Dress & Today's Culture
May my niece continue to grow into a strong woman seeing herself through the eyes of God and not of man...
The standard dress for Hebrews was essentially the same for men and women except that neither sex was permitted by Mosaic law to wear the same form of clothing as was used by the other (Deut. 22:5). To easily distinguish between men and women clothing, they utilized embroidery, embossing, etc. Women wore long, loose garments almost to the floor and used silk or wool girdles (sash around waist). These girdles were often made in the colors of the rainbow. Additionally women wore head-dresses that often included a cloth called kaffiyeh which also was made differently than the men's. (zondervan's compact bible dictionary)
As our culture today, so too the Hebrew women were influenced by others and their own pride. Women began to dress themselves to entice, to boast and in an excessive manner that is not unlike today's culture -- believer and the unbeliever alike.
An example of how some women had changed and God's feeling towards this change is given by the prophet Isaiah in his reproach of the daughters of Zion-- daughters of spiritual leaders. He describes in detail the haughty dress and actions of these daughters who you would expect to behave with the dignity that becomes women professing godliness.
Isa 3:16-26 Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet: daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts. In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings, the rings, and nose jewels, the changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, the glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the veils. And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.
Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war. And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.
Isaiah clearly describes the adornment of even necessary clothing as being excessive and motives to draw attention to self and boast of wealth.
Sound familiar? Today's advertisers and our decline of morality is encouraging the same message -- you can never have enough, focus on the outward appearance no matter how scanty the style and spare no expense to get what society and current trend is telling you what you should want.
Our current worldly message compared to that of God's desire for women is displayed in the list below. How truly sad that for over 2000 years we continue to follow the worldly message of pride, sin and immorality...
The World-the purpose of clothing is to uncover and to reveal
The Bible -the purpose of clothing is to cover and to conceal (Gen. 3:21)
The World -dress for others attention
The Bible -dress to honor God and to please your husband (Prv. 31:21-22)
The World -dress to display your social/economic status
The Bible -display your Christian character (Prv. 31:25)
The World -focus on your outward beauty
The Bible -fear the Lord, inward beauty, piety is beauty (Prv 31:30)
The World -self-centered
The Bible -God-centered (Psalm 119:15)
The World -pride, vanity and greed
The Bible -humility, modesty and generosity (1Tim 2:9)
The World -seduce (Jezebel) 2 Kings 9:30, Jer 4:30
The Bible -do nothing to cause another to stumble ( 1 Cor 8:13 )
The World -dress to suit yourself/abolish gender distinction
The Bible -dress as a woman/proper gender identity (Deut 22:5)
Conclusion: While clothes do not make a Christian, we do reveal a lot about our identity with what we choose to wear. Our goal is to remind ourselves that we need only dress to please our Lord and Savior and to cloth ourselves in His righteousness and not what the latest fad or society's standard of economic success tells us we should be wearing. Let us choose to display Christ and not the world -- let us be peculiar persons for Christ, set apart and distinct from the world! (Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 14:2 & 26:18)
posted by Chris @ 11:02 PM
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