“Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.”
Exodus 20:3
Here is a simple straightforward command;
do not elevate anyone or anything above Jehovah. How is having another god
manifested in daily life? The scripture states plainly 'we are the servants of
the one who we obey' (Romans 6:16). By this measure, the first commandment
covers all the others – within the ten commandments and beyond. So, let’s take
a practical look at this with certain topics we face in our daily lives, in
church and outside of church.
Dress – The way we dress says a lot about who we serve. Are we serving
our own self-interests trying to attract/distract the opposite sex or to show
we are pious beyond coordination and fit; are we slaves to fashion, needing to
have the latest shoes (unable to leave the least smudge on it), hats, ensemble?
Do you find yourself buying into the idea of gender fluidity? Ladies, do you
find yourself becoming angry when advised not to wear trousers the way men do?
Deuteronomy 22:5 is the guide to this. In our culture the male silhouette is
still one with trousers, the female silhouette is still one with dresses or
skirts (1T 421.2-422.1; 459.8-465.1). Brothers and sisters, a clean line of
separation needs to be maintained if we are to ensure honesty in our society.
Gentlemen, do you enjoy displaying the evidence of your time in the weight room
with ever tightening clothing? As the designated priest of your family – when
you marry and start a family – it is your duty to dress as God instructed Moses
to dress Aaron and his sons – to the Glory of God and then for beauty (Exodus
28:2, 40; AH 324.2, 3; CG 521.3; 7T 67.1). Does this level of exposure glorify
God or yourself?
Jewellery
and Makeup – These have no part in the life of the
Christian. Our adornment is to be a ‘meek and quiet spirit not the putting on
of gold’ and other such things (1 Peter 3:3, 4). An outward display of Israel’s
many apostasies tended to be the wearing of jewellery causing God to repeatedly
commanded the removal of ornaments (Genesis 35:2-4; Exodus 33:4-6; Isaiah
3:16-23). I was asked once if God had required the removal of jewellery because
the people were sinful and did not deserve to be ornamented in this way. My
answer then should have been what it is now – Yes, and due to the fact that all
humanity is still in a sin-prone state, and we are currently being judged for
our conduct here on earth, we should remain unadorned until Jesus places a
gleaming flawless crown on our heads. Others will claim the need for a wedding
ring/band because their spouse requires it, or so the world knows they’re
married, without asking. Is your spouse your god? Are you flirtatious and being
inviting to inappropriate men/women? Then, there is no need if you are obeying
God’s laws. Regarding makeup the only occasion I find in scripture for its use
was by a vile woman, whose name has become synonymous will all that is evil in
the world, trying to tempt a man from fulfilling God’s directives (2 Kings
9:4-10, 30-37; Revelation 2:20; 3SM 245.5).
Female
Pastors – This topic has been argued ad nauseum in
recent days. All the arguments boil down to the point that the bible says
nothing about women being pastors/bishops/elders/priests. Some choose the view
that the absence of direct instructions on the topic to means freedom to pursue
the path. Others see that example is far superior to precept. God called Aaron
and his sons; his daughters were never included in performing the ceremonies.
They could eat the meat of the sacrifices if they were unmarried, childless and
primarily in their father’s care (Leviticus 22:13). That was the extent of
their involvement in anything in the sanctuary services. The instruction for
bishops and deacons is that they be the husband of one wife. Since a woman is
unable to be a husband this excludes them from this responsibility (1 Timothy
3:2, 12; Titus 1:6). Does this mean a woman is unable to share the word of God?
It by no means does. Miriam, Hulda, Phillip’s four daughters all prophesied
(Exodus 15:20; 2 Kings 22:14; Acts 21:8, 9), Deborah was a prophetess and judge
who gave instruction to Barak and accompanied him in leading Israel into battle
(Judges 4:4-9). Our church’s very own modern-day prophet is a woman. Is Jehovah
our God or are we to be slaves of social trends and political correctness? The
haughty and prideful spirit that cause some women to go beyond the great work
already given them to do, to seek a task that is not theirs, resulting in a
general breakdown in society, is very dangerous and reminiscent of events in
heaven and the garden of Eden, that resulted in the sinful state in which we
now find ourselves (Genesis 3:1- 6; Numbers 16:8-11; Isaiah 14:12-15).
There is a train of thought in the church
these days that, ‘God doesn’t care about these little things, He is too big to
be concerned about minor details, He only wants us to be happy’. Yes, God cares
about our happiness; however, He is far more interested in us living holy,
obedient lives – because this is the path to salvation. Be reminded that Adam
ate one fruit (Genesis 3:6). I recently heard a pastor preaching about this
topic and he compared our love to God with his love for his wife. He said it is
the little things he does that demonstrate how much he loves her, the attention
to detail. If we love God as much as we say we do, we should not be seeking to
find the least amount we can do to obey Him. We should be seeking to find all
the things that will please God and by His grace adopt them into our lives.
These are a few sore points within the
church, but the principle carries for any topic, such as, choice in
entertainment or music (Psalms 34:1; 101:3; Isaiah 33:13-17; Philippians 4:8),
friendships or business relationships (Amos 3:3; 2 Corinthians 6:14) even
school or work (Proverbs 4:5; Ecclesiastes 9:10; AA 346.1-347.2). If there are
doubts about any activity or trend, be honest with yourself and find what the
scripture says and choose to follow what the word of God says about the topic. I
implore you dear reader: Don’t make fashion, social conformity or ego your god.
In Love
Is it Ok to Wear Jewelry and Makeup?
Comments
Post a Comment