- there are 70 faces to 
Post by alon on Dec 11, 2019 15:35:20 GMT -8
In discussion with some Meshiachim, it came up that the Cross was/is a thoroughly pagan symbol. I thought I'd post my reply here:
Good point about not idolizing the cross. Neither do I wear it or incorporate it into a symbol of my faith. However I don't break fellowship with those who chose to do so, particularly Christians. It IS a symbol of their faith.
Many do however worship before it as ancients would an idol. "Come to the Cross," or "Kneel before the Cross" was often a call to deeper worship when I was growing up. But I now know that is the sin of the golden calf! Those Hebrews who made that calf did not think it was a god, any more than a pagan thought a stone was a god. But they, having spent 400 yrs in Egypt in an entirely pagan system thought as their former captors did that a statue or an idol could be used to summon a god's presence! And that is exactly what a Cross is doing if you need it to be closer to our Elohim!
As you've pointed out, we need to understand these things; and we need to watch out for similar things in our own worship. Wearing a tallit or laying teffilin, for example. If we do it to keep the commandments of wearing tzitzyot, or to bind the Word on our hands and foreheads, fine (though I think it more likely that was a metaphor for our thoughts and actions). And while it can help set the tone, and teffilin activates some key acupressure points as well, if you need it as a channel to Abishter then I'd say stop using them and just say the Amidah. The Jewish sages said it is more important to be mindful of what you are saying, and to whom you are saying it.
Anything can become an idol. And ha'satan copies HaShem (not the other way around), so many things in paganism were originally in HaShem's plan. Consider the last letter of the aleph-beit, the tav. It originally looked like a cross, leaning a bit to the right. The enemy would have picked up on that really quick! So it isn't surprising to see crosses so predominantly existing in paganism. I'd say don't throw out the cross, just don't idolize it either.
Baruch HaShem!
Good point about not idolizing the cross. Neither do I wear it or incorporate it into a symbol of my faith. However I don't break fellowship with those who chose to do so, particularly Christians. It IS a symbol of their faith.
Many do however worship before it as ancients would an idol. "Come to the Cross," or "Kneel before the Cross" was often a call to deeper worship when I was growing up. But I now know that is the sin of the golden calf! Those Hebrews who made that calf did not think it was a god, any more than a pagan thought a stone was a god. But they, having spent 400 yrs in Egypt in an entirely pagan system thought as their former captors did that a statue or an idol could be used to summon a god's presence! And that is exactly what a Cross is doing if you need it to be closer to our Elohim!
As you've pointed out, we need to understand these things; and we need to watch out for similar things in our own worship. Wearing a tallit or laying teffilin, for example. If we do it to keep the commandments of wearing tzitzyot, or to bind the Word on our hands and foreheads, fine (though I think it more likely that was a metaphor for our thoughts and actions). And while it can help set the tone, and teffilin activates some key acupressure points as well, if you need it as a channel to Abishter then I'd say stop using them and just say the Amidah. The Jewish sages said it is more important to be mindful of what you are saying, and to whom you are saying it.
Anything can become an idol. And ha'satan copies HaShem (not the other way around), so many things in paganism were originally in HaShem's plan. Consider the last letter of the aleph-beit, the tav. It originally looked like a cross, leaning a bit to the right. The enemy would have picked up on that really quick! So it isn't surprising to see crosses so predominantly existing in paganism. I'd say don't throw out the cross, just don't idolize it either.
Baruch HaShem!
