Does Jeremiah 10 forbid Christmas trees?
"Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move" (Jeremiah 10:2-4,).
Many have used this passage to argue that the Bible condemns the use of Christmas trees. Even if one ignores that these words were written some 2,000 years before the invention of the Christmas tree, the context of the chapter makes it abundantly clear that Jeremiah was condemning the practice of carving idols to worship, not festively decorating trees. The very next verse reads:
"Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, For they can do no harm, Nor can they do any good” (Jeremiah 10:5).
Jeremiah is pointing out that idols are lifeless carvings and are not truly gods at all. He goes on to further explain:
"But they are altogether stupid and foolish in their discipline of delusion—their idol is wood! Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, And gold from Uphaz, The work of a craftsman and of the hands of a goldsmith; Violet and purple are their clothing; They are all the work of skilled men. But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth quakes, And the nations cannot endure His indignation" (Jeremiah 10:8-10)
The wood, gold, and silver are all plainly discussed here in the context of making lifeless idols in contrast to the True and Living God. The point is not that it is inherently evil to decorate trees. The point is that it is foolish for men to fashion their own gods. Other Old Testament prophets make the same argument. Isaiah, for example, writes:
"Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a cypress or an oak and raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow. Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also makes a fire to bake bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, 'Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire.' But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god (Isaiah 44:14-17).
The Apostle Paul likewise says to the idol worshipers in Athens:
"We ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man" (Acts 17:29).
Christmas tree is not referred to in Jeremiah 10,
Hezekiah had all the Asherah poles cut down.
LOOK!
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Isaiah 44:14-19 gives a detailed picture of how a tree was cut down and
fashioned into an idol – and the absurdity of it all.
15 But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it.
17 From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says,
“Save me; you are my god.”
Jeremiah is not about Christmas trees!
Read Jeremiah 10:1-16
9. Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men.
Jeremiah says nothing about Christmas trees.
That custom originated in northern Europe, not in ancient Canaan.
Astarte or Ashtoreth (Greek: Ἀστάρτη, Astártē) is the Hellenized form of the Middle Eastern goddess Ishtar, worshipped from the Bronze Age through classical antiquity. The name is particularly associated with her worship in the ancient Levant among the Canaanites and Phoenicians.
The Real Idols referred to in Jeremiah 10!
Paganism is the worship of false gods!
What pagans did in the past has NOTHING to do with what we do today
IF WE ARE NOT WORSHIPING PAGAN gods.
For something to be an idol, there has to be actual worship
and a replacement of the idol for the true God.
An idol can ultimately be made out of anything,
be careful not to place anything above or in the place of God.
It's about what the Bible says paganism really is!
The “starry host” includes the sun, moon, planets, and stars. These celestial bodies were worshiped by the pagan cultures of the day, but God had commanded His people to worship Him and not bow down to other gods (Exodus 20:3-4).
What Christians don't do!
► bow down to the sun,
► the moon,
► the stars,
► all the host of heaven
► and worship them as gods
► make idols of gold,
► and of silver,
► and of brass,
► and of stone,
► and of wood;
► which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk.
► And worship them as gods.
The two primary gods the ancient people worshiped were the SUN and MOON-god. The ancient nations were fascinated with the different phases of the sun and the moon, their movements were used to determine times for worship. This was all based on fear and superstition. As believers in astrology, they considered their lives to be controlled by celestial events.
SUN worship is mentioned in the bible, Deuteronomy 4:19, Deuteronomy 17:2-3, Jeremiah 8:1-2, 2 Kings 23:4-5, Eze 8:14-16, it is an abomination to God.
All planets and stars were worshiped as gods, Jeremiah 8:2.
The weeping for Tammuz is mentioned in scripture. The book of Ezekiel chapters 8-11 enumerates visions of idolatry in the Temple.
Ezekiel 8:14, is the abomination of the women weeping for Tammuz. This is followed by verse 16, the abomination of worshiping the sun.
GRAVEN IMAGE - The heathen would carve wood, or make idols of gold, silver, brass, and of stone, and worship them as gods..Read Jeremiah 10:1-16, Psalm 135:15-18, Revelation 9:20
Isaiah 44:14-19 gives a detailed picture of how a tree was cut down and fashioned into an idol – and the absurdity of it all.
You shall burn the carved images of their gods with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it; for it is an abomination to the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 7:25
Worshiping created things rather than the Creator.
Paul addressed this perversion of the truth in his letter to the believers in Rome (Romans 1:22–27).
The people Paul described were worldly and materialistic, worshiping created things rather than the Creator. They worshiped trees, animals, and rocks, going so far as to abuse their bodies in deviant sexual practices to revel in their passions. Paul then goes on to tell us why they did this and the end result:
22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
“Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done” (Romans 1:28).
There is a Santa Claus!
He was a Greek Christian born in Turkey around 300 A.D. who gave away everything he had to help the poor – and loved leaving presents for the needy throughout his life ... regardless of whether he got any thanks or credit.
His devout Christian parents died in an epidemic when he was a young man. Convinced he must obey Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," he did just that ... and gave away his entire inheritance.
He was named Bishop of Myra while still quite young – one legend says he was selected while still a boy – and was known throughout the land for his generosity, his love for children, his concern for sailors and ships ... and a particular compassion for the falsely accused.
His devout Christian parents died in an epidemic when he was a young man. Convinced he must obey Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," he did just that ... and gave away his entire inheritance.
He was named Bishop of Myra while still quite young – one legend says he was selected while still a boy – and was known throughout the land for his generosity, his love for children, his concern for sailors and ships ... and a particular compassion for the falsely accused.
Angels and humans did celebrate Christ's birth!
Read Luke 2:12-20
Read Luke 2:12-20
Where in the scriptures does it say that Christmas is pagan? Where in scripture does it say Christmas can not be celebrated? Show me in the scriptures that it's a sin to celebrate Christ's birth.
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