Go out from their midst; separate yourselves; don’t even touch what is unclean. Then I myself will receive you.
Revelation 18:4
4 Then I heard another voice out of heaven say: "My people, come out of her! so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not be infected by her plagues,
Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 51:6
Flee out of the midst of Bavel, and save every man his life; don’t be cut off in her iniquity: for it is the time of YHVH’s vengeance; he will render to her a recompense.