Idolatry – No Apologies for Apologetics: Recent Episodes
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I am so thankful for the birth of Jesus Christ; the manifestation of God in the flesh, the promise of God’s coming messiah fulfilled, salvation presented to a waiting world in swaddling cloths. We cannot over emphasize the importance of the Incarnation or over celebrate the First Coming of our Savior…and that is not opinion, it is fact. It is something that should be honored and esteemed daily for God’s people and especially highlighted during the Advent season. While, for most of Christ’s followers, the celebration of Jesus Christ’s first coming is a period of rejoicing, it never fails that every year there are those who attempt to diminish the excitement of the holy season with cries of idolatry and paganism. Year after year, it is always the same arguments, so this year I thought it may be beneficial to address those concerns before they pop their heads out of the sand where they have been hiding since last Christmas season. I have categorized these yearly objections into three categories: December 25th is a pagan holiday Christmas trees are idolatrous Giving gifts feeds materialism Paganism Argument number one that is often heard every year is that we aren’t actually celebrating Jesus’ birthday on the correct day. Furthermore, conspiracy theorists are quick to point out that December 25th is actually an ancient pagan holiday that celebrates the sun. Therefore, they come to the unsettling conclusion that if someone actually honors the 25th as a holy day those people are being misled and are exalting the kingdom of darkness without their even knowing about it. Sounds scary, huh? While we in the West honor the birth of Christ on December 25th (the Armenian Orthodox church in the East celebrates on January 6th), it can be well argued that the exact date of Christ’s birth is not known. Church history is silent for the first 300 years concerning the date of His birth. The tradition of December 25th seems to have come about during the reign of the Roman Emperor, Constantine, around 336 A.D. While historians argue whether or not Constantine was a true believer because at times his faith wavered considerably between politics, paganism, and Christianity, it is well documented that under his leadership Christianity was legalized (up to that point it was illegal to be a follower of Christ and was often punishable by imprisonment, possession of property, or even death). Along with legalization, the growth of Christianity went unhindered by the government and even encouraged. As a result, the church was free to establish this date as the birthday of the King of kings. There are possibly many reasons why this date was chosen; some rationally mathematical, some traditionally orthodox. My opinion is that it wasn’t by accident that they chose a day when unbelievers were holding a non-Christian festival. History records that December 25th was a day for the Romans to celebrate the sun which coincided with the winter solstice. While this date was chosen by man and may or may not be accurate, I believe God led the early church to pick the date they did. The Lord specializes at retrieving His creation from dark places. He is very good at taking pagan things and redeeming them so they become something that glorifies and honors Him. For instance, the cross upon which Christ was crucified was pagan. But it was that same wicked, evil cross where our redemption was expressed and became a reality for the glory of God for all eternity. God is in the business of redeeming pagan things for His glory, including you and me. So what’s the big deal about a date? Idolatry Another argument that is often heard around this time of year, is that Christmas trees are synonymous with idolatry; themselves being idols that people worship. The scripture that is often quoted to add credence to this claim is found in Jeremiah. “For the customs of the peoples are delusion; because it is wood cut from the forest, the work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. They decorate it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers so that it will not totter.” Jeremiah 10:3–4 (NASB95) To some this passage at first glance may look like they are referencing Christmas trees, but in reality, the custom of cutting down a tree and decorating it in honor of our Savior who was cursed on a tree didn’t start until the 1600s by Christians in Germany. This was about a thousand years after Jeremiah preached this verse to apostate Israel. Also the historical context in which it is intended is being directed towards the ancient practice of crafting wooden idols that had become so prevalent during this time period in the nation of Israel. The prophet Isaiah references this practice several times providing us with more details. If a person or family was wealthy, their idols were often cast out of metal but if you were poor then it would have to be hewn out of wood that wouldn’t rot and decorated with pieces of gold or silver. Archeology confirms this. Furthermore, this practice of idol making by God’s chosen people was not intended only for a specific day of the year but was a perpetual condition of their uncircumcised heart. For believers who have been rescued from their deceitful hearts, the act of setting up a tree and decorating it is symbolic of Christ’s sacrifice for them. This honors the Lord and keeps the seriousness of the cross fresh in our minds. Materialism While materialism is a dangerous distraction, temptation, and sin for many in America, some argue that the giving of gifts at Christmas time is encouraging our lust for things. Once again, I think they are missing the point. First of all, at Jesus’ birth, gifts were brought to the newborn baby Jesus. While the gifts mentioned in scripture have significant, prophetic value, it is also important to note that the gifts represented sacrifice, honor, and celebration. In observation of this day, when we give one another gifts on this day, it similarly represents those same values. I believe it is also significant to note that we are giving gifts to others not to ourselves. It is ridiculous to think that in giving someone else a gift, my desire for material things will increase. In fact, the opposite is true. When we learn to be givers, greed loses. While I believe it is possible to overdo gift exchange, or to do it for the wrong motives (give to get), there is something godly in the way our focus is removed from ourselves and placed on another person when we search for a present that will honor and bless them. For Jesus said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35 (NASB95) Furthermore, gift giving serves as a reminder of the precious gift of Jesus Christ, who has been given to this fallen world. Celebrate the Reason for the Season While exalting paganism, promoting idolatry, and encouraging materialism are all legitimate concerns and serious battles to be fought and won by the Holy Spirit, when our hearts are right before the Lord we need not worry. We can celebrate without fear because for those of us who are being saved, Christmas is a truly important reminder of the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. Furthermore, this day is a reminder that this same Jesus who departed in the clouds will soon return in the same way. Having said that, it is truly sad that for many who don’t know Christ, Christmas has become the object of worship. Instead of celebrating the Savior for which the holiday is truly about, for them, it can be just another day or another holiday among many holidays. This makes it all the more important that Christians honor this day for the right reasons and shine as bright examples to the world around us during this season. Maybe the biggest danger in all of this would be to allow the fear of the conspiracy theorists to win out and find ourselves missing the opportunity to be rejoicing witnesses of the hope that the Incarnation of our Savior brings. “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10
“…and there was a rainbow around the throne…” I can remember several years ago a friend and I were joking about another individual’s panic over what he called the “rainbow coalition” which was a reference to those in politics and business with a gay agenda in mind. While back then we found a bit of humor in this person’s overreaction and paranoia to this movement, now, I assure you, we find ourselves not laughing at all. In fact, I honestly confess I find myself somewhere between wanting to cry and fighting off nausea over Friday’s Supreme Court decision. Although their decision really comes as no surprise considering the trajectory of this movement over the last several years, this is certainly no laughing matter because people’s eternity is at stake. Our US government, along with others around the world, have decided to encourage those in the LGBT community down the path of eternal destruction by providing momentum through the establishment of legal rights. Furthermore, they have celebrated their new found momentum by raising their rainbow colored victory flag. And that’s what I want to discuss…the rainbow…it’s been hijacked. While I say the rainbow has been hijacked, in other words stolen, this act of piracy has in no way attempted to bury it like some chest of gold. In fact, just the opposite is true. It seems that everywhere you look there are rainbows. We see rainbow flags, rainbow status’ on social media, rainbow lights illuminating our White House…and what used to be a light blue bar running through the top of this Word Press website that I use to write these posts, to my astonishment, there is now a rainbow bar decorating the top of this page as I jot down this blog! The whole world it seems has gone rainbow since Friday! This is incredibly ironic to me as I have considered the biblical significance behind the rainbow. But as I said, it has been hijacked to symbolize something else. It’s high time we refresh our memories concerning the truth behind the symbolic imagery of the rainbow according to the unchanging principles of God’s word. I believe that what we will find is that the true meaning of the rainbow is both infinitely greater and, at the same time, infinitely more terrifying than what the gay community has redefined as their symbol of identity and pride. The Story Behind God’s Rainbow Let me first start off by saying that the rainbow, along with all of creation, belongs to God and is subject to His authority as David points out by saying, “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.” 1 Chronicles 29:11 (NASB95) The reason David can confidently make this bold statement and we can whole heartedly agree with it is because God is the One who created all things, therefore, He has dominion over all things. “Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You…” Jeremiah 32:17 (NASB95) Furthermore, not only does the rainbow belong to the Lord as does all of creation, but the rainbow in particular carries special significant symbolism that God implemented and we dare not mess with. This symbolism comes to us from the beginning chapters of Genesis, the first book of the bible. After God had created the heavens and the earth and all things in them, mankind rebelled against God’s single command to not eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or else they would surely die. After that sinful choice, it was a slippery slope for mankind and its desire for sin. Lies, murders, immoralities, adulteries, and every other sin imaginable plagued the hearts of the human race. So much so that God’s word made this sadly profound statement in Genesis 6. “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” Genesis 6:5-6 (NASB95) What started out as something that God declared “good” and “very good” had now been completely corrupted by the deceitfulness of sin according to the poor choices of mankind. And it grieved the Lord. So what was God to do? The same thing He eventually does concerning all sin, His holiness condemns it and passes righteous judgment upon it. In this case, it was no different. “The LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.” Genesis 6:7 (NASB95) The Lord decides to judge the entire population of men and animals by destroying them along with the earth. We find out in the next few chapters that the means by which He does this is through a catastrophic flood never seen before or since. While this sounds harsh and maybe even shocking to those who have always been taught about a loving God but have never heard of a holy God, we find that even in the midst of His condemnation of the entire creation, He chooses to display His grace and mercy in the life of Noah, who is known as a preacher of righteousness. “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” Genesis 6:8 (NASB95) I just have to pause for a moment here (and you should too) as I thank God for His grace and mercy in our lives. Selah. So Noah finds favor and grace with God as He chooses him and his family to be the only humans along with a bunch of animals to survive this massively devastating flood. After God decides the flood has achieved its desired effect on humanity and the world, He causes the waters to subside eventually allowing Noah and his family to leave the ark. As they depart from their boat, God speaks to Noah and his sons, saying, “‘I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.’ God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” Genesis 9:11-16 (NASB95) After the flood, God establishes a covenant between Himself and Noah and his sons and all successive generations of mankind after them. In this covenant, the Lord makes a promise to never again destroy the inhabitants of the earth through the means of a flood. He wasn’t saying that there will never be any floods, but never the kind of flood that brings complete destruction of the earth and its population. Furthermore, to show He is serious and to bind the words of His promise, God establishes a sign of this covenant – the rainbow. The rainbow then, serves as a reminder for mankind as well as to God that a cataclysmic flood will never again destroy the earth. This is what the bible teaches concerning the importance of the rainbow seen in the clouds after a summer rain. It is a reminder of God’s covenant made thousands of years ago to His creation. Honestly, it has nothing to do with gay pride, and ironically, on the other hand, it has everything to do with those in the gay community. It is vitally important for us as Christians to understand the significance of the symbolism behind the biblical meaning of the rainbow. Even more so, if you are reading this and identify as LGBT or are a supporter and cheerleader for them, this information is critical for you to comprehend. I will explain this further as we examine two significant truths behind the symbolism of the rainbow according to God. A Sign of Promised Mercy Rainbows in and of themselves are beautiful spectrums of light manifested by the combination of light and water vapor in the air. But probably the most beautiful aspect of them is their underlying biblical symbolism, which is summed up in one word – mercy. The Lord’s actions when He delivered Noah and his family through the flood is a prime example of mercy. God could have chosen to completely annihilate His creation, causing everything to become extinct, but instead He chose to spare some who would eventually repopulate the world. We are reminded of that act of mercy every time we see the sign of the rainbow. Furthermore, through the rainbow, we are reminded of the availability of that mercy to us today in the 21st century. Because we are a fallen, sinful, rebellious, and truly God-hating creation, we are faced with the hope crushing consequences of those qualities which is impending, imminent judgment that could happen at any moment on any given day. It is coming, we don’t know when exactly, and furthermore, there is nothing we can do about it. We are without any excuses, alibis, or defenses that might provide the clause for our escape. Similar to the people of Noah’s day. But because of God’s loving, gracious, and yes holy, nature, He has provided for us another option – mercy. This option triumphs over judgment. “…mercy triumphs over judgment.” James 2:13 (NASB95) Instead of a people who move through life in expectation of a tsunami of judgment that will sweep us away at any moment, God has chosen to extend the scandalous option of mercy to His undeserving creation. This mercy has been given a name and His name is Jesus. While mercy doesn’t remove God’s judgment and wrath inspired by iniquity, it does mean that we are no longer the recipients of that wrath because the Son has chosen to take upon Himself the full punishment of our trespasses and sins. Once and for all, through the judgment of the cross, Christ has suffered so we won’t have to and through His resurrection we have our eternal victory. Mercy has been poured out in our hearts and lives in abundant measure through Jesus Christ. When we read the book of Revelation, in chapter 10, we find a description of the Son of God who is referred to as an angel. This reference in no way means that Jesus is an angel, which are created beings that are under our Lord’s authority and are objects of their worship, but that He exemplifies angelic qualities, specifically that He is the messenger of the new covenant (the Greek word for angel, angelos, simply means messenger). In this reference in Revelation, we find that He is crowned with a rainbow signifying mercy. Coincidence? I don’t think so. The Christ of God is the source and authority of our mercy. “I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire…” Revelation 10:1 (NASB95) This extravagant display of mercy through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ never ceases to amaze me. But, if it ever does, God from...