“Likewise, do not set up a standing-stone; Adonai your God hates such things.”-Deuteronomy 16:22
In my last post, we just got done talking about how the Lord prohibits planting any sort of tree as a sacred pole or erecting a standing-stone beside the altar of HASHEM.
Now some of you may have been wondering…
…what about those specific instances in Scripture where Godly men actually did these prohibited things and didn’t necessarily welcome the wrath of God?
For example, we have Jacob who erected a standing-stone to EL SHADDAI as he was traveling from Canaan to Mesopotamia about 5 centuries earlier.
Or how about Abraham setting up an altar to EL SHADDAI under the Tamarisk tree at Beer-sheva about a hundred years before that?
Heck we don’t even have to go that far back into ancient Israelite history.
In this era of Deuteronomy we are currently immersed in, Moses actually went ahead and set up a whopping total of 12 standing stones at Mount Sinai AND…
…after entering the Promised Land, Joshua would erect a humongous standing-stone at Shechem.
Here’s what’s amazing.
All of these incidences were examples of men setting up standing stones to honor HASHEM.
Yet, there isn’t even one tiny little hint that the Lord objected to what was being done.
So what gives here?
Well, to be honest, I’m not sure.
I think this is one of those instances where we have to use our noggins and go back to what we already know about God and His Torah.
Concerning this issue, I believe there is one particular Torah idea woven into the fabric of the Scriptures that has particular relevance.
I’m talking about the understanding that in and of itself, there is no object or living creature that is inherently unclean or evil.
For example, a pig isn’t inherently unclean or an evil creature.
Yet because God for His own good reasons has DECLARED the pig to be off limits for food, we bow down our heads to God’s holy instructions on the matter even if we really don’t understand the WHY behind it and stay away from pork.
I think the issue here is what an object or creature is actually used for and to whom it is meant to identify.
But don’t misunderstand what I’m saying here.
I’m not saying you can willy nilly take what the Lord has clearly prohibited in His Word and make it okay just because you feel you are doing a better or more loving thing.
Like hell to the no.
Here’s my point.
An uncut stone set up in such a way so that it is standing on its edge in and of itself is not inherently the devil.
Nor is taking a tree or a pole that has been formed from a tree trunk and sinking it into the ground inherently evil.
Here’s where the problem lies.
When you adopt a custom that is just like or very similar to well known pagan worship practices, such things cause confusion.
It may not be the intent of the worshipper to mix paganism with the worship of God but that is exactly what’s happening.
And again, it causes confusion and in some cases can lead to outright disobedience of the commands of the Lord.
Why do you think the gentile Christian church is never going to convince a religious Jew of the validity of their religion?
They teach that the Law has been done away (something the Messiah himself said would never happen), elevate the Messiah to literally being God Himself in human flesh (pure idolatry anyway you look at it) and have adopted holidays and festivals that clearly have pagan origins (Ishtar or Easter, the fertility goddess).
Heck, the last thing I’d want to do is send a religious Jew into the nightmarish and confusing world of Christian idolatry.
The Lord our God has commanded us…
..DON’T MIX PAGAN PRACTICES WITH WORSHIP OF HIM!
Because you are just going to cause confusion especially towards those currently outside the community of God who you are trying to teach or reach.
The truth is…
…our ability to distinguish on our own…
…between the legitimate and the idolatrous…
…is way too difficult.
Our devious little hearts have this tendency to always be searching for technicalities, loopholes, exceptions or any other sneaky way we can think of to convince ourselves when we are disobeying God’s commands that it’s really okay because it’s coming from an attitude of love or a purer state of our hearts.
So here’s a good rule of thumb to go by when you’re wondering if it’s okay to do something or not.
If you have to ask, don’t do it.
NEXT TIME WE BEGIN DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The Chumash gives a simpler explanation. The addition of the words, “which the Lord hateth” is designed to tell us that only those pillars and stones set up in order to be used to worship some other god are wrong.
Just as you state, Rich, it is the intention and not the act of erecting a stone or pillar that is what is sinful.
By the way, don’t forget that only a few chapters earlier in Deuteronomy we are told not to move the boundary stone of our neighbor, which is (by definition) a standing stone.
You sort of imply that this commandment could be classified as Chukkim (laws for which we cannot understand the reasoning for) but I believe it can be considered Mishpatim, a law for which we are told why we should obey it.
When God said don’t set these up as the heathen do, that is clear enough to me.
Hey Steven, Great clarification. Thanks for sharing. We’ve really got to jump on a Skype together soon! I’m committed to making it happen. Shalom!