The Sovereignty of God
God is sovereign. That's the easy part. But the truth of the matter is, He orchestrated a plan from the beginning. (Genesis 1) He set a standard "in the beginning" and then again at "the fall". (Genesis 3) God set in place a system of order and a set of rules that He, Himself follows. If He didn't, what kind of God would He represent? What kind of confusion and chaos would there be without a plan? What and how would we learn? What kind of an example would we see? There would be no precedent, no example to follow, if not for order.
From Billy Graham's website: https://billygraham.org/devotion/god-of-order/
"The trouble with our modern thinking is that we have a conception that God is a haphazard God with no set rules of life and salvation. Ask the astronomer if God is a haphazard God. He will tell you that every star moves with precision in its celestial path. Ask the scientist if God is a haphazard God. He will tell you that His formulas and equations are fixed, and that to ignore the laws of science would be a fool’s folly. If the laws in the material realm are so fixed and exact, is it reasonable that God could afford to be haphazard in the spiritual realm, where eternal destinies of souls are at stake? Just as God has equations and rules in the material realm, God has equations and rules in the spiritual."
God is the God of order. Anything that happens outside of the system He created, is a miracle. He can do that, too. And a miracle is meant to show God's love and His sovereignty. A miracle is a call to take notice.
And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. Mark 10:27
Further, God and science are not at odds, but rather they align in agreement.
We need to understand the biggest part of God's sovereignty is the fact that He gives us free will. He did not have to do that. He could have made puppets on a string, pulling this arm, then this leg, even the turn of a head with a string. But what kind of love would that be? What satisfaction would come from that? If every action was a pull of God's strings, if he forced us to love Him, from where would the honor and worship come? There would be none. It would mean nothing for Him, but even more it would mean nothing for us. We see the first example of free will by Adam and Eve when they consciously and deliberately chose to disobey God. (Genesis 3:6) They knew what they were doing as they talked each other into it. They then experienced guilt and fear and hid from God.
I tire of those that point to God's sovereignty as if there is no choice for us. I tire that he gets the blame for the horrific things that happen on earth. Do you think He chose for that little girl to die in the basement of her home? Do you think He wanted the teen-age daughter to be ripped from her home and molested over and over and over by a warped old man in a drug-induced state. Do you think he orchestrates the starvation across the world? Kids suffering and dying in pain? What kind of God would that be? How could one chose to serve a God like that. I suppose there are times we come to Him through fear, (and God works that out too) but Scripture tells us, we are drawn to Him by His great love and kindness. (Romans 2:4)
Our freedom does not negate God's sovereignty. He knows our choice before we do. In fact, He knew it before we were born. Neither His sovereignty or our free will does away with the other. It is simply a matter of God omnisciently knowing our choice.
He created a system and an order to things that even He follows. Pain and suffering and sin are not things of His will. They are things that are man's choice brought about by the fall of man. At some point we have to admit, there is His perfect will and His allowed will. Allowed, because He loves enough to give us freedom and let us chose for ourselves.
God is sovereign. That's the easy part. But the truth of the matter is, He orchestrated a plan from the beginning. (Genesis 1) He set a standard "in the beginning" and then again at "the fall". (Genesis 3) God set in place a system of order and a set of rules that He, Himself follows. If He didn't, what kind of God would He represent? What kind of confusion and chaos would there be without a plan? What and how would we learn? What kind of an example would we see? There would be no precedent, no example to follow, if not for order.
From Billy Graham's website: https://billygraham.org/devotion/god-of-order/
"The trouble with our modern thinking is that we have a conception that God is a haphazard God with no set rules of life and salvation. Ask the astronomer if God is a haphazard God. He will tell you that every star moves with precision in its celestial path. Ask the scientist if God is a haphazard God. He will tell you that His formulas and equations are fixed, and that to ignore the laws of science would be a fool’s folly. If the laws in the material realm are so fixed and exact, is it reasonable that God could afford to be haphazard in the spiritual realm, where eternal destinies of souls are at stake? Just as God has equations and rules in the material realm, God has equations and rules in the spiritual."
God is the God of order. Anything that happens outside of the system He created, is a miracle. He can do that, too. And a miracle is meant to show God's love and His sovereignty. A miracle is a call to take notice.
And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. Mark 10:27
Further, God and science are not at odds, but rather they align in agreement.
We need to understand the biggest part of God's sovereignty is the fact that He gives us free will. He did not have to do that. He could have made puppets on a string, pulling this arm, then this leg, even the turn of a head with a string. But what kind of love would that be? What satisfaction would come from that? If every action was a pull of God's strings, if he forced us to love Him, from where would the honor and worship come? There would be none. It would mean nothing for Him, but even more it would mean nothing for us. We see the first example of free will by Adam and Eve when they consciously and deliberately chose to disobey God. (Genesis 3:6) They knew what they were doing as they talked each other into it. They then experienced guilt and fear and hid from God.
I tire of those that point to God's sovereignty as if there is no choice for us. I tire that he gets the blame for the horrific things that happen on earth. Do you think He chose for that little girl to die in the basement of her home? Do you think He wanted the teen-age daughter to be ripped from her home and molested over and over and over by a warped old man in a drug-induced state. Do you think he orchestrates the starvation across the world? Kids suffering and dying in pain? What kind of God would that be? How could one chose to serve a God like that. I suppose there are times we come to Him through fear, (and God works that out too) but Scripture tells us, we are drawn to Him by His great love and kindness. (Romans 2:4)
Our freedom does not negate God's sovereignty. He knows our choice before we do. In fact, He knew it before we were born. Neither His sovereignty or our free will does away with the other. It is simply a matter of God omnisciently knowing our choice.
He created a system and an order to things that even He follows. Pain and suffering and sin are not things of His will. They are things that are man's choice brought about by the fall of man. At some point we have to admit, there is His perfect will and His allowed will. Allowed, because He loves enough to give us freedom and let us chose for ourselves.
Kissing Courting Good-bye!
Courtship – sometimes I wonder if even after all these years, we have any better understanding of this concept than we did at the onset! For the last thirty years or so, the Christian community has witnessed a resurgence of an old standard called “courtship”. Home-schooling families especially, have bought into the whole idea of “courting” as opposed to dating. For clearer understanding, Christian courtship as defined by Wikipedia is:
“Biblical courtship, also known as Christian courtship is a conservative Christian alternative to dating. It is a response to secular dating culture within various American Christian communities, c. 1985 to present. Motivated by concern for the need of Christian values in contrast to secular dating practices, conservative Christians identified what they saw as key Biblical principles for courtship and romance, and began to disseminate them in the 1980s.”
Some say courtship started with the teaching of Bill Gothard and “Basic Youth Concepts” – which is now called, “Institute in Basic Life Principles”. Others believe that Joshua Harris and his book I Kissed Dating Good-bye is the reason for the 1980’s surge in popularity. Both teachings likely had a great deal to do with the courtship trend we have seen in the last several years.
As a general rule, there are a few common principles in any courtship model. The most common rules and understanding of courtship we see are:
· Seek the father’s permission to spend time with his daughter
· Meetings should only be in group setting or a chaperone should always be present
· Purity and a chaste relationship (We all want that for our children!)
· Rejection of secular dating
· Getting to know one another as “friends” prior to “falling in love”
· The ultimate goal of the relationship is expected to end in marriage
These are a few of the standards that are most often agreed upon by those who chose to participate in a modern courting relationship. But for the most part, courtship in today’s society is still new enough and unstructured enough for there to be a great deal of misunderstanding and confusion by all who are involved in regard to what is really expected while “courting”.
In reality, although we have the generic standards lined out above, once in an actual relationship the first troubling thing a couple may find is that there really are no clear rules and understanding of what is expected. That’s a nightmare waiting to happen!
I have witnessed couples who say they are courting, but in fact, are doing nothing different than what we see in the world of dating. As well, I have seen couples who are hogtied to strict rules that one would be hard-pressed to find backed up in Scripture; and I have seen others that only seem to want to follow the trend, having no idea what they believe and why, in regard to courtship. For the most part, everyone seems to only do what they view as right in their own eyes; only muddling through without a clear example which in the past would have been set by parents’ generations prior. The fact is we are several generations in to the “dating” system alone, courtship being left far behind until this recent reappearance. This is why no one really knows what to expect in a “courting” relationship. Parents are at a loss themselves in what to teach their children about courtship because they never experienced it themselves.
I used to think I believed in courtship. I was convinced it was a wonderful thing! I mean who wouldn’t want their child to be in a relationship that is perceived to be free of the natural heartbreak that every young man and woman usually experience in life through dating. Certainly the standards set in dating by the secular world are something to be avoided. Things became so promiscuously reckless in the world the Christian understandably wanted something better. And we needed something better!
These are the reasons I supported courtship; I believed in it; I respected it; I promoted it in all it’s popular, trending glory. That is, until my son ended up in a courtship relationship, which gave me valuable insight into the whole courtship scenario and all that it entails.
I am confident I am not alone. Many are starting to “kiss [courting] good-bye”. Let’s look at some of the practical problems with courting, and where we might have failed.
For starters, it puts the young man in the position of feeling like he has to marry the one he may only want to ask out for coffee in order that he might get to know her better. The interested gentleman is subjected to asking a father’s permission even before he knows if the young woman and he are compatible. Think about it; with courtship as defined above, and with all the expectations that are involved, asking to spend time with a young woman in order to court is not really much different than the past tradition of asking for her hand in marriage. Only problem is, it’s way too early and expectations are out of order!!
If the young woman’s expectation is “date only to marry” i.e. courtship, she is going to automatically believe that is also the goal of the young man. She may have hopes (that almost every young woman has had from the time she was a little girl) to grow up and have a beautiful wedding to a wonderful man ending with a long dreamed about family and a “happily ever after”. That’s a rather large expectation to dash, if things go awry with a gentleman that only wants to first get to know someone. To believe that there will be no hurt feelings if the courtship doesn’t work is clearly hogwash!
As well, there are those that have laid down strict rules that no one else has been made aware. Some may believe that their beliefs are the correct path to follow for every individual, rather than understanding there will be different principles for others who may have doctrinal differences, but are committed just as strongly to their beliefs. An experience of that nature can leave families confused, not always understanding the goals, agenda, or beliefs of the other family, especially when expectations are not laid out and discussed beforehand.
Since there is no set standard, it often forces the parents of the female to set the rules as they go. And remember; courting is something new to most parents! No one can think through every situation that might surface as a relationship progresses. Try as they might, concerned parents are going to find issues arise that they just didn’t foresee. It compels them to set new rules as they go. Often, instead of extending trust, they only offer more restrictions.
I have found when there is no “trust” of the two young people who are involved rules invariably do need to change as things progress. That leaves the young people feeling used, vulnerable and like there is no way they will ever please or meet the parents’ ideals or standards. As the girl’s parents are usually the one that sets those standards and makes up the new rules for this runaway train called courtship, it leaves young men feeling defenseless and discouraged.
Another obvious flaw that should have been apparent from the onset of this current model called courtship is that if there is always a third party present, it leaves no time for the two involved to get to know one another on personal levels. They certainly are not going to discuss theology beliefs, personal life desires, or child-raising viewpoints in front of a third party. Many months or even years can pass, before the two realize there are some serious issues on which they simply do not agree.
If there are no set rules established for modern courtship, and they are only made up by the parents as certain situations arise, it puts the gentleman in the position of continually being at the mercy of parents with whom he may or may not be in agreement doctrinally and spiritually. In reality, the young man is forced not to seek to please the young woman; but rather, he must seek to please the parents first. That simply isn’t Scriptural.
A young man at this time in his life should be exerting initiative and learning how to become the head of household; instead he ends up succumbing to parental authority of the one he is supposed to be planning on marrying. Young women, (especially young Christian women) will tend to agree with their parents on most issues, so it becomes a battle of wills with all involved. Because of the need to respect and bow to parental authority, the woman ends up winning battles that otherwise would and should be worked out by the couple themselves.
What the parents of the young woman may not understand is they are undermining the leadership and the headship of the male figure in a marriage, even before the knot is tied. They are setting a terrible pattern of allowing the young woman to have the final say on matters rather than helping her learn the importance of communication and discussion in a relationship.
In the early relationship, when everything is done the young woman’s way, (rather, the way of her parents) she does not learn give and take; but instead she learns that she is the winner in every situation. To start this precedent early on in the courtship is only training that which the young woman will come to expect in marriage i.e. “Hubby isn’t head of household. I am; and I have Mommy and Daddy to back me up.”
That standard should be a huge red flag for anyone that understands the true role of the man as the spiritual head of the home. The couple hasn’t learned to discuss and come to mutual agreement. They have only learned what Mom and Dad say goes.
Further and finally, it’s the man’s character that is constantly called into question. A chaperone is nothing more than a constant reminder that it is somehow believed he can’t be trusted. A constant questioning of ones’ character is simply not healthy for anyone’s self esteem, or even their mental attitude. How can a young woman learn she can trust a young man, when he is obviously not trusted by a parent? Do we really want to put that type of mistrust of men in our young women’s heads and hearts?
Even further, in my opinion, a chaperone serves as a constant reminder of sex. “We can’t be alone together, because we might do something we shouldn’t.” That isn’t a healthy mindset either! It simply puts “sex” at the forefront of the relationship. That’s not any different than what we see in the world today. Sex, sex, sex! But in this case, it only becomes an appendage of fear that results in an attitude or lifestyle lived out in “we might do something we shouldn’t”. Protecting our young men and women’s reputation by requiring a chaperone is a false premise. No one is paying attention to that. If someone is looking for gossip or a way to attack ones reputation or behavior they will find it, even if they have to invent it. The opposite can also be said. One could suspect the couple has done something illicit in which they require a chaperone – i.e. they have done something to cause them to lose trust. In my opinion, chaperones after someone has reached adulthood are only a crutch for a worried parent.
Teach your daughters strength of character; a holy walk; and to stand for Biblical truths and you won’t have to worry about our sons whom we have taught the same. Know your son and daughter well enough to know how they would respond to every situation, and have faith they will do the right thing. To do otherwise is to only promote conflict.
Those who favor or promote courtship seem to believe that, all components of the concept are Biblically based. While, examples of purity are clearly laid out in Scripture, purity has been an expectation for the Christian for generations, because it is Scriptural. That is not something brought about by the idea of courtship. The truth is one will be hard pressed to find Scripture to back up today’s standards of courtship. It simply isn’t there.
I have always believed in early marriage. Though certainly not mandatory, I do believe it is beneficial. The Bible uses many examples to show two are better than one. When one is down, the other will lift him up. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Mark 6:7) That isn’t only true in the work field or “missions” field; it is a benefit of marriage! Furthermore, the Bible teaches that it is better to marry than to burn with lust. (Corinthians 7:9) Our Lord would rather young people marry than have to resist temptation for years until society, or anyone else, deems them ready for marriage. As well, not allowing two young people to be alone together and trusting them to do so respectfully, only puts pressure on them to marry possibly sooner than they should. There is a balance that needs to be reached. My only caveat is that the young man should be the one to determine when he is ready. Not, the woman, not the woman’s parents, not the man’s parents. Only the man can properly determine this; and any pressure otherwise is sure to lead to rebellion and resentment later, if someone else’s judgment was inaccurate.
It has been reported we are finally starting to see a high divorce rate among couples that courted. I have not substantiated that fact, but I do know we are seeing confusion and disillusionment with the courting philosophy.
If one chooses to court, I would like to offer some suggestions that may help solidify the concept, by alleviating some of the problems that arise which I have mentioned in this article.
- Before a courting relationship begins set down all rules and expectations of all parties concerned. i.e. the young woman, the young man, the woman’s parents, and the man’s parents
- Don’t enter into courtship with the idea that “this is the one”, but rather this is a time of getting to know one another more fully. Courtship does not necessarily mean marriage.
- Allow your young adults time to be alone so they can get to know one another on a more serious level concerning issues they would not talk about in front of a third party. i.e. children, faith, life desires, etc.
- Build trust! The young woman must learn that she can trust the young man. This can only happen if her parents trust him.
- Teach your daughters strength of character; a holy walk; and to stand for Biblical truths and you won’t have to worry about our sons whom we have taught the same.
- The young man must know what God has in store for him in the way of his life goals, before he considers getting married.
As a mother of an adult son who is yet unmarried, my ultimate desire for him would be found in the title of Ken Graves’ book: Master, Mission, Mate. I want to say to my son and to all young men with a desire to marry: Serve our Master first. Find out what it is that He has designed for your life. What is the mission He has for you in the way of serving Him and in the way of your work or profession? Understand, at least, the general direction on the road He has planned for you to travel throughout your life. When you know all that, then and only then, should a mate be considered. Your mate should only fit in where she is in agreement with the first two facets of this slogan. If she isn’t in agreement with what God has in store for you, then you have the wrong woman.
The bottom line is courtship is not going to give you the knowledge or understanding of what God has for your life. Courtship isn’t going to keep you safe from hurt and loss. Courtship won’t keep your reputation solid. Courtship won’t keep you pure and holy. Only a heart set on Him, will do all of that and more…For that you don’t need chaperones. You already have One.
Jeremiah 10:1-5
King James Version (KJV)
10 Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
2 Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be
not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at
them.
3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest,
the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because
they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is
it in them to do good.
In recent years, there have been some Christians convicted by these verses, believing them to be in reference to the Christmas tree. Because of that conviction, these Christians have chosen for themselves to avoid the custom of the Christmas tree. If that is their conviction, then they must follow their hearts on the matter, as instructed in Romans 14: 2-5.
However, of late, we have seen a rise in this belief and we see more and more Christians choosing to not celebrate Christmas with a tree.
For me, it was plain that those concerned about this tradition drew their concerns from these verses in Jeremiah. I had also wondered about this Scripture in the past.
But let’s take a look at these verses. In verse one, we see this is definitely a warning from God to Israel. But certainly, it is also a warning to us. We are warned to not act as the heathen act and Jeremiah immediately refers to those that follow the “signs of heaven”. Clearly this is a reference to astronomy and those that might follow astrological signs seeking to know the future; or find prophecy through the stars. But it is also concerned with unusual phenomena like eclipses, meteorites and comets. Looking for signs that occurred in the sky was a common practice. This is in itself idol worship and throughout Scripture we are warned of such idolatrous practices.
From the Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Bible Commentary, we are told the discussion in this chapter is:
"Ver. 1-25. CONTRAST BETWEEN THE IDOLS AND JEHOVAH. THE PROPHET’S LAMENTATION AND PRAYER."
Clearly, this trusted, old commentary is correct in stating these verses are a concern over idol worship, whether it comes from astrological signs or elsewhere. What we are seeing here is that everything connected with idols is a result of human effort and an inappropriate focus. But it also says we are not to be dismayed over it. We are advised that we shouldn’t follow the heathens in their practice, but neither should we be dismayed.
Next we are told “the customs of the people are vain” and we read an example of what could be applied to our Christmas trees. But again we are instructed: “Be not afraid of them for they cannot do evil.”
We have some saying today that “The modern Christmas tree is a perfect example of what the heathen were doing in the time of Jeremiah.” Really, this couldn’t be further from the truth. These verses were a warning of idol worship in Jeremiah’s day that was without a doubt taking place.
It is also clear from these verses, (which some may be ignoring) that this is nothing more than an intent of the heart. If one is worshipping idols in this way, then absolutely we have instruction in Scripture to avoid that. But if our focus is on our Lord and Savior, which Christmas celebrates and honors, it is my firm belief God would place no restrictions.
But I don’t know anyone who worships their tree, or treats it like a god, today. Do you? Rather the tree is treated as a tool of celebration and a means to remember our King’s birth.
In my opinion, those that are often called “tree huggers” today - strict environmentalists that want to prevent proper forest management, because an unsuitable tree might need to be killed in the process fall more in line with one who worships a tree. Their idea of maintaining forests would be to prevent the cutting of trees for any cause. That is an extreme that would fall more in line with the idea that one might be worshipping a tree, than someone who chooses to decorate a Christmas tree in their home.
Personally, I don’t believe these verses are talking about the “Christmas tree”. They were written in the days of the Old Testament, at least 600 years before anyone had any idea about “Christmas” and the Gift we would be given. These verses are most likely in reference to the idol worship of the Chaldeans, known for their worship of astrology; which is also why the verses of astrology are tied in here along with the verses about the trees. It is a warning to the Jewish people to not to fall into a similar trap through their contact with the heathens, or pagan customs of any of the other nations surrounding Israel.
Much later, the decorating of the tree came from a Druid tradition, which was again based on idol worship and mysticism in regard to the worship of the winter solstice. But the winter solstice, even according to those who celebrate it, is in fact the complete antithesis of our Christmas celebration. I would agree! That Druid tradition is the antithesis of Christmas! And that is NOT what we are celebrating. Still there are those that continue to claim our Christmas tree stems from this tradition.
The root of the Druid belief, I believe, could quite possibly have been from the ungodly worship of the Asherah poles in the Old Testament with their focus on mysticism, magic and idol worship of trees. Those two connections seem more closely related than anything we celebrate as Christians. This pagan worship simply has no basis for how Christians choose to celebrate the birth of their Savior; and that is even true for the secular side of the celebration of Christmas! Rather, it has always been about Jesus. Asherah was a pagan goddess, said to be mother of Baal and all she represented should not even be mentioned. (Exodus 34:12-14) I’m not going there in this post. It is simply a much too far stretch to try to make this type of idol worship apply to a Christmas tree. And in my opinion, it is a shame.
It saddens me that Christians choose to take these verses from Jeremiah and make them into something they are not. The Christmas tree is one of the oldest and well-known traditions of the celebration of Christmas. But it is far from an idol! It has only become a symbol of a holiday we find so dear. I find it a shame that in a world that now tries to minimize Christmas in every way, by keeping it our of our schools and the public arena, we also have a new custom beginning among Christians themselves adding to the Christmas demise.
I believe the worse case scenario this new concern among some well-meaning Christians could lead is Christmas becoming only a workday like any other day of the week. That isn’t such a far-fetched idea. I have known some Christians that have stated that is their desire. More importantly it is obviously the desire of atheists and secular progressives. And for me that is a tragedy. Atheists would win in that case, wouldn’t they?
I find it odd that Christians would put themselves under that kind of bondage regarding a Christmas tradition, without also attempting to adhere to the dietary and cleanliness laws; or the laws regarding the Sabbath and all the laws of the Old Testament. Further, as we consider how lax the church has become about drinking, smoking, cursing - even pastors cursing in church and within their written literature – it actually leaves me shaking my head in wonder.
Again, what seems to be taking place over and over these days is a goal to destroy the celebration of our faith. Atheists and secularists hate the celebration of Christmas because it forces conversations about Jesus. Loosing the tradition of the Christmas tree could end in being just another means that simply aids those that hate our holy day.
Honestly, I can use the same argument that those who condemn the Christmas tree use, by saying the tree to me is symbolic of the tree on which Christ died for me - Acts 5:30 and 1 Peter 2:24. To me that is not nearly the stretch that it is to say my Christmas tree is honoring a pagan tradition, or a pagan goddess. That absolutely isn’t what the Christmas tree is to me and the rest of those who choose to celebrate Christmas in this way.
But again for those convicted by it, you don’t need to put up a tree; but at least please consider those with whom you inadvertently join.
For me, I say CELEBRATE! There is nothing that is too good for our Lord. Play Christmas carols in November! Decorate our homes and yards with joyous and bright decorations. Fill the stores with all things Christmas! In the end, it causes us all to talk about one thing and that is Jesus….whether some like it or not.
Isaiah 44:12-28
1 Corinthians 10: 14
King James Version (KJV)
10 Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
2 Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be
not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at
them.
3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest,
the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because
they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is
it in them to do good.
In recent years, there have been some Christians convicted by these verses, believing them to be in reference to the Christmas tree. Because of that conviction, these Christians have chosen for themselves to avoid the custom of the Christmas tree. If that is their conviction, then they must follow their hearts on the matter, as instructed in Romans 14: 2-5.
However, of late, we have seen a rise in this belief and we see more and more Christians choosing to not celebrate Christmas with a tree.
For me, it was plain that those concerned about this tradition drew their concerns from these verses in Jeremiah. I had also wondered about this Scripture in the past.
But let’s take a look at these verses. In verse one, we see this is definitely a warning from God to Israel. But certainly, it is also a warning to us. We are warned to not act as the heathen act and Jeremiah immediately refers to those that follow the “signs of heaven”. Clearly this is a reference to astronomy and those that might follow astrological signs seeking to know the future; or find prophecy through the stars. But it is also concerned with unusual phenomena like eclipses, meteorites and comets. Looking for signs that occurred in the sky was a common practice. This is in itself idol worship and throughout Scripture we are warned of such idolatrous practices.
From the Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Bible Commentary, we are told the discussion in this chapter is:
"Ver. 1-25. CONTRAST BETWEEN THE IDOLS AND JEHOVAH. THE PROPHET’S LAMENTATION AND PRAYER."
Clearly, this trusted, old commentary is correct in stating these verses are a concern over idol worship, whether it comes from astrological signs or elsewhere. What we are seeing here is that everything connected with idols is a result of human effort and an inappropriate focus. But it also says we are not to be dismayed over it. We are advised that we shouldn’t follow the heathens in their practice, but neither should we be dismayed.
Next we are told “the customs of the people are vain” and we read an example of what could be applied to our Christmas trees. But again we are instructed: “Be not afraid of them for they cannot do evil.”
We have some saying today that “The modern Christmas tree is a perfect example of what the heathen were doing in the time of Jeremiah.” Really, this couldn’t be further from the truth. These verses were a warning of idol worship in Jeremiah’s day that was without a doubt taking place.
It is also clear from these verses, (which some may be ignoring) that this is nothing more than an intent of the heart. If one is worshipping idols in this way, then absolutely we have instruction in Scripture to avoid that. But if our focus is on our Lord and Savior, which Christmas celebrates and honors, it is my firm belief God would place no restrictions.
But I don’t know anyone who worships their tree, or treats it like a god, today. Do you? Rather the tree is treated as a tool of celebration and a means to remember our King’s birth.
In my opinion, those that are often called “tree huggers” today - strict environmentalists that want to prevent proper forest management, because an unsuitable tree might need to be killed in the process fall more in line with one who worships a tree. Their idea of maintaining forests would be to prevent the cutting of trees for any cause. That is an extreme that would fall more in line with the idea that one might be worshipping a tree, than someone who chooses to decorate a Christmas tree in their home.
Personally, I don’t believe these verses are talking about the “Christmas tree”. They were written in the days of the Old Testament, at least 600 years before anyone had any idea about “Christmas” and the Gift we would be given. These verses are most likely in reference to the idol worship of the Chaldeans, known for their worship of astrology; which is also why the verses of astrology are tied in here along with the verses about the trees. It is a warning to the Jewish people to not to fall into a similar trap through their contact with the heathens, or pagan customs of any of the other nations surrounding Israel.
Much later, the decorating of the tree came from a Druid tradition, which was again based on idol worship and mysticism in regard to the worship of the winter solstice. But the winter solstice, even according to those who celebrate it, is in fact the complete antithesis of our Christmas celebration. I would agree! That Druid tradition is the antithesis of Christmas! And that is NOT what we are celebrating. Still there are those that continue to claim our Christmas tree stems from this tradition.
The root of the Druid belief, I believe, could quite possibly have been from the ungodly worship of the Asherah poles in the Old Testament with their focus on mysticism, magic and idol worship of trees. Those two connections seem more closely related than anything we celebrate as Christians. This pagan worship simply has no basis for how Christians choose to celebrate the birth of their Savior; and that is even true for the secular side of the celebration of Christmas! Rather, it has always been about Jesus. Asherah was a pagan goddess, said to be mother of Baal and all she represented should not even be mentioned. (Exodus 34:12-14) I’m not going there in this post. It is simply a much too far stretch to try to make this type of idol worship apply to a Christmas tree. And in my opinion, it is a shame.
It saddens me that Christians choose to take these verses from Jeremiah and make them into something they are not. The Christmas tree is one of the oldest and well-known traditions of the celebration of Christmas. But it is far from an idol! It has only become a symbol of a holiday we find so dear. I find it a shame that in a world that now tries to minimize Christmas in every way, by keeping it our of our schools and the public arena, we also have a new custom beginning among Christians themselves adding to the Christmas demise.
I believe the worse case scenario this new concern among some well-meaning Christians could lead is Christmas becoming only a workday like any other day of the week. That isn’t such a far-fetched idea. I have known some Christians that have stated that is their desire. More importantly it is obviously the desire of atheists and secular progressives. And for me that is a tragedy. Atheists would win in that case, wouldn’t they?
I find it odd that Christians would put themselves under that kind of bondage regarding a Christmas tradition, without also attempting to adhere to the dietary and cleanliness laws; or the laws regarding the Sabbath and all the laws of the Old Testament. Further, as we consider how lax the church has become about drinking, smoking, cursing - even pastors cursing in church and within their written literature – it actually leaves me shaking my head in wonder.
Again, what seems to be taking place over and over these days is a goal to destroy the celebration of our faith. Atheists and secularists hate the celebration of Christmas because it forces conversations about Jesus. Loosing the tradition of the Christmas tree could end in being just another means that simply aids those that hate our holy day.
Honestly, I can use the same argument that those who condemn the Christmas tree use, by saying the tree to me is symbolic of the tree on which Christ died for me - Acts 5:30 and 1 Peter 2:24. To me that is not nearly the stretch that it is to say my Christmas tree is honoring a pagan tradition, or a pagan goddess. That absolutely isn’t what the Christmas tree is to me and the rest of those who choose to celebrate Christmas in this way.
But again for those convicted by it, you don’t need to put up a tree; but at least please consider those with whom you inadvertently join.
For me, I say CELEBRATE! There is nothing that is too good for our Lord. Play Christmas carols in November! Decorate our homes and yards with joyous and bright decorations. Fill the stores with all things Christmas! In the end, it causes us all to talk about one thing and that is Jesus….whether some like it or not.
Isaiah 44:12-28
1 Corinthians 10: 14
