MESSIANIC BELIEVERS' DRESS-CODE

It is a topic of utmost importance to us Elohim's children, living on this planet during these twilight days of the world's history. We must however place a caveat emptor here and point out that the views expressed herein are not necessarily the official position of the Church of God on the matters discussed.

In 1 Timothy 3:15, the Apostle Paul instructs: "If I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth..." This statement is proof positive that like any other head of household, Elohim, our Almighty Heavenly Father expects us to stick to some behavioral ground rules while abiding in his house. His word provides  specific guidelines governing such aspects of the believer's life as social relationships, diet, speech, comportment, marriage, parenting, attire, worship, etc.

This is especially important in an increasingly globalized world where societal norms and social mores are constantly being eroded. With each passing day, the line between good and evil is getting more and more blurred. Ours is an age foretold by Isaiah the ancient Hebrew prophet, where there are: "...those call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter..." (Isaiah 5:20, NIV). Ours is a generation steeped in rebellion, as evidenced by such movements as androgyny, transgenderism, cross-dressing, nudist colonies, as well as "my dress, my choice" philosophies, etc.

We must therefore face up to the question posited by the psalmist centuries ago: "When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalm 11:3, NIV). Fortunately, God's word furnishes us with the answers. The scriptures indeed remain an infallible lodestone as one navigates through the increasingly murky waters of today's life. Like David, we are able to say: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." (Psalm 119:105). So then, what is Adonai's position on this crucially important matter, - the Messianic believers' dress-code?

In Genesis 3:21, we see that God himself, in his infinite love for human beings, was the first to make appropriate garments for our fallen parents, Adam and Hawah. I say - appropriate - because their own efforts at trying to cover their nakedness fell woefully short of masking their shame before him, such that they had to run away and hide when he came visiting (Genesis 3:8-10). God desires that we be appropriately clothed and not go about indecently exposed (cf Revelation 16:15; 3:18). It is for our own good.

Like the good Father that he is, God leads by example. Thus in the vision of Isaiah's call to the prophetic ministry, we see that he, Isaiah: "...saw the LORD sitted on a throne, high and exalted, and the TRAIN OF HIS ROBE FILLED THE TEMPLE..." (Isaiah 6:1, NIV, emphasis mine). This can only mean that the robe must have been quite voluminous indeed! Not even his feet could be seen. We can deduce from this verse that we his children, should certainly not go about in mini skirts, plunging cleavages, stilleto heels, spaghetti tops, skin tights, or diaphanous see-me-through items of apparel. This fact is further corroborated by John's narrative in his encounter with Yahshua in the Book of Revelation. Says  the apostle: "...I turned round to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone "like a Son of Man", dressed in a ROBE REACHING DOWN TO HIS FEET..." (Revelation 1:13, NIV, full caps added). Just like Elohim, Yahshua's robe reached down to his feet. And did not the same Yahshua, indicate that he has given us an EXAMPLE, that we should do as he did? (cf John 13:15). These two divine examples clearly show us that leotards, tight-fitting clothes, short, figure-hugging dresses, and almost transparent clothing are no-go zones for people who profess to worship God.

But what about head coverings? Paul, in his first epistle to the Corinthians, shone a bright light on this subject. He said: "Follow my example, as I follow the example of  Yahshua..." (cf 1Corinthians 11:1). He goes on to elaborate that: "...the head of every man is Messiah, and the head of every woman is man, and the head of Messiah is Elohim..." (1Corinthians 11:3). Thus, "... every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonours his head." (1Corinthians 11:4). It is abundantly clear therefore, that mitres, skull-caps, kfars, cowls, turbans, wallahis, and other men's religious headgear, do not belong in the present gospel era. Similarly, long hair on men's heads is inappropriate (1Corinthians 11:14). The long-haired effeminate Jesus prevalent in European paintings and religious literature is therefore a product of misguided imagination.

But back to the text. Conversely, any woman praying with an uncovered head also dishonours her head. Since man is head of woman, the woman should have a symbol of authority on her head (1Corinthians 11:10). We see here, then, that the teaching on the equality of the sexes (as popularized by feminists, gender rights activists and humanistic philosophers) is erroneous and has no foundation in scripture. Why, pray, are we told that about 600,000 Hebrew men left Egypt during the Exodus in Moshe's day? (Numbers 2:32). Were there no women? Of course, there were huge numbers of women, it is just that in divine mathematics, only the heads (read mature men) are counted! Similarly, when Yahshua miraculously multiplied five loaves and two fish to feed a multitude, we are only given the number of men who ate, "... besides women and children." (cf Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:31-44). Is not that also the reason why unmarried women maintain their father's surnames, but switch to using their husbands' surnames upon marriage? Is it not an indication that they are now under the aegis of their male spouses, and no longer directly under the authority of their fathers?

Paul also goes on to show that since angels frequently visit with God's people (cf Psalm 34:7; Hebrews 13:2), the woman's head covering should remain in place. This is to avoid any confusion as to the identities of a household's members whenever these ministering spirits come by.

But what about jewelry? Now, there's a furious debate on this one! Our own opinion is that the scriptural evidence against make-up, jewelry and any such accoutrements seems to tip the scales in favour of disuse. Sample this; Jacob is on divine instructions to go up into Beth-El (significantly, the meaning of Bethel in Hebrew, is "House of Elohim"). Once there, he is to build an altar for the worship of Adonai, the God of his fathers Abraham and Isaac. He is commanded to: "...get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes..." (Genesis 35:1-2). In addition to carrying out God's instructions - Jacob takes one further step! He not only collects the foreign idols, but also the EAR-RINGS  among his party and buries all under a tree! (cf verse 4). Are you with me? Why bury the items of jewellery too, if they are just innocent accessories to beauty?! It would seem that they were somehow connected to idolatry and that is why Jacob had to get rid of them too! Now, if you could not go into God's house (Bethel) adorned with suspect jewellery in those days, why would the situation be any  different today? Do we not serve an unchanging (cf Malachi 3:6), omnipresent God who exists simultaneously in the past, the present and the future?! And where does that leave wedding rings, associated as they are, with Juno, Cupid and Eros, the first being the Roman goddess of sexual love, marriage, and weddings, and the others being the Roman and Greek gods of sexual love respectively?! How does Elohim, who describes himself as a "... jealous God..." (cf Exodus 20:5), feel when his children pay homage to these pagan deities during their weddings?

But pray, how did the wedding ring come to the Greek and Roman pantheons?

It was the ancient Egyptian pharaohs who first used rings to represent eternity. That is because a circle has no beginning and no end, and reflects the shape of the sun and the moon, which the Egyptians worshipped. The Egyptians also thought that the open space in the middle of a ring represented a gateway to the unknown. Thus the Egyptian ouroboros (meaning "tail devourer" in Greek) rings portrayed a serpent (usually a snake or dragon) swallowing its tail, representing the eternal cycle of things. Please note the dark symbolism: the fiery snake, the dragon, and the sun, - all represented the devil or Satan in the ancient pagan world (cf Revelation 12:9; 20:2).

When Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, the Greeks adopted the Egyptian tradition of giving rings to their lovers to represent devotion. Many of these rings depicted Eros or Cupid, the Roman and Greek gods of love. When the Romans conquered Greece, they picked up on this tradition and began using iron and copper rings in marriage ceremonies.

The ancient Egyptians also believed that the ring finger, or the fourth finger of the left hand, contained a “vena amoris” or “vein of love” that led directly to the heart. The Romans adopted this belief too, and wore wedding rings on their ring finger. Although their belief is not anatomically correct, the tradition of wearing rings on the ring finger continues to this day! Again, does not Elohim loudly introduce himself as "...the LORD your God who brought you OUT OF EGYPT..." in the only place where he directly addresses his chosen people, Israel out of a violently quaking, smoking, thunderous Mt Sinai?! (cf Exodus 19-20). Why would we then, turn around and spiritually go back to Egypt, to court and re-adopt the heathen customs of Mizraim?

In the Renewed Covenant (so-called New Testament), two apostles - Paul and Peter - have spoken about this issue. Though addressing different audiences, both their messages closely mirror one another! Addressing "...GOD's ELECT, STRANGERS in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia ..." (cf 1Peter 1:2, NIV, emphasis mine), Peter had this to say: "... your beauty should not come from outward adornments, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes..." (1Peter 3:3). Peter's message was largely to the Jewish diaspora (people likely to be negatively influenced by the pagan ideas of beauty of their Gentile neighbours). It was a measure in mitigation. Instructing Timothy on what to teach the new Gentile believers, Paul says almost the same thing: "...I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair, or gold or pearls, or expensive clothes..." (1Timothy 2:9). It could not be any clearer than this. Jewellery: earrings, nose rings, bracelets, bangles, beads, waist beads, finger rings, anklets, chains etc, are simply a no-no for us, sacred temples of the living God (cf 1Corinthians 6:19-20).

Apparently, these efforts at outward beautification seem to engender a spirit of pride and an unhealthy, wholly undue focus on physical appearance at the expense of the inner man/woman. This is especially more so among women. Elohim our Father, certainly takes a very dim view of the issue. Said Isaiah the prophet of old: "...the women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, tripping along with mincing steps, with ornaments jingling on their ankles..." (Isaiah 3:16, NIV). A very loaded accusation indeed! The prophet then renders God's verdict: "...In that day the LORD will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, the earrings and bracelets and veils, the headdresses and ankle chains and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, the signet rings and nose rings, the fine robes and capes and cloaks, the purses and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls..." (Isaiah 3:18-23, NIV). Wow! The whole gamut of such feminine accessories as may be found on a proud woman's dressing table or boudoir are castigated! Is it fitting that a Messianic woman should come under similar condemnation? Is it not better to avoid these fripperies and maintain a clear conscience? Did not the evil, scheming seductress, wicked Queen Jezebel, take this lewd and exhibitionist route to try and distract the agent of divine wrath, Jehu son of Nimshi from carrying out mortal judgment on her? (cf 2Kings 9:30). Why is her story brought up, except to serve as an indication that make-up: mascara, rouge, lipstick, eyeshadow, nail varnish, wigs, fake eyelashes etc, have absolutely no place on the face/person of a woman that professes to worship the one true God?!

There is also the issue of women wearing men's clothing and vice versa. What is God's position, now that we see a very determined satanic effort to erase the gender gap? In Deuteronomy 22:5, we read: "A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this."

There is also the issue of beards, goatees, sideburns, etc. To keep or not to keep? Should men maintain facial hair? Should they trim beards, moustaches or not?  The scriptures seem to maintain a balanced view on the matter. There is a scripture on not trimming the  CORNERS of the beard (cf Leviticus 19:27). It would seem that in the Canaanite culture that Israel was going to encounter as they settled into the Holy Land from Egypt, certain hairstyles were symbols of dedication to heathen deities. Israel was therefore being warned against following suit. In some cultures, such hairstyles as Mohawks, skinheads, the Roman tonsure and keeping of dreadlocks etc, were done as part of religious prescriptions. There is however no direct prohibition against shaving. In fact, when Joseph was required to appear before Pharaoh, he went home from prison, washed, SHAVED and changed before coming into the presence of the Egyptian monarch (Genesis 41:14). It is instructive to note that the young man was under no compulsion to do so. We would imagine also that the desperate Pharaoh would not really have cared about the physical appearance of whoever could interpret his dreams. Remember it is this same Joseph who was ready to go to prison rather than violate his conscience by sinning against God in the matter of Potiphar's wife. Logically therefore, Joseph found nothing wrong with shaving, otherwise, he would have appeared before Pharaoh unkempt beard and all!

Secondly, when King David fled before his son Absalom, one of his courtiers, the lame Mephibosheth, was unable to accompany the king. He explained to the returning king that he had been in mourning ever since the king left and to prove it, he had an untrimmed beard! "Now Mephibosheth son of Saul came down to meet the king. And he had not cared for his feet, NOR TRIMMED HIS MOUSTACHE, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he returned in peace." (2 Samuel 19:24, NKJV, emphasis added). In our opinion, it is always good to abide by the scriptural principle of adducing at least two witnesses before declaring a matter settled (2Corinthians 13:1; Deuteronomy 19:15). So we rest our case.

We would also like to look at the issue of tattoos, body piercings, scarification and clothing emblazoned with occultic signs, designs or pictures. In Leviticus 19:28, it is clearly stated: "Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD." Ritual shaving of the hair during mourning is clearly prohibited for believers. On the issue of occultic pictures (pentagrams, sigils, the wadjet eye, pyramids, 666, devil's hand, lightning, skull and crossbones, skeletons, etc), the Messianic would do well to steer clear of  them. These are quite often to be found on clothing being sold in our stores today. In addition, pictures of creatures associated with the kingdom of darkness (owls, bats, sea horses, scorpions, snakes, crows, frogmouths, spiders, dragons, wolves, gorgons, black cats, etc) emblazoned on clothing are a red alert. Fashion houses such as Lacoste (the crocodile), and Versace (the snake lady Medusa) are two good examples. The believer had best stay away from such clothing.

"Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their PICTURES, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places:..." (Numbers 33:52, KJV, emphasis mine). Indeed there is such a thing as "...hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh." (Jude 23).

We would like to  conclude with the words of the apostle Paul: "...if anyone wants to be  contentious about this, we have no other practice - nor do the churches of God..." (1Corinthians 11:16). Indeed ours is an orderly God who desires that everything be done in a fitting and orderly way..." (1Corinthians 14:40). Why, pray, would we want to court disaster as did Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:1-3), or Hophni and Phinehas (1Samuel 2:34-35), and Uzzah (2Samuel 6:6-7) all of whom perished for trying to impose alien, Gentile ideas into the sacred service and worship of Adonai our terrible but loving Creator?! Blessings and shalom.

Pst JK Chang'andu