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| The Jeremiah 10 Christmas Tree |
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The Jeremiah 10 Christmas Tree
Virginia Marin Can believers, whether Messianic or Gentile, use a Christmas tree with a good conscience? Does Jeremiah 10:2-4 warn us against decorating Christmas trees? Let's see what the Prophet tells us.I know I must have read Jeremiah chapter 10 at some point in my life, but for reasons unknown, the implication of verses 1-10 and especially verses 2-4 had eluded me. It seems that some have taken these verses of Scripture to prove that the Christmas tree, any Christmas tree was, and remains today, a pagan custom - therefore, its use is forbidden according to God's Word. Now, I am not arguing anyone's personal exegesis for or against Jeremiah 10. That is not really my point here. This is my interpretation of Jeremiah 10. However, if one takes into account to whom this chapter is written, the resulting object in question, and the fact that Christmas trees were unheard of during this time in history, it becomes abundantly clear that verses 1-4 is NOT referring to a Christmas tree as we know, and a careful reading of Jeremiah makes it clear: "Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the sky, though the nations are terrified by them. For the customs of the people are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good. No one is like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. Who whould not revere you, O King of the nations? This is your due. Among all wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like you. They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols. Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple, all made by skilled workers. But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King. When he is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure his wrath." These verses clearly show that the people were substituting something for God. There have always been substitutes for God, so this is not unusual. Anyone who is not worshiping the true and living God has a substitute for Him. It may be that the person himself becomes his god, and he engages in self-worship. Then there is ancestor worship. Some worship money and will kill to aquire it. There are many substitutes for God, and Jeremiah addresses this in verses 1-2. In the time of Jeremiah, people regulated their lives by the zodiac, and it is still being done today. Water cooler and dinner chatter centers around, "What sign were you born under?" Astrology has been picked up from the pagan world, and we should be concerned over a Christmas tree? Some well meaning people interpret Jeremiah's denunciation of idoltry to be a condemnation of the modern Christmas tree. This is preposterous, and silly. Jeremiah is not talking about Christmas trees here. Christmas trees were totally unknown in the Prophet's day. He is talking about idol worship. He lets the people know in strong terms that they go into the woods, cut down a tree, and carve it into an image. Then they honor it by applying silver and gold. Their god is held together by nails. In other words, they are worshiping a scarecrow! But let us be sure not to fall on our knees and pray to our Christmas trees. Can you hear laughter here? Only in this context could Jeremiah's warning possibly apply to us today. Who in their right mind worships a Christmas tree? It is only for decoration. After the holiday what happens to it? It is taken down, the decorations packed away, and the tree finds itself on top of the rubbish heap when Christmas is over. This leads to the question, if Christians should or should not have what we know as Christmas trees in our homes? I will not profer advice here to others. I have a Christmas tree every year and will continue as long as I am able. Many heirloom ornaments are in my collection from my childhood, and I have collected fragile and costly antique ornaments for years. But, you know what? I could, this very minute, give every one of them away to whomever with no emotional sadness. I am not devoted to them, nor do I revere them. They are only things of this world, which I must at some point leave behind with everything else. I look on a Christmas tree like I did fairytales as a child - reality vs imagination. I know the difference. I enjoy my Christmas trees, with the joy of the Lord in my heart - whether traditional, Jesse, or a Paradise tree. Jeremiah is NOT telling us not to have a Christmas tree. |
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| AMEN my sister thank you for this wonderful post. I too know the difference and I will continue to put up and dress my Christmas tree in honor of Christ Jesus and the reason for the season. I'd also like to say that God will reveal things to us that He want's us to know not only through his word but also through dreams and visions. About 10 years ago the Lord came to me in a vision and showed "ME" why I shouldn't hang the wreath on my door anymore. He let me know that it was a mockery of the crown of thorns that they placed on His head and that the devil has taken it and decorated it to make a joke of the pain and suffering he endured as they placed it on his head. Every since that day I have NOT used a wreath on my door, but replace it with some other form of decoration unto the Lord. Thank you again for sharing this be blessed. |
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Amen sista. I met a woman once that had been a high priestess of the Wiccan Religion of her family Group. Most people that say they are wiccan are not considered to be true wiccans as wiccans are the female counterparts of Pagans, which arrived here from Irish and Scottish cultures and flourishes within family groups where there is a Matriarch and she passes the fire on to her eldest daughter. This woman converted to Christianity after she had been in an elevator and the cable snapped and she yelled out "Oh my God". She received severe injuries but she prayed afterwards to ask God why she called out to him if she never believed in him. Jesus visited her and she was converted. I met her while I was monitoring Christian chat rooms and she asked if someone could help her. I the many conversations that followed afterwards, I learned a great deal about all of the pagan traditions, which have nothing to do with Christ. December 25 is not even the birth of Christ but the birth of Tammuz. Ezekiel 8:13-14 KJV He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, [and] thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which [was] toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. Tammuz was the son of Nimrod, the same Nimrod that had built the tower of Babel, and when Nimrod had been killed His wife Semiramis Married her own son Tammuz saying that Nimrod had raised from the dead. Pagans and Wiccans alike laugh at Christians because we celebrate all of their traditions. Shalom |
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I know this is true, however, I honestly believe that what was once started for bad MY GOD can work it for good, use it to GLORIFY HIM and EXALT HIM. The main reason I posted this article was because so many are misusing a passage of scripture to explain why you shuold not put up a Christmas tree and the verse that is being used clearly is not referring to a Christmas tree at all. When we come with something like this we need to be interpreting the Word of GOd correctly or we will do more damage than good and turn people away from Him instead of drawing them near. I had someone who is not a Christian read the passage and I asked her to tell me what she thought it meant and she interpreted it as it reads, they were making trees into gods and worshipping them. We just really need to be careful how we interpret scripture and be sure not to twist it to fit into our beliefs. I was 100% ready to change how I did things this year until I read the scripture several times and prayed about it.
How awesome for us Christians to lift up our Jesus and our Lord and push Him to the forefront over the diety who originally took the day away from Him anyway cause every day belongs to Him anyway!!! |
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