Pod Cast : 3-9-18
Why Doesn't God Want Us To Worship Him With Pagan Symbols ?
GOD IS JEALOUS OF THE PAGAN INFLUENCE ON HIS PEOPLE
God knows that paganism and its symbols and rituals are bad for mankind. The Father's love for us causes Him to be jealous for our good. God is in heaven and cannot be hurt. God is gracious, loving, jealous, and a great leader of those that are His followers.
Ex 34:13 but ye shall demolish their altars, shatter their statues, and hew down their Asherahs. 14 For thou shalt worship no other god; for Jehovah--Jealous is his name--is a jealous *God; (DBY)
One of the main reasons that God hates paganism and wants it destroyed is because he understands the damage it does to us physically and spiritually. We human beings are like children when it comes to deep spiritual matters. We cannot fully grasp what is really happening. Note I Cor:13: 11-12. God wants to protect people from the evil and dark occult forces that put us closer to demons than we already are in this deceived world.
1Co 10:20 But that what the nations sacrifice they sacrifice to demons, and not to God. Now I do not wish you to be in communion with demons. (DBY)
Paul tells the Corinthian brethren, who live in a city with many large pagan temples, and over a thousand temple prostitutes, to run as hard as they can from this spiritual danger. He is explaining that even if the pagan gods and goddesses are nothing, what happens in those temples is still dangerous to true Christians.
1Co 10:13 No temptation has taken you but such as is according to man's nature; and God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able to bear, but will with the temptation make the issue also, so that ye should be able to bear it. 14 Wherefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. (DBY)
UNITY AND CLOSENESS TO THE TRUE GOD IS OF IMMENSE VALUE
A second reason paganism and its symbolism are detrimental to mankind is that they prevent us from getting closer to God. We are distracted from the deep, true, message to fairy tales and pagan folk lore. It is like a magician who has learned to distract you with one hand while he removes something from you with the other hand. Why was King David a man after God's own heart ? Why was he so loved by God that he altered God's plan and a Temple was built? God decided to make Jerusalem the capital of Israel because of David. Because David focused on loving and honoring God.
Ps 63:1 A Psalm of David; when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my *God; early will I seek thee. My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh languisheth for thee, in a dry and weary land without water: 2 To see thy power and thy glory, as I have beheld thee in the sanctuary; 3 For thy loving-kindness is better than life: my lips shall praise thee.
4 So will I bless thee while I live; I will lift up my hands in thy name. 5 My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips. 6 When I remember thee upon my bed, I meditate on thee in the night-watches: 7 For thou hast been my help, and in the shadow of thy wings will I sing for joy.
True and meaningful activities such as the weekly Sabbath and annual Sabbaths help us focus on the true God. Religious services and rituals should bind men closer to God. Pagan symbols do the opposite as they drive us further from God. God hates being reminded of the false pagan systems that are undermining His children upon this planet. Pagan symbols remind God of all the pagan evils.
De 12:30 take heed to thyself that thou be not ensnared to follow after them, after that are destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31 Thou shalt not do so to Jehovah thy God; for every thing that is abomination to Jehovah, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters have they burned in the fire to their gods.
These pagan religions were responsible for murdering infants. They threw babies into their fires. Others sacrificed adults as well. Pagans also used temple prostitutes. Many young children were sold or given as an offering to a pagan priest to be used in sex slavery. These practices also lured people into sins that undermined marriages and family life.
Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against thee: that thou hast there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a snare before the sons of Israel, to eat of idol sacrifices and commit fornication. (DBY)
Balaam knew that he could not get God to curse his people Israel. But, he was being paid a fortunate by pagan kings to do so. However, he could get Israel to curse itself. Balaam instructed the pagan king to use temple prostitution strategy to undermine the relationship between God and his nation. It did not really work. God executed the men involved with pagan worship via sex, and God had Balaam executed. Satan knows human nature and uses lures to pull us away from God. Anciently he used irresponsible sex and today he uses things like sex, bunnies and candy etc. Chocolate eggs and marshmallow bunnies are still a big lure at Easter. And, don't forget Halloween and Christmas!
De 12:32 Everything that I command you, ye shall take heed to do it; thou shalt not add thereto, nor take from it.
God will not allow us to borrow major things and symbols from pagan customs to use in worship of the true God. When the people worshiped the golden calf idols and said it was the god that rescued them from Egypt God rejected that worship. They used pagan revelry to worship the true God. The devil gives us half truths and clever subtle, deceptions. He wants us to try and mix in paganism. Satan encourages adding to God religion , pagan worship rites. God says add nothing or remove anything from his true words of worship. One writer describes the results of Constantine making a apostatized Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire like putting a new sign on a building. Yet you are not changing anything or very little of the building. The emperor labeled the paganism of Rome, Christian. But the people of the empire were only partially, very partially, led away from pure paganism.
PAGANISM EMPHASISES THE PURELY PHYSICAL AND THE OCCULT
Satan has designed his religions to appeal to our carnal and the physical side of our nature. God does have festivals that are meant to be enjoyed. But they are designed to feature a spiritual message. Satan wants to mislead people and move mankind away from our spiritual destiny. His desire is for mankind to live in a self destructive manner. Satan encourages spiritually empty fun and decadence.
Ex 32:19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. 22 And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. 23 For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 25 And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:) (KJV)
We need to avoid symbols that pull us away from God. The Puritans, who founded early American colonies, for two centuries, did not keep Christmas or Easter. Why? They saw the revelry in Europe and realized it was pagan and not biblical. Merchants have pushed these pagan customs purely for profits. Since 1870 it has been very profitable to push pagan symbols for American merchants to sell candy, costumes and gifts etc.
MAN DESPERATELY NEEDS A REAL SPIRITUAL CONNECTION TO GOD
Instead of the much needed spiritual intimacy with God the world gets pagan fairy-tales and pagan symbols. Some of the symbols represent the phallic symbol or goddess fertility worship. Easter eggs and bunny rabbits have nothing to do with the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. It is abhorrent to try to involve them in the greatest gift that God ever gave us. Bunnies represent fertility and sex as in the Playboy culture. We people need spiritual help,but mainly get in this world, carnal distractions and misdirection. Satan is very subtle and effective.
2Co 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (KJV)
Paul in line, with God's thinking was jealous of the Corinthian church. He saw the creeping deceptions and feared the subtle work of the master deceiver, Satan. A little paganism here and a few added false doctrines there could undermine the church. Some of them, we know, were deceived, hopefully Paul's letters saved many.
2Co 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. (KJV)
Satan's workers were effective in the first few centuries of Christianity. They brought in many pagan customs. We now have to learn to reject them. False teachers have helped cut man off from a clear understanding of the Gospel. We need to refocus on, and apply our attention to God's truth during the coming Holy Day season. The New Testament Passover will help us to appreciate the enormous sacrifice that Jesus and the Father made for us. It will help us draw closer to Christ.
Joh 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. (KJV)
Followers of the Bible will then keep the seven Days of Unleavened Bread. They represent getting sin out of our lives, as represented by puffed up, yeast risen bread. We will be trying to become more humble and pure as represented by the flat unleavened bread. Bunny rabbits and chocolate eggs are nothing but a pagan distraction that mankind does not need.
1Co 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: {is sacrificed; or, is slain} 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. {the feast: or, holyday} (KJV)
Paul knew that when this letter arrived, the Church at Corinth would be unleavened, to keep this feast. Most Protestants and Catholics know nothing of the Days of Unleavened Bread. Some have never even heard of them or believe that they are only for the Jews. We need to use God's truth and avoid pagan symbols in this age of deception.
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceive the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
(KJV)'
Again religious symbols are part of Satan's grand plan of deception. All of God's Laws are for our benefit. The Laws against idolatry are good for mankind. Therefore any religious icon or ritual or tradition that is clearly pagan, is detrimental to society. Anything that is borrowed from sun worship makes us all less godly. We need to focus on the deep spiritual aspects of God's Holy Days. Mankind needs a new heart not pagan fun and games and fairy tales. Also people need to avoid superstitions and the dark occult worship systems used by many.
