Birthdays are celebrated in most cultures today. Many cultures have developed their own unique ways of celebrating being a year older, but the Egyptians were said to be the pioneers in starting such celebrations.
For the Egyptians, the celebration of a birthday had a very deep meaning to it; it was only when the pharaohs “were crowned gods they were birthed,” according to one historical source. This is interesting because the first occasion to celebrate a birthday of a human being was done to honour him as “a god.”
Equally interesting is the biblical mentions of birthday. Yes, the Holy Bible also talks about birthdays, but not the birthday of any prophet, Jesus Christ, his disciples, or apostles. There are three instances where this occurs. First in Genesis 40:1-23, where Pharaoh celebrated his birthday by executing his chief baker; then in Matt. 14: 3-11, where during King Herod’s birthday celebration, he instructed the beheading of John the Baptist; and in Job 1-4, where his children were celebrating birthdays.
In each of these three occasions, when birthdays were celebrated, something dreadful happened. Why? Is this telling us something? If the origin dates to the worship of false gods, perhaps there’s more to birthdays than we can ever imagine.
Ecc. 3:2 talks about “a time to be born, and a time to die,” yet it tells us nothing about a celebration. Psalm 90: 10 says “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” That verse, too, tells us nothing about celebrating each year we get older. In fact, what it warns about is our temporariness. Verse 12 says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
Ephesians 5: 14 also gives us a warning us about making use of our years, “Wherefore he saith, awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is.”
For many people, a birthday is a big deal; the celebrations go on for days and even weeks. Certainly, one can be thankful to God for sparing their lives and giving another year; we should be wise, as the scripture says to make good and worthwhile use of our time because we don’t know what tomorrow may bring.
Ecc. 9: 10 warns, too, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”
In a few weeks, billions of people will celebrate what they believe is the birthday of Jesus, the Christ. It’s evident from the Bible and historical sources that Jesus was not born anywhere near December 25. It’s also evident that the Holy Bible does not sanction birthdays because not one God’s holy men had any such celebration, and the practice began in false Egyptian religions. Yet, the world will turn its attention to bestow what they feel as an honour to the Son of God by celebrating his birthday with in many cases, drunkenness, gluttony, and other excesses that are not in the spirit of adoration and honour to the Great God we worship.
Isn’t it ironical that this Great God has his own festivals or appointed times that he establishes for humanity, not just Israel, to celebrate at set seasons? Yet the world spurns them, brands them “Jewish” and says there’s no need for all that Old Testament stuff. But honestly though, which one would you believe the Great God, YAHWEH would accept? The ones he established, and which mankind will have to keep when he returns (Zech 14), or the man-made ones all rooted in pagan dates and seasons?
As you celebrate your own birthday whenever it comes around, ask yourself what are the reasons behind your celebrations…and also, does YAHWEH accept these man-made practice of celebrating even the wrong day on which His only begotten Son was said to be born, while ignoring His appointed times and festivals that he says ALL nations will have to celebrate in his coming kingdom? And if we will have to celebrate them, then, why not celebrate His appointed times now instead of indulging in the very practices he forbids (Deut. 12). For more on this subject download FREE our booklet, FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CHRISTMAS.
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