Standing Stones and Christmas Trees
December 7 at 02:36 PM
If you’ve ever taken a study trip to Israel, one of the first sites you most likely saw was Gezer, only a few miles from the airport in Tel Aviv.
There you will find a group of ancient standing stones (matzebot in Hebrew) that date from 1500 BC, when the Canaanites were in the land of Israel. They were part of the ancient practice of erecting stone pillars at pagan worship sites, and were often involved in worship of heavenly bodies.
The practice dates from at least 5000 BC. Many sacred stone sites from 3000 BC and older can still be found in the Negev and Sinai desert, as well as around Europe and elsewhere. Stonehenge, from around 2500 BC, is another example.
In theory, the pillar monument at Gezer should not be standing right now. God gave the Israelites explicit instructions to destroy all of the pagan standing stones in Israel:
“Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones (matzebot) and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places.” (Deuteronomy 12:3)
But Gezer was a very strategic city and only rarely were Israelite kings in control of it (Judges 1:29, 1 Kings 9:16). So during very little of Israel’s ancient history could they have knocked down the stones of Gezer.
Interestingly, Jacob used this practice to worship God after he had the vision of the heavenly staircase. There he erected a stone, anointed it, dedicated it to God and called it Bethel (Genesis 28:18-28). Even more surprisingly, after the Israelites crossed the Jordan, God himself commanded them to set up twelve stones to be a memorial to the miracle God did there. The text says,
“When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, `What are these stones?’ then you shall inform your children, saying, `Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.’ “For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the LORD your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever.” (Joshua 4:21-24)
How ironic it is that God used the same practice usually meant for idolatry to show his glory to the world, so that through the generations people would stop and remember what God did there. Otherwise, God forbade standing stones. He commanded, “You shall not set up for yourself a sacred pillar, which the LORD your God hates.” (Deuteronomy 16:22)
Why? The difference was the motivation - whether the stones were set up to point people toward God, or to worship idols.
The bronze serpent illustrates this idea in reverse. When the Israelites were bitten by snakes in the desert, God commanded that a bronze serpent be hung on a pole. The people who looked at it in faith would live (Numbers 21:9). But later in history, the bronze snake became an idol, so it had to be destroyed (2 Kings 18:4). The fact that God created it didn’t sanctify it when it was being misused. Once again, the motivation of the people, not the origins, determined whether a thing was idolatrous or God-honoring.
These biblical examples can give us wisdom about the holidays of Christmas and Easter. These holidays began as Christians decided to worship the true God on days when pagan gods used to be worshiped. Some of the traditions (like the Christmas tree and the Easter egg) once had pagan meanings that are now lost as they have become Christian celebrations. Should we avoid these observances?
There are some people who have rejected these celebrations entirely because of their origins. But it seems that the critical thing is not what their origins are, but whether we are worshiping the one true God. To most Christians, these holidays glorify God like the standing stones by the Jordan did—they are a continual reminder of the wonderful thing God has done by sending the promised Messiah, who saved us by suffering and dying for our sins.
Image of Standing Stones from bibleplaces.com.
Image of tree & madonna from
articles Categories
- At the Rabbi's Feet (3)
- Thinking Biblically (7)
- Jesus' Jewish Reality (4)
- The Feasts (1)
- Other Reflections (4)
Latest articles
-
Standing Stones and Christmas Trees
December 7 ~ (11) Comment -
How Could She Miss the Pool of Siloam?
October 26 ~ (6) Comment -
A Precious Goblet
October 26 ~ (1) Comment -
The Flood: From Baby’s Room to Philosopher’s Den
July 19 ~ (7) Comment -
Hebraic Thinking is that of an Oral Culture
July 19 ~ (7) Comment
Most Discussed
-
Standing Stones and Christmas Trees
December 7 ~ (11) Comment -
How Could She Miss the Pool of Siloam?
October 26 ~ (6) Comment -
Under the Passover Moon
January 23 ~ (10) Comment -
Can we call Jesus “Rabbi”?
February 10 ~ (8) Comment -
The Flood: From Baby’s Room to Philosopher’s Den
July 19 ~ (7) Comment
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)|December 09, 2009
I am reminded of 1 Samuel 16:7 which says, “for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. The LORD looks at our heart; He looks at our motives. He knows if we are worshping the One True Messiah who stepped out of the glory of Heaven to be born in a cave and placed in a stone manger. God knows our hearts.
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)|December 11, 2009
I am breathing a sigh of relief. I have spoken often in past months about whether or not traditional Christian holidays can mean as much to us as Biblical feasts. I have found myself saying, “I will take any day to praise God and bring glory to His name.” Yet I have felt uncomfortable with the origins. Thank you, dear Lois, for illuminating a perspective that rings valid in my soul. Let’s fill our calendar with Biblical appointed times, Christian traditions, and all the Shabbats in between! Perhaps we’ll never be more than a few days away from a sacred time of glorifying God and His Son, our Savior. Amen.
Ted M. Gossard|December 17, 2009
Interesting and helpful, Lois. Thanks.
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)|December 21, 2009
Lois,
An absolutely wonderful blog post!
I have argued much in the same way as I have come across those who ask ‘Should we celebrate Christmas?”. I loved your “standing stones” illustration and will use it in the future.
And I think I will email this to some friends
Thanks so much. And again…great post!!
G-d Bless
And Merry Christmas!!
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)|December 30, 2009
I am sorry to be the one disagreeing with the theme and conclusion of your post, Lois.
The whole point of the examples you quoted (and an underlying theme in Scripture in my understanding) is that only Abba has the authority to sanctify or declare any matter as set-apart. Note how ‘matsevah’ is used in the Hebrew for a pagan pillar, clearly differentiating it from the stones of Ya’aqov and Yehoshua (‘even’ in the Hebrew singular). The Almighty further established this principle when, for instance, introducing the offerings of Leviticus (note, all “figures of the true” - Heb 9:24).
Yet His directions/ commands to us are quite clear, namely not to assimilate with the world, but to be set-apart or ‘qadosh’, eg. Num 15:40; Deu 23:14; Eph 1:4, 5:27. Once a believer has come into the knowledge of the pagan origins of Xmas (to name but one man-made tradition), I believe obedience and submission to Father’s Word leave only one option. To put it into perspective: we have been placed on earth by the Creator to esteem His Name, on His terms, and to be in a personal covenantal relationship with Him, through His Mashiach. All of this in spite of our sinful nature! What love, compassion, lovingkindness and favour! Frankly, no longer keeping Xmas very quickly became a complete non-issue for my family and I.
PS. He absolutely looks into our hearts - Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 8:8-12, 10:16-17 tell us what He expects to find.
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)|January 06, 2010
I totally agree with Pieter du Preez, if we worship God at the appointed times and then walk with Him, reading and meditating on His word through His parashas in between. There won’t be time for all the pagan festivals, which God has called us out of and be separate. Many children were sacrificed over those christmas trees, and to still hang things in them is just like the people who used to use them to sacrifice their children and hope that their pagan gods would give them fertility. Even Yeshua said to the goats “away from me for I never knew you”. I would hope that everybody would want God to know me just as Adam knew Chava.
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)|January 06, 2010
I think we need to look very carefully at and make a clear distinction between Christians celebrating Christmas today and the pagan use of the same day in ancient times.
And I think we need to consider that the “Christianization” of the day (to use a term) falls in line with what other biblical writers did with concepts that were at first pagan or had a pagan use or origin. John in his gospel took the Hellenistic “pagan” concept of the Logos and filled it with Hebraic meaniing “In the beginning was the Word/Logos”. Many scholars see John taking the Hebraic concept of the “Memra” of the Lord and using that to give new meaning to the well known concept of Logos. What was pagan now comes into the service of the Lord.
The Apostle Paul took over many Greco-Roman words and terms from the “pagan” philosophies of his day and filled them with Christian meaning. In Phillipians 4:11 Paul writes that he learned to be “content” in whatever state he found himself.
The word “content in greek was a well-known term from Stoicism that meant to be “self-sufficient”.
Paul uses the exact term but then clarifies where his “self-sufficiency” comes from in verse 13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” Once again a “pagan” concept is made to serve the cause of Christ.
In Colossians Paul uses many terms that were part of the cults of his day (fulness, wisdom, etc) and demonstrates to the Colossians that whatever they are tempted to look to outside of Christ they will find in Christ -and makes use of the pagan terms to do so.
My point is that the writers of the New Testament took what was “pagan” in origin and claimed it for Christ.
The greatest example? The Cross. What more vile instrument and symbol of cruelity and torture existed in the first century? And Yet Paul in his preaching transformed it by the grace of God in to the Ultimate expression and symbol of God’s love, grace and forgiveness. And it was still a stumbling block to some in his day.
We must remember that according to Romans chapter one that all idolatry is a perversion, a twisting of God’s creation. Could it be that in reclaiming and seeking to “Christianize” some of these early pagan terms, concepts and practices early believers (and even believers today)are seeking to reclaim and restore creation back to its rightful place: as pointing to and being expressions of the glory of the Creator -as it was originally intended to be?
Just my thoughts.
Mike
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)|January 06, 2010
Interesting comment from Mike - a lot to ponder.
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)|January 10, 2010
In my youth, I grew up participating in Christmas and Easter. I was told that the ‘festivals’ were a ‘Jewish’ thing.
Some years ago now I reached a new maturity in my thinking and I credit it all to a sincere, ongoing study of Gods Word.
When you read it without the filters of man made doctrines and theology, you realize that He doesn’t change, that the appointed times are HIS choosing and that it was intended to be for all people, forever.
So the festivals are not a Jewish thing at all, they are a God thing. Messiah came and fulfilled the 3 Spring festivals: Passover, First Fruits and Pentecost. The first was when He was sacrificed, the 2nd was when He rose, the 3rd is when He sent the Holy Spirit to guide and comfort us.
Prophecy shows that when Messiah returns, he will fulfill the 3 Fall festivals. Further, in Zechariah 14:17, you can read what God will do to the nations in the end times who refuse to go to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, the biggest of the 3 pilgrimage festivals. Astute believers will recognize this time as the TRUE time of Messiahs birth.
Christmas and Easter are celebrated on or about the winter and spring equinox. Emperor Constantine rose to power with the help of pagan nations (just google it) and in an effort to unite the nations, declared Christianity to be the official religion of Rome, declared that you needed to convert to Christianity or die and that the 2 most important pagan holidays were now a celebration of Christianity.
Rome is where the papacy began with the Catholics. If you break down Christmas, it’s really Christ Mass, or the Mass of Christ. Very Catholic. Further, the word Christ comes from the Greek, which is translated from the Hebrew word Messiah. Messiah means deliverer and anointed one.
So all this to say that if you identify yourself as a believer, then get into His Word. His Word reveals the past, the present and the future. In the past, He said not to do as the pagans do. In the future, the pagan nations are punished. So that leaves what you are doing today that needs to be considered.
As for me and my house, we will follow the instructions for living our lives from the one true living God. I pray that you will too.
Don
Lois Tverberg|January 13, 2010
Sorry to be so slow to comment on this discussion.
Pieter is correct that the word used in the stories about Joshua is “even” which means stone, rather than “matsevah.” But he’s wrong about matsevah being only used to describe pagan stones otherwise. Not only does Jacob set up a matsevah multiple times in his life, Moses does also after the giving of the covenant, and God even identifies himself using the word matsevah!
In Genesis 28:18-22, matsevah is the Hebrew word used for the pillar that Jacob raises at Bethel and anoints to worship God in Genesis. He also sets up a matsevah twice more, when he made a covenant with Laban (Gen 31:51-52) and at the tomb of Rachel (Gen 35:20.)
The next person who set up a matsevah was Moses. In Exodus 24:4, it says that he set up 12 matsevot (pillars) to represent the tribes of Israel. Only a few verses earlier, God had told them to break down pagan matsevot (Ex 23:24).
The most interesting use of matsevah is in Genesis 31:13, when Jacob says that God appeared to him and told him to leave Laban and return to Israel. In the vision, God identifies himself to Jacob by saying, “I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a matsevah and where you made a vow to me.”
It’s pretty obvious here that God saw the matsevah as a legitimate form of worship, since he reminded Jacob of it later. The form of the worship didn’t matter, but whether it is being used in worshipping God or false gods.
I’m as convinced as anyone that the biblical feasts are God’s appointments with Israel. Gentiles can learn a lot from learning about their observance. But God never gave a rule that no more feasts could be enacted, and indeed, Jesus himself observed Hanukkah. And the church has decided that the coming of the Messiah and his victory over death are very worthy things to celebrate, and I agree.
What I find ironic is that in order to embrace the richness of biblical feasts, we have to show contempt for traditions that people who have loved Jesus with all their hearts have found deeply meaningful for centuries. Certainly there are traditions surrounding Christmas that have little point, but that doesn’t mean we should denounce the sincere worship of others.
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)|January 14, 2010
Lois
In regards to your post on January 13th I have but one word: Amen!