How do we know idolatry is a serious sin?

Idolatry is addressed emphatically in the Ten Commandments, particularly in Exodus 20:4-5, where the Lord commands His people not to create carved images or bow down to them. The seriousness of idolatry lies in its nature of placing something created in the place of the Creator. In Colossians 3:5, Paul equates covetousness to idolatry, showing that anything we desire above God is an idol. Idolatry not only leads us away from God but provokes His jealousy, demonstrating the gravity with which He views our loyalty to Him.