Now in all honesty the Hebrews were never known for the art or color perhaps because of their status as slaves. There isn’t a lot in the Bible about that except as it related to worship of Jehovah. In fact, the directives regarding idols and putting other things before God was clearly followed and since idol worship was such a sin and offense to God, they stayed away from worship that brought attention that might distract from the God who was invisible.       

I remember a cultist telling me that to have anything to do with Christmas is wrong and indeed it is an abomination to the Lord to have a Christmas tree. He gave me this verse - Jeremiah 10:3-4 “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.“

God knew people’s hearts, where things they see become more real that things they do not see, so like their pagan neighbors, they would paint elaborate idols and decorate them and soon start worshiping them. Decorations can become greater than God. Temptations to put money and time into homes and palaces would cause others to envy and compete, taking their eyes and hearts off of the God who gave them. There was temptation to direct attention on the symbols and decorations which replace God.  

Jeremiah warns the king of Judah of pride who says in chap 22:14-16 , ‘I will build myself a great palace with spacious upper rooms.’ So he makes large windows in it, panels it with cedar and decorates it in red.  15 “Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well with him. 16 He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord“          

We know what it is like to have stores full of decorations for Christmas that very little to do with the reason of Christ’s birth. One lady said she went into a store to find some Christmas decorations, but that in six long aisles only a couple small items related to Christ. All the rest was “Christmas according to the flesh.” How should Christians respond to the desecration of Christmas?

When the Pilgrims, arrived in this land hundreds of years ago, they established the first colonies that became the United States of America. They didn’t like Christmas.

This notice comes from the 1700’s: “The observation of Christmas, having been deemed a sacrilege, the exchanging of gifts and greetings, dressing in fine clothing, feasting and similar satanical practices are hereby FORBIDDEN with the offender liable to a fine of five shillings.”          

Some are opposed because so many of our customs and even decorations were borrowed from pagan rituals and religions. Our Christian German exchange student found our USA way of decorating and celebrating tacky, far removed from the simple birth. 

Application: It isn’t a bad idea to rethink our practices and priorities at holiday time and ask the Lord, “What would you have me do?”  

Prayer:  Lord God, as I ponder this I pray that all the decorations will remind me of how You became poor so I could be rich in Your grace.   May my decorations remind me of that and of my responsibility to remember the poor and needy.