What does the word holidays mean to you? The commercialism of our day and age threatens to be the focus for us all, but what was the purpose of Holy Days originally? Let’s take a closer look at this short word study.
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Holidays – Biblical Word Study
Definition:
HOL’YDAY, noun A day set apart for commemorating some important event in history; a festival intended to celebrate some event deemed auspicious to the welfare of a nation; particularly an anniversary festival, devoted to religious solemnities; as christmas holydays. 1. A day of joy and gayety. 2. A day of exemption from labor; a day of amusement. [American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828]
Scripture To Study & Thoughts To Ponder
And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever. Exodus 12:16-17
God was the first One to proclaim that there should be a Holiday — a celebration to remember the deliverance from bondage, as found in Exodus.
While most Christians no longer celebrate the Old Testament Holy Days, we do continue to set aside days to celebrate world-changing New Testament events: Christ’s birth and Christ’s crucifixion & Ressurection, to name a few.
By the way, this book is a great way to learn about and celebrate the Old Testament Holidays from a Christ-following perspective.
The governments of the world have long adopted Biblical principles and traditions, and the concept of creating national Holidays is no different. So, there are indeed many secular Holidays.
While some may argue that we should not celebrate Christmas or Easter because of Pagan origins connected to the particular dates, I do not believe that celebrating the birth and death, and Resurrected Life of Jesus Christ is a sin. The date on which we choose to do so is not worth an argument.
However, I also believe that we should not adopt the ways that Pagans celebrate their pagan beliefs and just slap the label of “Christian” on it to make ourselves feel better about it. Confused, yet?
The bottom line, it all comes down to our heart’s intent and the Holy Spirit’s discernment. For my family and me, that means that we do not knowingly participate in a Pagan or anti-Christian way of celebrating any day.
The devil, the world, and our own flesh seek to corrupt all that is good, but as with many things in our modern times, man’s opinions do not change God’s truths. For example, we will not stop remembering and celebrating the true purpose behind a rainbow, just because the world has claimed it means something different than what God said.
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20
In the same way, we KNOW that the birth, death, & resurrected life of Jesus Christ was indeed GOOD and to be remembered and celebrated! Amen?
Amen
This was a disregard for truth which God is all about. To pick a day and say it’s Christ’s birth and celebrate it as Christ’s birth is a lie. So no matter how much one attempts to make it holy it won’t be. It will be wrapped in a sin of “thou shalt not lie” along with the pagan roots and origins of Christ MASS. It’s so unfortunate that so many need a day to celebrate Christ when as believers everyday of our lives should be a day of honor, sacrifice and thankfulness of Christ’s birth, death, burial and resurrection. I pray more professed believers let go of man made traditions and truly simply live lives for Christ without compromise, without needing to do what the world does and without wavering.
I am still learning about where our traditions come from, what words actually mean (their roots), etc. I am seeking with a humble heart to know the Truth. Thank you for commenting.
Ebony, I totally get where you’re coming from. I’m a Jewish believer saved by grace by Messiah 20 years ago. I have a degree in Theology and a double major in Biblical and Jewish Studies because I wanted to dig in to Scriptures and know the truth. We keep Sabbath, celebrate all the Biblical feast, and stay away from any pagan traditions regarding Christmas (yes, I know all about Christ Masses!) and Easter, no Christmas trees for us, yule, wreaths, Santa, bunnies… you name it! Don’t even get me started on Halloween, we want nothing to do with it. But we celebrate the birth of Messiah, not the way the world does because we know He wasn’t born on 25th of December and all the pagan roots involved on it, and we celebrate Ressurection Sunday, again, not the way the world does.
BUT…
We take advantage to the soft hearts during Christmas season to share The Gospel to as many people as we can, always teaching The Truth in love without condemnation, because Jesus Himself did not come to condemn but to save, right?
Yes, it’s a man made holiday and not a Biblical Holy Day, that’s why we celebrate the apointed feats of The Lord, but if the government give us two days a year for everyone to celebrate Messiah, why not take it and make the best and most glorfying opportunity of it to share The Good News of Salvation?
You’re absolutely right when you say we need to celebrate Messiah every single day!!
Clarissa, thank you for posting this!! We need to be bold in our faith and speak the truth in love and you’re good at doing so. 🙂
Ana, thank you for sharing your biblical knowledge and wisdom. I appreciate it very much. God bless you, friend!
Ana, Condemnation has two meanings 1. the expression of very strong disapproval; censure. 2. the action of condemning someone to a punishment; sentencing. When Christ came he did the first of the two definitions and he did it in love and boldly as did the Apostles following him. However, thankfully he didn’t come to punish and sentence according to the 2nd definition that will be upon his return. So as I point out the errors her understand I like Christ am expressing very strong disapproval based on the first definition. We cannot be naive to think that the Holy Spirit requires that we “take advantage of soft hearts during Christmas season to share The Gospel to as may people as we can” and still believe we are teaching the TRUTH in LOVE. That is manipulation not teaching the truth in love. We actually commanded to in 2 Timothy 4:1-4 “1I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3For the time is coming when people will not endure sounda teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” May we each hold to the word of God, the teachings of Christ and the Apostles without compromising based on feelings, theology or traditions. I am praying more and more professed believers get on one accord with our Messiah and his Apostles rather than the corrupted teachings most of us have grown up believing. We can’t be ready for Christ’s return living and teaching lies.
Saint Paul says that we if we do not have love we are a clanging gong. Ebony, you do not sound very loving in the way you speak to people. I am in no way saying that people should not be rebuked when they need to be, but there are so many people in this world who are hurting and need love before they can even begin to hear you. Instead of looking for opportunities to correct people, why not try loving them instead?
One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.