More on Christmas -- A work of delusion
Jeremiah 10:1 Hear ye the word which Jehovah speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: 2 thus saith Jehovah, Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the nations are dismayed at them. 3 For the customs of the peoples are vanity; 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 like a palm-tree, of turned work, and speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.
This chapter concludes with they have devoured him, consumed him and laid waste to his habitation. Who? The nations that have not known God. But it starts with the house of Israel bringing the idol of these pagan worshippers into the house. Think of the Christmas tree as a trojan horse. It looks like they are celebrating the Lord's birth with you and yet they are deceiving you into bringing this idol into your house that will consume it, devour it, and lay it waste.
6 There is none like unto thee, O Jehovah; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. 7 Who should not fear thee, O King of the nations? for to thee doth it appertain; forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their royal estate, there is none like unto thee. 8 But they are together brutish and foolish: the instruction of idols! it is but a stock. 9 There is silver beaten into plates, which is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the artificer and of the hands of the goldsmith; blue and purple for their clothing; they are all the work of skilful men. 10 But Jehovah is the true God; he is the living God, and an everlasting King: at his wrath the earth trembleth, and the nations are not able to abide his indignation.
Now it gets worse, they let this idol instruct them. Here is how you decorate it. Then you need to go to our malls and buy a bunch of junk to put under it. You need to put the star of our God Moloch on top of it. You need to put "special" ornaments that people describe as though they were idols that they worship on it. You sing songs to it "O Christmas tree". Yet there is nothing true about it. It is green but it is not living. And, it will not abide God's indignation, what happens after Christmas, they throw the tree in the fire.
11 Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, these shall perish from the earth, and from under the heavens.
Whoa! Many people think this tree is insignificant, why talk about it. Because right here this idol is a symbol reminding us of the coming judgement on the earth by fire.
12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding hath he stretched out the heavens. 13 When he uttereth his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries. 14 Every man is become brutish and is without knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his graven image; for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. 15 They are vanity, a work of delusion: in the time of their visitation they shall perish. 16 The portion of Jacob is not like these; for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance: Jehovah of hosts is his name.
Whoa, it is a work of delusion, it is part of the great delusion that God sends to those who did not love the truth. Not only so but "in the time of their visitation they shall perish". What do Christmas trees have to do with the time of their visitation? Not only so but there is a direct comparison between this idolatrous Christmas tree and everything that it entails and our portion, the babe of Bethlehem. Also, even though it is pagan worship and even though it has nothing to do with Jesus' birth the fact that these two are put together into a juxtaposition like they are during Christmas is because of the God of heaven, by His wisdom and by His understanding. Now what does all this have to do with God uttering his voice? Are we talking about the trumpet blast when God causes the saints to ascend from the ends of the earth? Is this Trumpet blast like the scene the shepherds in the field saw? The incarnation is when God came down to man and the rapture is when men ascend to God?
17 Gather up thy wares out of the land, O thou that abidest in the siege. 18 For thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this time, and will distress them, that they may feel it.
Whoa! This sounds like the start of the tribulation with the judgement on the apostasy and organized Christianity. This verse reminds me of the violation of the sabbath day in the Old Testament or even more of Jesus casting the money changers out of the temple. They turn the worship of Jesus birth into a great big bazaar of buying all the wares of these pagan idolaters.
19 Woe is me because of my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is my grief, and I must bear it. 20 My tent is destroyed, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth from me, and they are not: there is none to spread my tent any more, and to set up my curtains. 21 For the shepherds are become brutish, and have not inquired of Jehovah: therefore they have not prospered, and all their flocks are scattered. 22 The voice of tidings, behold, it cometh, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a dwelling-place of jackals.
We begin this chapter with them cutting down a Christmas tree, bringing it into the house of Israel and decorating it because the shepherds have become brutish and have not inquired of the Lord. At the end we see an attack from the North to make the cities of Judah a desolation, a dwelling place of jackals (gangs of thugs). This sounds like the start of the tribulation when Russia attacks the US.
23 O Jehovah, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. 24 O Jehovah, correct me, but in measure; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. 25 Pour out thy wrath upon the nations that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name; for they have devoured Jacob, yea, they have devoured him and consumed him, and have laid waste his habitation.
