At the risk of unintentionally offending, I would like to make a comment, in hopes that it will cause deep 

meditation, edification and thought, rather than rebuke.

The Jewish people, went into the Babylonian Captivity, among the captives we find Daniel, Jeremiah,

Ezekiel and Ezra, just to mention a few, and lay the foundation, for the point of my comment.

The people, found themselves Prisoners, in a foreign land, amongst a people, with very different ways,

that many of them found attractive, exciting, and Fun.

Hence, many Jews, would adopt the habits, customs, traditions and ways of the Babylonians. And their

compliance with their captors, would bring calls of correction from GOD through men such as Jeremiah, 

who would be severely rejected, due to the messages of correction he was sent to deliver.

Messages like the ones found in Jeremiah chapter 7 and chapter 10

Jeremiah 7:18 

The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes 

to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.

Jeremiah 10:1-4

1 Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

2 Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for 

the heathen are dismayed at them.

3 For the customs of the people are vain: 

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.

Its clear, what Jeremiah was dealing with here, and he was sharply rebuked by the people, for delivering 

these messages, as we see in Jeremiah 20:1-10, where we find Jeremiah a prisoner in the Stocks (JAIL).

The rebuke he faced from the people, was so severe, that Jeremiah simply wanted to Give up, and just 

Quit, but he couldn’t do it, because the WORD of the LORD, was like a Fire within his bones, that he 

simply could not contain. So speak he did, and cost it would, as we have seen in chapter 20.

So what’s my point? .. Simply this:

Today, “we” should not consider ourselves any differently then the people of GOD then, because of Grace. 

The standard that GOD held his children to then, he MUST, in all fairness and equality, Hold his children 

(we, the Christians) to today, anything less, and GOD would not be a fair and just GOD, and we KNOW, 

that GOD is a fair and just GOD.

While we are certainly not under the sacrificial system of the old testament, thanks to the Glorious Gift of 

Christ, and the reconciliation of GOD and Man through the precious Blood of JESUS, we are in fact still 

held to the Biblical standard, and morality contained within the old testament. And one of those standards 

is Not to partake in the hethenistic, paganistic ways of the rebellious world, and worldly ways and practice 

of baalisim.

The Problem, is that many folks don’t even recognize, that they are in fact, partaking in the ways and 

practices of baalisim, through these holidays.

WHY ?

Simply because its just the way of Things, it’s a Tradition, and traditions, are hard to break, especially 

when the majority, is keeping the tradition, and by Not keeping the tradition, or speaking out against the 

tradition, one becomes a minority, and, like Jeremiah, the target of sharp rejection and rebuke.

Its not hard to find out where the traditional holidays come from, a little study, will quickly reveal the 

shocking origins of each.

We should never allow the Gift of Grace, to become the reason we continue in the traditional views and 

practices, that are beyond the shadow of a doubt, clearly associated with baal worship, and the wickedness 

of Babylon, which GOD himself detests.

As followers of Christ, its our Duty, to search the Scriptures and History, so we clearly understand the 

meaning, implication, and application for our own lives today.

I am sure that Jeremiah, and the old prophets heard many, if not all of the same responses then, that many 

of us hear today, as we attempt to expose the paganistic, baalistic, Babylonian ways, that are so deeply 

ingrained in our traditional culture today.

The message, will never change, while GODS word maybe manipulated, and misused to fit the traditional 

molds of modern man, the context of his message, is consistently constant. And that message is a call to 

his people, to come out of the world, it’s a call to a wayward people to reconciliation, and repentance, 

through the acknowledgement of error, and the acceptance of Godly Correction, in our Course and Direction.

The looming questions we must ALL, honestly ask ourselves are: 

1. Am I honestly inline, and moving forward in a Godly direction, that GOD himself has directed and 

prescribed as a Godly direction.

2. Based upon the Biblical texts alone, have I honestly ever known what a Godly direction is, or have I 

allowed someone else to define the meaning of Godly Direction for me.

3. Is it possible, that I have listened to others, and accepted the traditional views, that they themselves 

accepted and generationally passed down, and by doing so, is it possible that I have became trapped in the 

circle of generational tradition its self.

4. As a Christian, Should I desire to know the truth, even if I find that truth to be uncomfortable and at 

odds with my traditional religious views and values.

5. If I find my views and values to be at odds with the Written Word of GOD, must I change those views 

and values.

6. If I should find my religious views, the traditional values and ways of my religion, at odds with the 

word of GOD, is it ok, if I continue to practice the patterns associated with my religion and religious 

traditional values, simply because I do not want to offend others and be ostracized by them.

7. Is there a Viable, Locatable, Biblically Based standard, by which I can base my life, and religious 

practices upon.

8. What will be the final authority upon which I will be Judged.

With all my heart, I hope each of you will carefully consider my words, and receive them in the spirit of 

love and humility, that they were written in.

My Prayer for each of you, is that you would sincerely desire a closer walk with Christ, and put those 

desires into Action, as you search the Scriptures for yourselves, casting all preconceived notions, and ideas 

aside, and personally finding the honest truth, within the Written Word of GOD its self.

With Much Hope and Love,

Will Matherly