CHRISTMAS TREE

[Nancy]

Hello all and Merry CHRISTmas.
There is a few verses I read years back and it made me wonder. Maybe some of you can possibly explain what you think of this verse and it's meaning:

Jeremiah 10:1-5
"1 Hear the word that the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2 This is what the LORD says:

“Do not learn the ways of the nations

or be terrified by the signs in the heavens,

though the nations themselves are terrified by them.3 For the customs of the peoples are worthless;

they cut down a tree from the forest;

it is shaped with a chisel

by the hands of a craftsman.4 They adorn it with silver and gold

and fasten it with hammer and nails,

so that it will not totter.5 Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch,

their idols cannot speak.

They must be carried

because they cannot walk.

Do not fear them, for they can do no harm,

and neither can they do any good.”

Is this where the modern day "Christmas tree" came from? I hope not as I do love a nicely decorated tree!! Any takers?

 

[Pearl]

Hello all and Merry CHRISTmas.
There is a few verses I read years back and it made me wonder. Maybe some of you can possibly explain what you think of this verse and it's meaning:

"1 Hear the word that the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2 This is what the LORD says:

“Do not learn the ways of the nations

or be terrified by the signs in the heavens,

though the nations themselves are terrified by them.3 For the customs of the peoples are worthless;

they cut down a tree from the forest;

it is shaped with a chisel

by the hands of a craftsman.4 They adorn it with silver and gold

and fasten it with hammer and nails,

so that it will not totter.5 Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch,

their idols cannot speak.

They must be carried

because they cannot walk.

Do not fear them, for they can do no harm,

and neither can they do any good.”

Is this where the modern day "Christmas tree" came from? I hope not as I do love a nicely decorated tree!! Any takers?

Interesting. Where does that come from Nancy?

 

[Nancy]

Interesting. Where does that come from Nancy?

Oh gosh, I never cited it!!! It is Jeremiah 10:1-5

 

[VictoryinJesus]

Hello all and Merry CHRISTmas.
There is a few verses I read years back and it made me wonder. Maybe some of you can possibly explain what you think of this verse and it's meaning:

Jeremiah 10:1-5
"1 Hear the word that the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2 This is what the LORD says:

“Do not learn the ways of the nations

or be terrified by the signs in the heavens,

though the nations themselves are terrified by them.3 For the customs of the peoples are worthless;

they cut down a tree from the forest;

it is shaped with a chisel

by the hands of a craftsman.4 They adorn it with silver and gold

and fasten it with hammer and nails,

so that it will not totter.5 Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch,

their idols cannot speak.

They must be carried

because they cannot walk.

Do not fear them, for they can do no harm,

and neither can they do any good.”

Is this where the modern day "Christmas tree" came from? I hope not as I do love a nicely decorated tree!! Any takers?

Interesting. maybe. Could be. “they cut down a tree from the forest;
it is shaped with a chisel
by the hands of a craftsman.4 They adorn it with silver and gold”

“...with silver and gold” has this song stuck in my mind

 

[Nancy]

Interesting. maybe. Could be. “they cut down a tree from the forest;
it is shaped with a chisel
by the hands of a craftsman.4 They adorn it with silver and gold”

“...with silver and gold” has this song stuck on in my mind

Rudolph (edited), lol. This is obviously speaking of "idols" but then, the words and phrasing sure does sound like a Christmas tree!! I don't believe the verses are prophetic but then, maybe they are? Or, did the pagan's back then do this I wonder?

 

[VictoryinJesus]

Rudolph (edited), lol. This is obviously speaking of "idols" but then, the words and phrasing sure does sound like a Christmas tree!! I don't believe the verses are prophetic but then, maybe they are? Or, did the pagan's back then do this I wonder?

I don’t know. There are so many things that come from His word. Never will forget a member sharing with us about being told he was evil as a small child for being left handed. No, (imo) the passage is not speaking of Decorating a Christmas tree...but the idea could have come from there maybe.

 

[historyb]

Is this where the modern day "Christmas tree" came from? I hope not as I do love a nicely decorated tree!! Any takers?

No, not everything we do in modern times is from the Bible. This is talking about what Israel did in anicents times along with other nations making idols, I hope no one is silly enough to make a Christmas trees (German tradition along with Queen Victoria) idols. We have to get past the idea that everything in the OT can be related to modern things, it can't. The Bible wasn't made for that, the Bible is the history of Salvation especially the OT showing what went on not an instruction manual. Sorry about the rant but so many evangelicals and converts think that everything is bad because of the Bible.

Enjoy life and Merry Christmas

Here is a link to the history of the Christmas tree

The Beautiful Origin and History of the Christmas Tree

 

[JohnDB]

Does anyone pray to a tree that is decorated?

Of course not.

Our trees are what we make of them.
Usually a nice decoration around the house for Christmas.

 

[TheslightestID]

Very interesting, I was not aware of that scripture.

It's very possible that morphed into what we know today as the Christmas tree. Fortunately, the meaning of the tree morphed as well.

 

[David H.]

Is this where the modern day "Christmas tree" came from? I hope not as I do love a nicely decorated tree!! Any takers?

There is a similar passage to this in Isaiah which I will have to look up as I cannot remember where it is found, but it is speaking of carved idols hence the chisel allusion. The One is Isaiah refers how they take parts of the tree to burn in the fire to warm themselves and cook with, which are none sacred things and then they worship the idol made with hands of the same tree. (See Isaiah 44:14-20) Thus the verse you are referring to I believe is similar, about carved and adorned idols.

 

[Michael1985]

I don't see it as a Christmas tree. As for the trees themselves, I consider them extraneous as far as observing the birth of the Messiah.

 

[Rita]

I remember years ago that passage being relayed to me by my husbands JW uncle. I was quite a young Christian at the time.......he gave me a lecture on all the reasons why they don’t celebrate Christmas.
I love have a tree up every year, love the lights.
Has it become an idol, hmmm not sure about that. How many of us couldn’t go through this festive time without one , so we may not be bowing down to it, but in our hearts it has taken a place of importance.
However that’s a debatable point.
Rita x

 

[TLHKAJ]

Honestly, if you're seeing the similarity and you're wondering about it, it's probably the Lord bringing your attention to it.
Where in Scripture are we told to observe Christ's birthday (or buy presents for each other, decorate a tree, etc)? This may be why we aren't given an exact date for His birth. But we are told more about His death on the cross and the timing, and we are told to observe His sacrifice.

 

[Rita]

Honestly, if you're seeing the similarity and you're wondering about it, it's probably the Lord bringing your attention to it.
Where in Scripture are we told to observe Christ's birthday (or buy presents for each other, decorate a tree, etc)? This may be why we aren't given an exact date for His birth. But we are told more about His death on the cross and the timing, and we are told to observe His sacrifice.

I have to agree with you on that one, I have always had that view. However if we are honest there are many things throughout the year that have become traditions that we partake in because they are just part of the yearly events. I don’t think it is wrong to remember his birth, after all it was the initiating event that would ignite His kingdom.
Rita

 

[Cooper]

Hello all and Merry CHRISTmas.
There is a few verses I read years back and it made me wonder. Maybe some of you can possibly explain what you think of this verse and it's meaning:

Jeremiah 10:1-5
"1 Hear the word that the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2 This is what the LORD says:

“Do not learn the ways of the nations

or be terrified by the signs in the heavens,

though the nations themselves are terrified by them.3 For the customs of the peoples are worthless;

they cut down a tree from the forest;

it is shaped with a chisel

by the hands of a craftsman.4 They adorn it with silver and gold

and fasten it with hammer and nails,

so that it will not totter.5 Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch,

their idols cannot speak.

They must be carried

because they cannot walk.

Do not fear them, for they can do no harm,

and neither can they do any good.”

Is this where the modern day "Christmas tree" came from? I hope not as I do love a nicely decorated tree!! Any takers?

They cut down trees to make large idols.
.

 

[Cooper]

I have to agree with you on that one, I have always had that view. However if we are honest there are many things throughout the year that have become traditions that we partake in because they are just part of the yearly events. I don’t think it is wrong to remember his birth, after all it was the initiating event that would ignite His kingdom.
Rita

Christmas trees are pagan in origin.

Jesus was born mid September.
.

 

[quietthinker]

Hello all and Merry CHRISTmas.
There is a few verses I read years back and it made me wonder. Maybe some of you can possibly explain what you think of this verse and it's meaning:

Jeremiah 10:1-5
"1 Hear the word that the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2 This is what the LORD says:

“Do not learn the ways of the nations

or be terrified by the signs in the heavens,

though the nations themselves are terrified by them.3 For the customs of the peoples are worthless;

they cut down a tree from the forest;

it is shaped with a chisel

by the hands of a craftsman.4 They adorn it with silver and gold

and fasten it with hammer and nails,

so that it will not totter.5 Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch,

their idols cannot speak.

They must be carried

because they cannot walk.

Do not fear them, for they can do no harm,

and neither can they do any good.”

Is this where the modern day "Christmas tree" came from? I hope not as I do love a nicely decorated tree!! Any takers?

what we call the Christmas tree has its origins from the fertility festivals of paganism. A straight evergreen representing the phallus decorated with balls and tinsel representing the testicles and sperm.
If you want detailed information I can recommend 'The Two Babylons' by Arthur Hislop.

 

[VictoryinJesus]

what we call the Christmas tree has its origins from the fertility festivals of paganism. A straight evergreen representing the phallus decorated with balls and tinsel representing the testicles and sperm.
If you want detailed information I can recommend 'The Two Babylons' by Arthur Hislop.

what about the star on top?

 

[JohnDB]

Christ has conquered Easter...but He has always owned Christmas.

Santa Claus is another way of saying Saint Claus... Saint Nicolas...
A Saint of the Church. Again not heathen.

The argument about the commercialization of Christmas can be dated back to even the Hannakah Celebration.

OK...back to your regularly scheduled arguments.

 

[Pearl]

what about the star on top?

Ours has an angel.