Post by Cindy on Dec 28, 2015 11:44:06 GMT -5
GOD BEAUTIFIES HIS SANCTUARY WITH EVERGREENS
By Marcia Montenegro
Isaiah 60:13
“The glory of Lebanon shall come to you,
The CYPRESS, the PINE, and the BOX TREE together,
To beautify the place of My sanctuary;
And I will make the place of My feet glorious.
It’s become a fad - not unlike a bad 1980s mullet - to accuse Christmas of being Pagan. And one of the favorite targets of the assault on Christmas is the Christmas tree. They’ve bought into the lie that evergreen trees are used exclusively by pagans in their worship rituals. Whether pagans have EVER used evergreen tress to honor false gods is IRRELEVANT.
* Pagans pray. Is praying to the God of the Bible pagan?
* Pagans offer sacrifices. Is it wrong to sacrifice to the LORD?
* Pagans dance. Was King David wrong for dancing to the LORD?
Surface similarities are meaningless. Besides, it doesn’t matter if pagans ever used evergreen trees for false worship. The fact is …
>>> GOD USES EVERGREENS TO BEAUTIFY HIS SANCTUARY <<<
There is nothing wrong with decorating a home with an indoor plant. No one is bowing to the Christmas tree or worshipping it. No one is praying to a Christmas tree. No one is trusting it to save them.
Of course, those who hate to honor the birth of the Savior of the World - Jesus Christ - know how to twist the Bible. They will bring you to Jeremiah 10. Don’t believe them. READ THE WHOLE CHAPTER FOR YOURSELF and it becomes OBVIOUS that they’re twisting the meaning of the chapter - whether they know it or not.
Please read the whole chapter here:
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jer+10&version=NKJV
So, what is Jeremiah 10 REALLY talking about?
JEREMIAH 10 IS ABOUT WORSHIPPING IDOLS THAT LOOK LIKE MEN OR ANIMALS
JEREMIAH 10 IS *NOT* ABOUT DECORATING TREES
Someone who attacks Christmas will show you only 2 verses from Jeremiah 10.
Jeremiah 10:3-4
3 For the customs of the peoples are futile;
For one cuts a TREE from the forest,
The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
4 They DECORATE it with SILVER and GOLD;
They FASTEN IT WITH NAILS AND HAMMERS
SO THAT IT WILL NOT TOPPLE.
They will claim that the above passage is a description of decorating a Christmas tree. If you believe them, you probably haven’t read the whole chapter in context.
Verse 5 is very telling.
Jeremiah 10:5
They are upright, like a palm tree,
And THEY CANNOT *SPEAK*;
They MUST BE CARRIED,
Because they CANNOT GO [walk] BY THEMSELVES.
Do not be afraid of them,
For they CANNOT DO EVIL,
NOR CAN THEY DO ANY GOOD.”
When it says “They are upright, like a palm tree”, it’s referring to the fact that it is talking about an IDOL in the image of a man or an animal. They are “upright” or it just stands there, immobile - like a palm tree.
Verse 5 goes onto say that it cannot SPEAK. When was the last time you heard an evergreen speak? However, a man can speak. This chapter is talking about idols that are made in the image of men (or animals). Men speak - evergreen trees don’t.
The phrase “They must be carried, Because they cannot go [walk] by themselves.” puts the nail in the coffin. Idols are formed into the image of men or animals that can walk - but these idols cannot walk.
The phrase “Do not be afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good.” reveals that we are talking about idols or false gods. Pagans worshipped and feared these false deities. But they are indeed powerless to help or harm you. Jeremiah 10 is attacking the false gods of the nations that surrounded Israel.
THE FALSE GODS OF THESE SURROUNDING NATIONS WERE DEPICTED AS MEN (Zeus), WOMEN (Ashtoreth), HALF-FISH-HALF MAN (Dagon), CALVES (Apis of Egypt), AND MORE.
BUT NONE OF THESE FALSE GODS WERE DEPICTED AS AN EVERGREEN TREE.
christianity.about.com/od/biblefactsandlists/fl/False-Gods.htm
Now look at verses 8 & 9.
Jeremiah 10:8-9
8 But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish;
A WOODEN *IDOL* is a worthless doctrine.
9 Silver is BEATEN INTO PLATES;
It is brought from Tarshish,
And gold from Uphaz,
The work of the craftsman
And of the hands of the metalsmith;
Blue and purple are their clothing;
They are all the work of skillful men.
Verse 8 tells you DIRECTLY that Jeremiah 10 is talking about the idols of Israel’s surrounding nations (“A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine”).
Verse 9 is interesting. What is it telling us when it says the silver is beaten int plates? The word “plate” is the Hebrew word “raqa”.
Raqa means “to beat, stamp, beat out, spread out, stretch”.
www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H7554&t=KJV
Verse 9 is describing the process of beating out thin gold and silver foils. The foils are overlaid over wooden idols in the shape of idols (men or animals).
Gold foil (leaf) over wooden shapes:
Silver foil:
Let’s go back to verse 4. We can now understand what it’s talking about when it says “They DECORATE it with SILVER and GOLD” (Jeremiah 10:4). The word “decorate” in verse 4 is the Hebrew word “yaphah”. It can be translated as “decorate” or “beautify”.
www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H3302&t=KJV
A WOODEN sculpture of a human figure or an animal is not nearly as impressive as a GOLDEN or SILVER figure. By overlaying or decorating or beautifying the wooden statue, you create something that is far more awe-inspiring - something that gives you the impression that it is worthy of your worship.
When you read all of Jeremiah 10 carefully, you will see that it’s talking about STATUES - not trees.
Repent of legalism and trust in Jesus.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Posted with permission:
By Marcia Montenegro
Isaiah 60:13
“The glory of Lebanon shall come to you,
The CYPRESS, the PINE, and the BOX TREE together,
To beautify the place of My sanctuary;
And I will make the place of My feet glorious.
It’s become a fad - not unlike a bad 1980s mullet - to accuse Christmas of being Pagan. And one of the favorite targets of the assault on Christmas is the Christmas tree. They’ve bought into the lie that evergreen trees are used exclusively by pagans in their worship rituals. Whether pagans have EVER used evergreen tress to honor false gods is IRRELEVANT.
* Pagans pray. Is praying to the God of the Bible pagan?
* Pagans offer sacrifices. Is it wrong to sacrifice to the LORD?
* Pagans dance. Was King David wrong for dancing to the LORD?
Surface similarities are meaningless. Besides, it doesn’t matter if pagans ever used evergreen trees for false worship. The fact is …
>>> GOD USES EVERGREENS TO BEAUTIFY HIS SANCTUARY <<<
There is nothing wrong with decorating a home with an indoor plant. No one is bowing to the Christmas tree or worshipping it. No one is praying to a Christmas tree. No one is trusting it to save them.
Of course, those who hate to honor the birth of the Savior of the World - Jesus Christ - know how to twist the Bible. They will bring you to Jeremiah 10. Don’t believe them. READ THE WHOLE CHAPTER FOR YOURSELF and it becomes OBVIOUS that they’re twisting the meaning of the chapter - whether they know it or not.
Please read the whole chapter here:
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jer+10&version=NKJV
So, what is Jeremiah 10 REALLY talking about?
JEREMIAH 10 IS ABOUT WORSHIPPING IDOLS THAT LOOK LIKE MEN OR ANIMALS
JEREMIAH 10 IS *NOT* ABOUT DECORATING TREES
Someone who attacks Christmas will show you only 2 verses from Jeremiah 10.
Jeremiah 10:3-4
3 For the customs of the peoples are futile;
For one cuts a TREE from the forest,
The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
4 They DECORATE it with SILVER and GOLD;
They FASTEN IT WITH NAILS AND HAMMERS
SO THAT IT WILL NOT TOPPLE.
They will claim that the above passage is a description of decorating a Christmas tree. If you believe them, you probably haven’t read the whole chapter in context.
Verse 5 is very telling.
Jeremiah 10:5
They are upright, like a palm tree,
And THEY CANNOT *SPEAK*;
They MUST BE CARRIED,
Because they CANNOT GO [walk] BY THEMSELVES.
Do not be afraid of them,
For they CANNOT DO EVIL,
NOR CAN THEY DO ANY GOOD.”
When it says “They are upright, like a palm tree”, it’s referring to the fact that it is talking about an IDOL in the image of a man or an animal. They are “upright” or it just stands there, immobile - like a palm tree.
Verse 5 goes onto say that it cannot SPEAK. When was the last time you heard an evergreen speak? However, a man can speak. This chapter is talking about idols that are made in the image of men (or animals). Men speak - evergreen trees don’t.
The phrase “They must be carried, Because they cannot go [walk] by themselves.” puts the nail in the coffin. Idols are formed into the image of men or animals that can walk - but these idols cannot walk.
The phrase “Do not be afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good.” reveals that we are talking about idols or false gods. Pagans worshipped and feared these false deities. But they are indeed powerless to help or harm you. Jeremiah 10 is attacking the false gods of the nations that surrounded Israel.
THE FALSE GODS OF THESE SURROUNDING NATIONS WERE DEPICTED AS MEN (Zeus), WOMEN (Ashtoreth), HALF-FISH-HALF MAN (Dagon), CALVES (Apis of Egypt), AND MORE.
BUT NONE OF THESE FALSE GODS WERE DEPICTED AS AN EVERGREEN TREE.
christianity.about.com/od/biblefactsandlists/fl/False-Gods.htm
Now look at verses 8 & 9.
Jeremiah 10:8-9
8 But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish;
A WOODEN *IDOL* is a worthless doctrine.
9 Silver is BEATEN INTO PLATES;
It is brought from Tarshish,
And gold from Uphaz,
The work of the craftsman
And of the hands of the metalsmith;
Blue and purple are their clothing;
They are all the work of skillful men.
Verse 8 tells you DIRECTLY that Jeremiah 10 is talking about the idols of Israel’s surrounding nations (“A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine”).
Verse 9 is interesting. What is it telling us when it says the silver is beaten int plates? The word “plate” is the Hebrew word “raqa”.
Raqa means “to beat, stamp, beat out, spread out, stretch”.
www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H7554&t=KJV
Verse 9 is describing the process of beating out thin gold and silver foils. The foils are overlaid over wooden idols in the shape of idols (men or animals).
Gold foil (leaf) over wooden shapes:
Silver foil:
Let’s go back to verse 4. We can now understand what it’s talking about when it says “They DECORATE it with SILVER and GOLD” (Jeremiah 10:4). The word “decorate” in verse 4 is the Hebrew word “yaphah”. It can be translated as “decorate” or “beautify”.
www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H3302&t=KJV
A WOODEN sculpture of a human figure or an animal is not nearly as impressive as a GOLDEN or SILVER figure. By overlaying or decorating or beautifying the wooden statue, you create something that is far more awe-inspiring - something that gives you the impression that it is worthy of your worship.
When you read all of Jeremiah 10 carefully, you will see that it’s talking about STATUES - not trees.
Repent of legalism and trust in Jesus.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Posted with permission:
!!
