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 Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2015 11:26 am
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1. Qadosh H#6918 ("קדוש"): ≈ t5 minutes to read
As found in:
How can people / a whole nation be "holy" (qadosh) to God? By being set-apart. They are unlike the rest, and here specifically, these three verses reveal that they're unlike the rest of the nations because the rest of the nations do not have, and thus do not live by, our Heavenly Father's commands. There will be a stark contrast between the way they live and the ways of the nations.
When we ignore our Heavenly Father's instructions we become the opposite of holy / the opposite of set-apart, we start acting like the rest of the world (like the Pharisees in Matthew 15:1-9 and Matthew 23:1-3 whom Jesus corrected) who are out of step with God's commands.
The Pharisees were failing to be holy (set-apart according to God's commands):
Matthew 23:1-3 (NIV)
23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
Matthew 15:1-9 (NIV)
Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”
3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’[a] and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[b] 5 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ 6 they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8 “‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’[c]”
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 15:4 Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16
b. Matthew 15:4 Exodus 21:17; Lev. 20:9
c. Matthew 15:9 Isaiah 29:13
And the opposite of "holy" is "profane".
The hebrew for "profane" is "chol" (H#2455):
source: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H2455&t=KJV
When you're not holy, you're profane, common, like everyone else who doesn't obey God's Law, who doesn't walk in his narrow way. Ergo, the very heartfelt desire to act contrary to, or the mere thought of disagreeing with our Heavenly Father's commands, is what defiles/profanes us. This is why Jesus said:
Matthew 15:19-20 (NIV)
19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”
All that is listed in verse 19 are violations of God's Law, thus sin. But the ritual hand-washing tradition in verse 20 is not God's Law. Thus, breaking the hand-washing tradition does not defile (profane, make one unholy, or common). Violating their man-made tradition does not defile you. Violating God's commands does.
And, like I'll quote below, God tells us we profane/defile him too, not just ourselves, when we don't live holy, set-apart, according to his commands.
i.e.
Ezekiel 22:26 (NIV)
26 Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.
It goes without saying, the moment we're no longer set-apart (no longer following the Father's instructions, the way he said), we become common (like everyone else, like the rest of the world, like the rest of the nations, profane).
But we profane him (make him common) too. God's commands are what sets him apart from the things the other nations worship. No one else but the I AM—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—has these commands. Thus why Jesus stressed so much to turn back to the Father.
This is also the reason why, in the New Testament, we're told to be holy, and make an effort to live holy, more righteous than the Pharisees (who interpreted the Law of Moses away instead of keeping it). It's a choice to obey the Father and thus not be like the world. We're not to set aside even the least of the commands.
Matthew 5:19-20 (NIV)
19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Let's not be lawless Pharisees.
The next entry for "holy" / "קדש" is near identical, at least in the Hebrew (because it is the same word in essence; further evidenced by the same three consonants). However, our English translators sometimes translate it as an entirely different word in the English; and thus, it's not so obvious that the idea of "holiness" is expressed here: |
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Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2015 11:27 am
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2. Qadash H#6942 ("קדש"): ≈ t4 minutes to read
Note that out of the 172 times that "Qadash" H#6942 appears in the Holy Scriptures, the term gets translated as "sanctified" a total of 108 times (in the KJV). In contrast, the term gets translated as "holy" only 7 times (in the KJV). But the definition is identical.
source: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H6942&t=KJV
As found in:
Here they translated the consonants "קדש" as "sanctified" instead of "holy". Knowing a little bit about the English language helps clarify the reason for why that is. English comes from England which is in Europe. England was heavily dominated by the Romans, the French, and Germans. English itself is a Germanic language, but because of the Roman influence (thus Latin) we adopted some of their Latin words too. We get the word "sanctified" from the Latin (i.e. "sanctus"; another is "consecratus" from where we get "consecrate"); "holy" itself comes from the German "heiligen"; as does "hallowed" from the German "halga". All four terms are equivalent: they mean "קדש". They mean the exact same thing: "set-apart" from the rest.
Using the above example from Genesis 2:3, the seventh day of the week is "qadash" (holy) / sanctified / consecrated / set-apart because it is unlike the other six days of the week where you do your everyday, common tasks and labors (chores, work, cooking, etc..). Unlike the other six days, this day is devoid of exhausting labor, because it is a day of rest and rejuvenation. Just like God rested on the seventh day from all his work, he commanded his set-apart nation to rest from all their work/labors as well. So, sit back and enjoy God's creation (unless it's an unexpected emergency to save a life i.e. saving a sheep after it falls into a pit, totally unexpected, not scheduled beforehand; this doesn't count as a violation, because, in fact, you are alleviating them of pain by rescuing a creature from danger/death; you're healing a person (or animal) thus you're allowing them to rest by saving them from agony.
Like Jesus said:
Matthew 12:11-12 (NIV)
11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
Luke 14:5-6 (NIV)
5 Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child[a] or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?” 6 And they had nothing to say.
Footnotes:
a. Luke 14:5 Some manuscripts donkey
...in no way does that violate the Father's command:
Exodus 20:8-11 (NIV)
8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
But saving an animal, or a person, from an emergency situation on the Sabbath, actually does violate man's interpretations, specifically the Pharisees' interpretation:
John 5:9-10 (NIV)
9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”
God's Law does not prohibit this. Their own laws / interpretations of how to keep the Sabbath did. There is nothing prohibiting carrying one's mat written in the Law of Moses (which is the Law of our Heavenly Father; the Law that God gave to Moses in the first place). God/Jesus allows us to. This isn't exhausting labor (which is what the Father's commands concerning "avoid labor/work" on the Sabbath aim to prevent: exhaustion on his day of rest).
The Pharisees did not preserve YHWH's holiness; they profaned God by not keeping his instructions as they read, nor as he intended the command to be carried out. They went too far to the point that they—just like the unconverted Gentiles—were not living by God's commands.They really were no better than someone who was ignorant of God's commands, and in fact they were worse.
2 Peter 2:21 (NIV)
21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.
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Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2015 1:02 pm
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3. Qodesh H#6944 ("קדש"):≈ t21 minutes to read
source: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H6944&t=KJV
As found in:
source: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?strongs=H6944&t=KJV
This is holy ground, because it's unlike the rest of the terrain due to God's presence touching down here.
This is a "holy convocation" because this gathering is unlike the other days, namely because there is to be no work done on this day; we're gathering to commemorate God's miraculous works and/or prophesy about something that God is going to do. We're gathering in obedience to a command.
God's glory is holy because he's unlike the other gods. He can actually do something. He's not a dumb, useless idol that leads you wrong or can't lead you right, can't protect you nor harm you. Everything YHWH commanded protects if we heed what he says (otherwise, we get on his destructive/wrathful side, falling out of favor, circumstances don't work out favorably for us). In either case, he is able, unlike the idols the other nations worship.
"holy habitation" because it's unlike the other places—it's where God's presence dwells. Thus why it's unique and special.
The sabbath is holy because it's unlike the other 6 days of the week; God created in six days and then rested on the seventh day. We commemorate that fact by resting on the seventh day / making it holy (unlike the rest of the days) too.
They're "holy men" because they're set-apart, unlike other people on this planet, who do not dedicate their lives to serve the Creator. Unlike the other people, they are set-apart to glorify him with every aspect of their lives.
On the topic of being separate, I'll take this opportunity to include another example:
To be "set-apart" from the nations, being set-apart from their ways, also means we don't honor their gods or praise their gods in any way.
Exodus 20:3 (NIV)
3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me.
Footnotes:
a. Exodus 20:3 Or besides
Joshua 23:7 (NIV)
7 Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them.
2 Samuel 7:23 (NIV)
23 And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth that God went out to redeem as a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations and their gods from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt?[a]
Footnotes:
a. 2 Samuel 7:23 See Septuagint and 1 Chron. 17:21; Hebrew wonders for your land and before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt, from the nations and their gods.
That's why our Heavenly Father is so strict about eliminating all traces of pagan religion from our lives and our territories (places we have ownership over, which in spirit would include our houses, our room, our profiles, etc... and of course our heart / what we have an affection towards.
Deuteronomy 12:1-3 (NIV)
12 These are the decrees and laws you must be careful to follow in the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you to possess—as long as you live in the land. 2 Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains, on the hills and under every spreading tree, where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. 3 Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places.
They are taking possession of the land, the land is now theirs, so they must remove all traces of pagan religion from it now that it is theirs—not re-purpose the temples and religious objects which they found in the pagan culture and then take it for the worship of the Living God, but totally destroy them: the place of worship as well as the way that thing is being worshiped/valued/adored.
Deuteronomy 12:30-31 (NIV)
30 and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.” 31 You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.
One of the reasons why King Ahaz was considered evil in the sight of God: he took inspiration from pagan religions/beliefs/religious objects and incorporated it into the worship of God:
2 Kings 16:10 (NIV)
10 Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He saw an altar in Damascus and sent to Uriah the priest a sketch of the altar, with detailed plans for its construction.
note: he would later put this altar in God's HOLY temple, the place that was suppose to be totally dedicated to YHWH—not to any other god, but devoid of the worship and honor of other gods. The same applies to every aspect of our life. It should only give honor to the Most High, not any other idol/god.
Not only does adopting their practices violate God's commands, but this damages God's reputation. Think generations later when archaeologists are digging up remains: they'll think we worshiped the same thing as the Assyrians because they're finding pagan religious objects, signs of pagan religion, amongst YHWH's people. So, to us, that object is just a decoration, that myth is just a myth, but not to the archaeologist studying our remains. We're leaving our remains open to the interpretation that we actually believed in the myth and found value in it because we left it standing instead of getting rid of it.
And to the pagan, we're telling them, "your religion is just as valid, because I'm even borrowing from you. There's no need to limit yourself to YHWH—the actual creator of the universe; give honor to however many gods you like". So, on an immediate level, it leaves people in their idolatrous beliefs instead of convincing them to give it up. And they should give it up, because it's a lie, and either a detrimental practice and/or a useless practice (an example of detrimental: lacerating yourselves like the Baal worshipers did until their blood flows freely, just to get the attention of their god; or the useless mantra-like repetition of the pagans in their prayer). Both are useless, one is actually harmful in addition to being useless.
1 Kings 18:26-29 (NIV)
26 So they took the bull given them and prepared it.
Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.
27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.
Matthew 6:7-8 (NIV)
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Failing to be holy / set-apart, by adopting their customs, means we're unsuccessful in making a clear distinction between the Living God and the useless idol / myth.
Ahaz was evil for way more, but the above is very important to note.
He was also evil for the following:
2 Kings 16:2-4 (NIV)
2 Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God. 3 He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. 4 He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.
In the New Testament, we also are told:
1 Timothy 4:7 (NIV)
7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.
This includes mythological creatures like mermaids and centaurs (which violate the command in Leviticus 19:19 about NOT mixing two distinct kinds of animals together—in addition to being a myth). This also includes having nothing to do with Santa (who is based on Odin—the Norse god depicted as an Old, white-bearded man who rides an 8-legged horse named Sleipnir, which evolved into Santa riding his 8 reindeer); Easter eggs (a rabbit laying eggs speaks contrary to a kind bringing forth after its own kind; in reality, rabbits give birth to live rabbits, not eggs or baby chickens); Cupid (the pagan god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection), Leprechauns (the irish fairies that if caught will grant you three wishes in exchange for their freedom. This creature is based on the Celtic gods "Tuatha Dé Danann"; etc...). We need to analyze our life for things in our possession (and on our calendar) that give honor to other spirits / other beliefs and violate our Heavenly Father's definition of reality, violate a single detail in his written word. Then, get rid of them from our lives / not participate in them.
The essence of eliminating traces of pagan religion from our lives includes ridding ourselves of their holidays and traditions as well. For example, Halloween. These festivities honor demons, not the truth of the Most High God. The Celts who celebrate Samhain (Nov 1) celebrate Samhain's Eve (October 31st) by dressing up in costumes. That's why Halloween is celebrated on October 31st and why people dress up. The Catholics tried to whitewash it by making it "All Saint's Day", honoring the dead believers in Christ, but honoring the dead was a part of this pagan practice (it's not anything commanded by God) thus they're taking inspiration from the pagan holidays/culture around them and incorporating it into God's set-apart nation (and that is contrary to God's commands about not adopting pagan spiritual practices).
Quote:
[...] As the pagan holiday of Samhain is on November 1st. But their celebrations did and still do, start at sunset on October 31st, on Samhain Eve.
[...]
At sunset on October 31, clans or local villages begin the formal ceremonies of Samhain by lighting a giant bonfire. The people would gather around the fire to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities. It was a method of giving the Gods and Goddesses their share of the previous years herd or crops. In addition these sacred fires were a big part of the cleansing of the old year and a method to prepare for the coming new year.
During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, and danced around the bonfire. Many of these dances told stories or played out the cycles of life and death or commemorated the cycle of Wheel of Life. These costumes were adorned for three primary reasons.
The first was to honor the dead who were allowed to rise from the Otherworld. The Celts believed that souls were set free from the land of the dead during the eve of Samhain. Those that had been trapped in the bodies of animals were released by the Lord of the Dead and sent to their new incarnations. The wearing of these costumes signified the release of these souls into the physical world.
Not all of these souls were honored and respected. Some were also feared as they would return to the physical world and destroy crops, hide livestock or 'haunt' the living who may have done them wrong. The second reason for these traditional costumes was to hide from these malevolent spirits to escape their trickery.
[...]
http://www.paganspath.com/magik/samhain-history.htm
Just like the Mexican "day of the dead".
This is pagan.
Not biblical.
And your dead relative has no idea you're bringing them food; they have no idea of what goes on under the sun anymore.
Job 14:10 (NIV)
10 But a man dies and is laid low;
he breathes his last and is no more.
[...]
21 If their children are honored, they do not know it;
if their offspring are brought low, they do not see it.
22 They feel but the pain of their own bodies
and mourn only for themselves.”
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 (NIV)
5 For the living know that they will die,
but the dead know nothing;
they have no further reward,
and even their name is forgotten.
6 Their love, their hate
and their jealousy have long since vanished;
never again will they have a part
in anything that happens under the sun.
Note: Ecclesiastes is talking about things from the perspective of someone on this earth, under the sun, their one life span. So when he says the dead will never again have a part in anything that happens under the sun, this doesn't rule out resurrection that the rest of the Old Testament mentions. I left out the verses from Job 14 that speak of the resurrection (verses 12-15), but people do come back to life on judgment day (as Daniel 12:2 from the Old Testament also alludes to and other New Testament passages as well [John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15; Revelation 20:4-6, 11-15]).
Aside from Halloween's pagan origins—and their lies about the very nature of life after death, and what souls are free to do or not—this holiday glorifies demons, gore, horror, and placing people in a state of fear (for entertainment's sake, not to save them from their sins and hell). Jesus came to deliver us from such things.
Hebrews 2:15 (NIV)
15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Yet people seek to be "scared of dying" on this day, through their horror stories, urban legends, and movies. Halloween is totally contradictory to the way of Jesus and our Heavenly Father. There is nothing redeemable about participating in this festivities' customs. It gives the world the wrong impression that we honor the same thing and that it doesn't violate our Heavenly Father's commands, but in reality these customs do violate his commands (commands that say we are to be set-apart from the world's ways and idolatrous customs, and instead be solely and exclusively reflecting the commands and truths of the Most High God, as his set-apart people).
The pagans don't worship Creator but creation. And their holidays convey lies about God's creation (i.e. the reality of the realm of the dead and the afterlife). By partaking in the festivity, no matter how watered-down society may think it to be, we give honor to their demons—not the Holy God of Israel—and to their notions that evil spirits only come out on a fixed day on the calendar and that the spirits of the departed can come out of Sheol/Hades on a yearly basis. When mankind dies, he waits for his resurrection (there are special cases like Moses and Elijah appearing before Jesus at his transfiguration, but even this is not a yearly cyclical event unlike what the pagans speak about when talking about the realm of the dead).
Not only does what we put on display speak about what we believe, but speaks to others about what God has commanded. We are walking around in his name. Let's not ruin his reputation: he tells us to depart from honoring the gods of the nations. So, let's do what he says and set ourselves apart from their ways.
Also, you never know who you may inspire to worship/value/adopt those beliefs, indirectly, by allowing those beliefs to exist and by promoting them instead of destroying them from your life and heart. We need to expose those beliefs for the lies that they are, and not hold affection towards them. We don't come out of the realm of the dead on a specific yearly date. How can we say, "we're holy to our Heavenly Father, dedicated and set-apart to him only", when we're promoting other beliefs and lies that contradict his written word by our very participation?
We cannot partake.
2 Corinthians 6:17 (NIV)
17 Therefore,
“Come out from them
and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.”[a]
Footnotes:
a. 2 Corinthians 6:17 Isaiah 52:11; Ezek. 20:34,41
1 Corinthians 10:21 (NIV)
21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.
On a related note, Christmas, as well, from the very date to the customs that litter it, speak contrary to the written word. Quoting from a few encyclopedias, even Christian ones, reveals that this festivity has fused itself with pagan beliefs and customs:
“Gradually a number of prevailing practices of the nations into which Christianity came were assimilated and were combined with the religious ceremonies surrounding Christmas. The assimilation of such practices generally represented efforts by Christians to transform or absorb otherwise pagan practices. The Feast of Saturnalia in early Rome, for example, was celebrated for 7 days from the 17th to the 24th of December and was marked by a spirit of merriment, gift giving to children and other forms of entertainment. Gradually, early Christians replaced the pagan feast with the celebration of Christmas; but many of the traditions of this observance were assimilated and remain to this day a part of the observance of Christmas. Other NATIONS, the Scandinavians, Germans, French, English and others, have left their mark . . . as well (The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible) (pp. 804, 805).
Various symbolic elements of the pagan celebration, such as the lighting of candles, evergreen decorations, and the giving of gifts, were adapted to Christian signification. Later as Christianity spread into northern Europe, the Celtic, Teutonic, and Slavic winter festivals contributed holly, mistletoe, the Christmas tree, bonfires, and similar items. (The Christian Encyclopedia)
The giving of presents was a Roman custom; while the Yule tree and Yule log are remnants of old Teutonic nature worship. Gradually the festival sank into mere revelry . . . . The custom was forbidden by an act of parliament in 1555; And the reformation brought in a refinement in the celebration of Christmas by emphasizing it Christian elements. (Unger's Bible Dictionary)
"The observance of December 25 (as a Christian festival) only dates from the fourth century and is due to assimilation with the Mithraic festival of the birth of the sun" ~(World Popular Encyclopedia, Volume 3). (093)
The transition from festivals commemorating the birth of a sun god to a celebration ostensibly for the Son of God occurred sometime in the fourth century. Unable to eradicate the heathen celebration of Saturnalia, the Church of Rome, sometime before 336 A.D., designated a Feast of the Nativity to be observed.- James Taylor, "Christmas," in The New International
Dictionary of the Christian Church (J. D. Douglas, ed.; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1974), p. 223.
Many of the customs associated with Christmas also took their origins from the heathen observances. The exchanging of gifts, extravagant merriment, and lighting of candles all have previous counterparts in the Roman Saturnalia. The use of trees harkens back to the pagan Scandinavian festival of Yule.~James Taylor, "Christmas," in The New International Dictionary
of the Christian Church (J. D. Douglas, ed.; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1974), p. 223
"December 25, the birthday of Mithra, the Iranian god of light and...the day devoted to the invincible sun, as well as the day after Saturnalia, was adopted by the [Roman Catholic] church as Christmas, the nativity of Christ, to counteract the effects of these festivals." [The New Encyclopedia Britannica.]
"Christmas... It was, according to many authorities, not celebrated in the first centuries of the Christian church, as the Christian usage in general was to celebrate the death of remarkable persons [e.g. Passover - death of Christ] rather than their birth..." "...A feast was established in memory of this event [the assigned birth of Jesus] in the fourth century. In the fifth century the
Western Church ordered it to be celebrated forever ON THE DAY OF THE OLD ROMAN FEAST OF THE BIRTH OF SOL [SUN], as no certain knowledge of the day of Christ's birth existed.". - Encyclopedia Americana, 1944 Edition
"The idea of using evergreens at Christmas also came to England from pre-Christian northern European beliefs. Celtic and Teutonic tribes honored these plants at their winter solstice festivals as symbolic of eternal life, and the Druids ascribed magical properties to the mistletoe in particular." [The Encyclopedia Americana International Edition. New York: Grolier, 1991. p666.]
"The Roman festival of the winter solstice was celebrated on 25 Dec. (dies natalis solis invictus). The Celtic and Germanic tribes held this season in veneration from the earliest times, and the Norsemen believed that their dieties were present and active on earth from 25 Dec. to 6 Jan." [Everymans Encyclopedia. Toronto: Ryerson Press, 1967. p1,672.]
"Pagan celebrations on December 25 had included feasting, dancing, lighting bonfires, decorating homes with greens, and giving gifts. So when this became a Christian festival, the customs continued, but with a Christian meaning imparted to them." [Encyclopedia International. USA: Lexicon, 1980. p414.]
Encyclopedia quotations taken from a study done by 119 ministries: [link]
Note: I don't agree with everything in that study, but I cannot dispute its encyclopedia sources.
When a pagan sees us decorating like them, we're not conveying a difference in belief. And biblically, we're told that we should not even give off the appearance that we're the slightest bit pagan in our spirituality, regardless of what knowledge we have about the object (that it's not really a god or magical).
1 Corinthians 8:10 (NIV)
10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?
It matters what an onlooker might think by our participation in a certain activity (they might think, "there's nothing unique about their god, they just copied the pagans, let's go to the older occurrences of the festival, that must be the true god). When one bothers to read the bible, however, one would see that those festivities and the symbols and customs that accompany it, do not pertain to the Holy God of Israel. But that's not what the worldly are basing their judgments on since they do not believe or read the bible; they judge us first by our culture and our traditions—our way of life.
And in fact, the date of December 25th contradicts the gospels on two points:
1) when Jesus was born, the shepherds were sleeping out in the fields, keeping guard over their sheep, at night (this cannot happen in December in Jerusalem because it snows during these months);
Luke 2:8-11 (NIV)
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
2) the census: Caesar Augustus decreed a census and that is why Joseph and Mary journeyed to Bethelhem in the first place. This too would not have been done in winter.
Luke 2:1-5 (NIV)
2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
Footnotes:
a. Luke 2:2 Or This census took place before
So, Christmas is pagan—and even if one were to try to rid the holiday of all its pagan symbolism [mistletoe, christmas trees, reindeer, Santa, etc], contributed by the way of the nations, the very date of December 25th speaks contrary to the gospels. Based on the encyclopedia sources quoted above—both Christian and worldly/secular— there is evidence that the early Christians did not celebrate it until the fourth century, and that the date was adopted because of the pagan festivities, and the pagan gods the heathen was celebrating at the time, which could not be conquered / driven out. They didn't know Jesus' birthday so they just picked that date.
We do not preserve God's truth by adopting the ways of the nations.
Jeremiah 10:2 (NIV)
2 This is what the Lord says:
“Do not learn the ways of the nations
or be terrified by signs in the heavens,
though the nations are terrified by them.
We do not preserve God's truth when we're dressing our house, and ourselves, in a way that ostensibly says, "we observe the same spiritual / religious festival as pagans".
Side Note: for those that are interested in celebrating Jesus' birthday, there are deductions based on the Gospel of Luke that suggest Jesus was born on the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Tabernacles is one of our Heavenly Father's appointed times which he set-apart long ago.
The link to the deduction (the video is approximately 14 minutes long, but the most important evidence is shown within the first 7 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w3MNZQXlrs
Considering Jesus fulfilled / carried out prophecy on God's holy days (died on "Passover" as our passover lamb, raised back to life on "First Fruits" as the first to be raised incorruptible; gave out the Holy Spirit on the rest of the believers on "Pentecost" [that is the Greek name; in Hebrew it is "Shavuot"; in English "Feast of Weeks"] etc... those appointed times are listed in Leviticus 23), there's a strong possibility he was brought forth into the world on another one of God's appointed times. There are holy (set-apart) ways—ways that are in accord with God's commands and not infected by the ways of the nations—to celebrate what God has done and will do. God's holy days tend to be cyclical, commemorative and yet prophetic, for example: Passover commemorated how the Israelites escaped the wrath of the tenth plague in Egypt by placing the lamb's blood on their doorposts; and yet it was prophetic, speaking of how the Messiah's blood, the Lamb of God, will shield us from God's wrath in the future).
---
The fourth term in the Hebrew, although it too contains the three consonants ("קדש"), always refers to a place.
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Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2015 1:02 pm
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4. Miqdash H#4720 ("מקדש") ≈ t2 minutes to read
As found in:
The sanctuary (Miqdash) is not the tabernacle itself (the latter of which in Hebrew is "Mishkan"). The tabernacle (Mishkan) refers to the whole tent-like structure—the actual building itself—while the sanctuary (Miqdash) seems to refer to the general area of the tabernacle (Mishkan).
according to: http://wikidiff.com/sanctuary/tabernacle
Perhaps also alluding to its courtyard since the courtyard is a part of the place but not the tent itself.
Even here, "Miqdash" (MQDSH / "מקדש")—Mem (מ), Quph (ק), Dalet (ד), Shin (ש)—contains the Quph - Dalet - Shin (QDSH / "קדש") consonants within it; thus, has the meaning of holy / set-apart in the sense that this area is unlike the other areas; this area is dedicated to God, for spiritual purposes, not common, everyday activities; this place is not for common use.
This word, when referring to YHWH, is only used in reference to the tabernacle—which our Heavenly Father gave blueprints for, to reflect the real tabernacle in the Heavens i.e. Exodus 26:30; Hebrews 8:5—and later the temple. It refers to one place. Not to synagogues. Not to lowercase "c" churches (church buildings). It's one place. The place where the ark of the covenant resides which holds the tablets of stone that God wrote the Law on. And in that sense as well, it is unlike any other place of worship where people gather to pray because it contains THE ark of the covenant (the treasure box made out of acacia wood overlaid with gold, transported by acacia wood poles also overlaid with gold). This is the place that has the bronze altar in its courtyard and the golden altar of incense on the inside. Very unique place.
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Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2015 1:03 pm
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5. Khasid H#2623 ≈ t3 minutes to read
And note just how many different ways the English translates this word (not just as "holy"):
This one, simply enough, refers to godly people, who are merciful and kind; the term originates from a root word that means "to be good, be kind", literally "bows the neck", but can also mean "shamed" depending on the context.
source: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/lexicon.cfm?strongs=H2616&t=KJV
As found in:
In summary, all the words that appear in the Hebrew that get translated as "holy" have the meaning of being "set-apart" from worldly ways, from pagans ways, from Gentile ways, and instead becoming of the same mind with God according to his commands, which are a perfect balance of justice and mercy. His commands guard our well-being, and the proper interaction with creation; that is why the law of God is holy, and the commandment holy, righteous, and good.
Romans 7:12 (NIV)
12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
Those who live holy—those who live "set-apart" from worldly ways—make every effort to keep the Father's instructions, like Jesus did and taught us to do. In order to be holy, we obey God's commands, in spirit and in truth (anyone who truly believes what Jesus said will do this, without setting aside the least of the commands). All paganism and lies abandoned and destroyed from our lives.
Now on to the Greek terms.
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Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2015 1:15 pm
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1. Hagiazo G#37 ("αγιαζω"): ≈ 5 minutes to read
As found in:
"Hallowed be thy name" meaning, may your name be set-apart, not profaned, not made common or useless, but may your name retain its value of being trustworthy unlike the names of the other "gods". We profane his name when we take oaths in his name but then don't keep our promises. We profane his name when we claim to be Christian, but don't do what Christ says.
The temple sanctifying the gold means, this gold has been set-apart to God, for temple purposes, not for general common use. Once it has been put in the temple, it has been set-apart (sanctified), dedicated to God.
Interesting to note, "hagiazo" as you saw above carries the meaning of "to purify internally by renewing of the soul". And it's interesting considering that the Greek word for "soul" is "psyche" (where we get the word "psychology" from, the study of the mind and behavior). And this concept of renewing the "psyche"/mind is found in Romans 12:1-2 which says,
Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
And what is God's will?
Psalm 40:8 (NIV)
8 I desire to do your will, my God;
your law is within my heart.”
God's will = God's Law
God's Law is good, God's will is good.
Thus why Jesus commands us to obey what is read from Moses' seat.
More puzzle pieces connected. exclaim
The only law(s) that scripture condemns is:
1) The law of sin in the flesh [the sinful nature we're born with] (in contrast to the Law of God which is good)
Romans 7:25 (NIV)
25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[a] a slave to the law of sin.
Footnotes:
a. Romans 7:25 Or in the flesh
2) the law of the Gentiles which YHWH hands us over to if we insist on rejecting his (and often times by handing us into the hands of the enemy themselves, sometimes by an attack or even exile, thus why we're living under Gentile law now instead of God's holy, good and perfect law):
Ezekiel 20:24-25 (NIV)
24 because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes lusted after their parents’ idols. 25 So I gave them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live;
Ezekiel 39:23 (NIV)
23 And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword.
And thus, why forsaking God's Law is what makes us profane (common, like the rest of the world, living in sin). When we become profane, God sends us affliction to purify us back to holiness/set-apart living, be corrected back to his ways (to holy living).
Leviticus 26:23-28 (NIV)
23 “‘If in spite of these things you do not accept my correction but continue to be hostile toward me, 24 I myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over. 25 And I will bring the sword on you to avenge the breaking of the covenant. When you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague among you, and you will be given into enemy hands. 26 When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will be able to bake your bread in one oven, and they will dole out the bread by weight. You will eat, but you will not be satisfied.
27 “‘If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, 28 then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over.
The interconnectedness of both testaments is astounding. heart
Because this repeats in the New Testament:
Revelation 9:20-21 (NIV)
20 The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
He sent plague and they're still not repenting unto holiness. Some people love their sin, their inappropriate interactions with creation (which includes their own bodies and those of others), so much that they'd rather die than walk on the path of life and safety, than become set-apart to the Living God; they'd rather die than repent from their wicked ways / transgressions and breakings of God's Law. Sinful behavior, thoughts, and lusts may be pleasurable to one of the five senses in the moment, but a command exists against it because of the havoc it wreaks on a physical, emotional and psychological level in the long run to yourself and even strangers.
Let's not be like them but make every effort to live holy and interact with God's creatures—plant-kind, animal-kind and man-kind (and man's emotions)—the way God approves of emotion_yatta This happens when we renew our minds with God's definitions and perspective of the world, living by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.
2 Timothy 3:15-17 (NIV)
15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Footnotes:
a. 2 Timothy 3:17 Or that you, a man of God,
note: the reference to "the Holy Scriptures" refers to the Old Testament because the New Testament hadn't been written yet, but clearly this includes the New Testament today too—not one or the other, but both—because they teach the same thing. Obey what's read from Moses' seat (not to be born-again, because that only comes by faith in Jesus, but to avoid harm on this earth, to your body and your emotions, and those of others). |
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Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2015 1:17 pm
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3. Hagios G#40 ("αγιος"):≈ 1 m to read
note: "awful" does not mean horrible/bad, but awe-inspiring, full of awe. Satan has had a field day corrupting this word. Either that, or because Gentile cultures are usually on the punishing end of his awe-inspiring miraculous works (drowning Egyptians in the Red Sea, striking the Philistines with tumors, sending lions to attack the Gentiles, etc...) they would find his acts "awful" in the sense of being "horrible/bad", but that's not what it means biblically, to those in covenant with him, and doing so obediently.
"Hagios" is found in places like:
Most likely if you come across the word "holy" in the English of the New Testament, it'll be this Greek term "hagios". This is the term that gets translated as "holy" most often in the New Testament (a total of 161 times in the KJV). And as you can see, it gets applied to the very Spirit of God (who is unlike the other spirits, because he is the Creator and Most High, the Father of all spirits i.e. Hebrews 12:9), even to his prophets (people who are set-apart to God), and his holy covenant (which is unlike any other contract/oath you enter into; it's a contract you enter with God). |
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Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2015 1:18 pm
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4. Hieros G#2413 ("ιερος"):≈ 2 m to read
As found in:
This is a rare word for "holy" that only appears twice in the entire Greek of the New Testament books/letters.
In the first verse, what is offered on the altar of YHWH is holy because it is unlike the other animals that are commonly cooked in the community; they are prepared a certain way, offered in a certain way, and eaten by certain people, in a certain place. These cooked animals are set-apart (and only clean animals can be offered; ergo, inherently they have already been set-apart by God from the rest of the animals, but when offered as sacrifices, these animal parts are even more set-apart because it's that which is offered on the altar).
1 Chronicles 23:13 (NIV)
13 The sons of Amram:
Aaron and Moses.
Aaron was set apart, he and his descendants forever, to consecrate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices before the Lord, to minister before him and to pronounce blessings in his name forever.
Leviticus 22:10 (NIV)
10 “‘No one outside a priest’s family may eat the sacred offering, nor may the guest of a priest or his hired worker eat it.
Leviticus 6:18 (NIV)
18 Any male descendant of Aaron may eat it. For all generations to come it is his perpetual share of the food offerings presented to the Lord. Whatever touches them will become holy.[a]’”
Footnotes:
a. Leviticus 6:18 Or Whoever touches them must be holy; similarly in verse 27
And the Scriptures are "holy" because they're unlike the other texts in the world, these are inspired by God (and at times, some information was written by God's own finger, quite literally).
Romans 3:1-2 (NIV)
3 What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.
Exodus 31:18 (NIV)
18 When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.
Deuteronomy 9:10 (NIV)
10 The Lord gave me two stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God. On them were all the commandments the Lord proclaimed to you on the mountain out of the fire, on the day of the assembly.
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Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2015 1:19 pm
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5. Hosios G#3741 ("οσιος") ≈ 2 m to read
The biblical usage found here is an interesting way to put it considering some other biblical definitions:
"undefiled by sin" — What is sin?
1 John 3:4 (NIV)
4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
Ergo, to be holy is to not be defiled by breaking the law. Sin shall no longer be our master. Law-breaking is no longer our nature.
"free from wickedness" — What is wickedness?
Ezekiel 5:6 (NIV)
6 Yet in her wickedness she has rebelled against my laws and decrees more than the nations and countries around her. She has rejected my laws and has not followed my decrees.
Nehemiah 1:7 (NIV)
7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
Not acting in the way our Heavenly Father instructed, not obeying the Laws he gave to Moses, which Jesus tells us to obey! emotion_dealwithit
The term "hosios" is found in verses like:
In summary, "holiness", even in the Greek, is about being "set-apart" to God, dedicated to him, by following his ways, not living in sin (which is the transgression of God's Law that he gave to Moses). We must seek to do the Father's will, the very example Jesus left for us to follow; that is how we make every effort to live holy (set-apart, dedicated, devoted) to God and his way, not being profane, not being like the world, not participating in their customs, ways, attitudes, and way of thinking any longer. |
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