The Bible Doesn't Encourage Birthday Parties

In a little over a week our family will be celebrating the birthday of our great-grandson. His name is Byron and I've been blogging about him since he was born. In most families birthdays are important events. This week I'll share a little information about birthdays, both from history and the Bible. 

Birthdays are days in which to give thanks. Our family celebrates God's precious gift to our grandson and his wife. We thank the Lord for His ongoing creation, for this one named Byron. We will especially thank our Lord for Byron's new birth in Christ on the day we remember his baptism some weeks after his birth.

It is quite interesting to learn that the Bible gives precious little guidance on how to celebrate birthdays. In fact, the Bible tells us of only two birthday celebrations. Both of them were celebrations by unbelieving kings that ended up badly. 

The first birthday we read about was that of the Egyptian Pharaoh who ruled Egypt during the time of Joseph. As you may recall, Joseph had been sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, because he claimed to have a dream predicting his eventual rule over them all (Gen. 37:5-36). In Egypt Joseph's master, Potiphar, recognized his talents and put him in charge of all that he owned. But that got Joseph into trouble with Potiphar's wife and he landed up in prison (Gen. 39:1-22). Even there the prison warden put him in charge of all the prisoners. 

While in the prison Joseph's reputation for interpreting dreams spread among the prisoners. Pharaoh's personal butler (cupbearer) and baker asked him to interpret their dreams. Joseph told them that on Pharaoh's birthday the butler would be restored to his position, but the baker would be hanged. And so it was. The self-centered cupbearer forgot to be thankful for Joseph's gift and left him to languish in prison for another two years.  (Gen. 40:9-41:11).

Wooden Sculpture by Ana Maria Pacheco 

The only other birthday celebration we read about is found in the New Testament story of King Herod having a big birthday bash and being forced to present the head of John the Baptist to reward his step-daughter for her salacious dance (Matt. 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29). 

Neither story gives us good feelings about birthday celebrations. One story features a hanging and the other the murder of the greatest prophet of all time, the forerunner of the Christ (Matt. 11:11-14). 

What's the lesson to be learned? Obviously both kings were extremely self-centered and more concerned about their personal reputations than how they treated those beneath them. They could judge, condemn and even murder without challenge. Perhaps that says something about our emphasis upon expecting and getting presents on our birthdays. I'll leave that to you to decide. 

There may be one more birthday story in the Bible in Job 1:1-5. This wealthy and pious man had seven sons and three daughters. His sons each had a big celebration "on his day." Job was so concerned about what went on in those feasts that he had special prayers and burnt offerings for his children after they ended. That too doesn't say much about birthday celebrations. 

But stay tuned. We may yet find some better things to say about birthdays in the next posts.