When I was a student at UCLA (many moons ago), I took a very literal approach to the reading of scripture. We might today describe this as a "fundamentalist" way of reading the Bible. Such an approach says that, if I can read the words and they mean something in my current life situation, then there is no further reason to study. The choice is simply to obey it.That is how I used to read Jeremiah 10: 3-5:
"For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good.'"
I read this and, since it sounded somewhat like the description of a Christmas Tree, I knew that I must simply obey. I stopped participating in this tradition. And the feeling of spiritual superiority that came from taking such a stand was self-authenticating. I didn't have a Christmas Tree for about seven years.
The problem was that my understanding of Jeremiah was based on bad exegesis. (Exegesis is the science of interpreting what the writer meant when he wrote so that we can draw proper conclusions.)
George Eldon Ladd, former professor of New Testament Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena describes the Bible as "the Word of God written in the words of men (people) in history."
The Word of God...
We know that the scriptures are "God-breathed" (2 Tim. 3:16), and therefore, the Bible is God's authoritative and unique Word to us and is His faithful guide for all faith and practice. We do not look to tradition or church hierarchy or new words of prophecy in the same way that we look to the Word of God. This is perhaps the key distinguishing feature of the Protestant Reformation--sola scripture--meaning that we depend solely on the Bible for our authority.
...written in the words of people...
Yet, God did not write the words in the Bible directly (except the Ten Commandments and the words on the walls of Babylon). He used people--apostles and prophets--to write the 66 books. Therefore, we talk about the five books "of Moses." Jesus talks about Moses and David writing material. That is why we can tell the difference between Luke and Paul's writing styles--because God used human vessels to write the actual words, even though they reflect His Word to us.
...in history.
Finally, those words were written at a time in history. Moses wrote his books to a nation delivered from slavery, needing to understand their own history and national identity and unique calling to be the People of God. Paul wrote letters to specific churches who were going through struggles. For instance, 1st Corinthians is obviously written in response to oral reports and a letter describing specific ethical and theological problems in Corinth--lawsuits, incest, eating meat offered to idols, etc.
So, let's look at Jeremiah. The tradition of the Christmas Tree came out of Germany in the 15th or 16th century. And Christ was not born for hundreds of years after Jeremiah. So, what was he thinking about when he wrote this verse?
Idols were figures that were carved out of wood and then covered in gold or silver leaf. Then, they were nailed in place on a family altar or temple altar. Sometimes they would be paraded through the streets. They represented gods that were worshiped by the pagans or even the spirits of departed relatives.
So, Jeremiah was obviously mocking the ludicrous practice of worshiping something made by human hands. I don't know about you, but I have never worshiped a Christmas Tree. It might be more likely that people are worshiping their new car than their tree. Instead, our tree has a decorative purpose for the holidays. And, topped with a star, it becomes a reminder of the Christmas story and the blessing of the incarnation of the Son of God over 2000 years ago.
So--enjoy your Christmas Tree this year. But always use it as a way to remember the glorious and blessed arrival of Immanuel, God-With-Us.
Hi Mark, I am feeling very guilty for having a Christmas Tree in my home. Usually people quote from the KJV which says:
ReplyDeleteFor one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
Isn't the "cutteth tree" the result of "a workman with the axe?" In other words isn't a felled tree the work of the work of the workman? Didn't the workman cut down the tree? Doesn't the KJV alone translate this passage correctly? Please explain, thanks in advance.
Anon34--
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments.
The problem is not with your translation, it is with your interpretation. You are making a leap from the words of Jeremiah, written over 2700 years ago, to your own experience today.
Since Christmas Trees did not even get invented until sometime in the last 600 years, you first have to ask what it was that Jeremiah was describing. The answer is: the shaping of a family or temple idol. It was first shaped from a piece of wood (the carpenter would cut a tree down with an axe and shape it into a figure, like a calf). Once the carved image was created, he then would take gold or silver and begin to pound it into a thin leaf, like tin-foil. Then, the foil was pressed onto the wooden carving so that it was a golden or silver image. Finally, this man-made idol was nailed down to a board and placed on the altar to be worshipped.
Throughout the Old Testament, God's prophets continually rebuked people for worshipping something inanimate and powerless that they created with their own hands instead of worshipping the living Creator of everything, who cannot be contained in anything man-made.
Christmas Trees, although cut down with axes (or saws), are not the same thing. Although they may be adorned with various ornaments--some of which may appear silver or gold--they are not worshipped as gods.
The decision to have or not to have a Christmas Tree is a personal decision. But don't make the mistake that Jeremiah has already made that decision for you. His words have nothing to do with Christmas Trees.
Hope this helps.