Sakinah, is Jeremiah referring to an actual decorated tree in Jeremiah 10:2-4?

Question

Sorry to butt in on a conversation that has long ended...but I think maybe that Jeremiah was explaining the way that the heathens created the gods that they worshipped. You see, the typical method that other nations surrounding the Children of Israel used for making idol gods was by carving them out of wood. Then they would overlay the carving with some type of metal, such as gold, silver- brass. Upon reading verse 5, Jeremiah explains that the newly fashioned gods have to be carried around because they are not real like the true and living God of the Children of Israel whom wasn't made nor is controlled by by man (see verse 6).

A few years ago, I had nothing but beef with God and traditions. Someone recommended that I should read God's word with the desire to understand His way, putting aside my own world views. Doing so changed my life and taught me to treat even my enemies right. His word when read with a sincere heart contains wisdom that we don't possess (verse 12).

Answer 1

I don't think the passage is referencing a decorated tree; I believe you have it correct in the reference to idolatry. In describing exactly what had to happen, I think Jeremiah actually made the idea of idolatry all the more absurd.

To paraphrase, "They have to go and cut down their god out of the woods, decorate it, fasten it with nails so that it doesn't fall over or fall apart and then they even have to carry it around because it can't move!"

Answer 2

Your premonition is pretty much right on the money.

These might have been referred to as the first "nature" worshippers. Although many of the false religions referred too in the Old Testament were based around a false god being in control of some form of nature. The one mentioned here in Jeremiah was a group who actually cut down a tree, probably decorated it with gold and all the trimmings and carried it through the streets worshipping their god.

THis was a long carried on problem that the people of Israel seemed to have ever since theyleft Egypt and entered the Promised Land. The Lord did not want them to get involved with the false gods of the people living in the land. There were all kinds of claims that the proprietors of those religions would make about their gods and Jeremiah is speaking here to the Israeli people...."Don't be afraid, see, these so called gods are just made out of wood, out of a tree from the ground. They are not real and they cannot hurt you."

Jeremiah admonishes the people that the One they should fear and respect is the Lord Almighty who made Heaven and Earth and holds everything in His Hands. He wants us to draw near and come close to Him. Knowing His Word and reading the scriptures, being reminded of what the Lord has said to us helps with all that.

Very good questions and good thoughts in your comments

Hope all that helps

Jesus Loves You

Answer 3

Jeremiah 10:3-5 reads: “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 ax. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go.” This scripture cannot be properly applied to cutting down evergreens, building bases to hold them upright, and decorating them with gold and silver tinsel or other ornamentation. Jeremiah 10 is exposing the folly of worshiping idols. Men made such idols by felling a tree, lopping off the branches, and hewing and carving the remaining trunk into the shape of the desired image. This they would then plate or overlay with gold and silver. As the account states, “The core of their idols is but timber, overlaid with beaten silver brought from Tarshish and with gold from Ophir.” (Verses. 8, 9, American Translation.) Being shaped in the form of some living creature or supposed god, they might be expected by their superstitious worshipers to have some power of expression or movement or ability to deliver in time of stress; but their utter failure to do anything draws derisive taunts: “Idols are like scarecrows in a field, they cannot say a word; they have to be carried, for they cannot move a step. Have no fear of them; they cannot hurt you—no, nor help you!” Next the account speaks of Jehovah’s great power, then continues: “It strikes man dumb and senseless; the goldsmith is ashamed of his carved image, his metal image is a futile thing. There is no breath of life in idols; they are a vain delusion, they break down when the test arrives.” (Verses. 5, 14, 15, Moffat's)

Answer 4

Yes, this sounds to me like the overlayment of gold and silver onto wooden carvings. This was a common manner of creating 'gods' that the heathens used.

Answer 5

What you refer to was NOT the "typical method" for "making idol gods." It was one method used by some people the hebrews knew about.
The Babylonians didn't make representations of many of their gods, they believed them to be un-knowable to humans.
The greeks, while they made statues of their gods, didn't think the statues *were* the gods, just representations of them to help invoke contemplation of them. The believed their gods to be a sort of divine flesh & blood, much like resurrected jesus.
The lists go on and on -- if you study things other than the bible, you'll find that the bible presents a very narrow viewpoint on many things -- not suprising given that it's a collection of stories of one small group of people and their immediate surroundings. And you'll learn that the "historical" events portrayed in the bible don't match other written, archaeological, geologic, or other evidence. So be careful about reading something in the bible and assuming it's "truth."

It's a collection of stories of the hebrews, topped off by stories of jesus and his followers for a short time after jesus' death. It's not fact, it's not history, it's STORIES. Yes, stories can teach us lessons (especially since many of the stories in the bible were DESIGNED to be fables teaching a certain lesson) -- but they're still stories, not facts :)
Peace.