In the Bible a woman represents God's people (Jeremiah 6:2; Isaiah 51:16). The
church (God's people) is made up of God's true and faithful followers -- men and
women. Therefore this study applies to both men and women.
Jeremiah 6:2 "I have likened the daughter of Zion
to a comely and delicate woman."
Isaiah 51:16 "And I have put my words in thy
mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the
heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people."
1 Timothy 2:9: "In like manner also, that women
adorn themselves in modest apparel, . . ."
A word study in Strong's Concordance reveals modest to mean "orderly, of good behaviour".
1 Timothy 2:9: ". . . with shamefacedness and
sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;"
[Further Study]
1 Peter 3:3 "Whose adorning let it not be that
outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of
apparel;"
Continuing the word study on this passage we find shamefacedness to mean ". . . modesty, reverence"; and sobriety to mean "soundness of mind, sanity or self-control."
1 Timothy 2:10: "But (which becometh women
professing godliness) with good works."
1 Peter 3:4: "But let it (adorning) be the
hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a
meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."
Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the spirit
is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:
against such there is no law."
Revelation 19:8: "And to her was granted that she
should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness
of saints."
[Further Study]
Job 29:14 "I put on righteousness, and it clothed
me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem."
Revelation 17:4: "And the woman was arrayed in
purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having
a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:"
In Isaiah 1:18 scarlet is the color of sin. Compare the "great red dragon"
of Revelation 12:3.
Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together,
saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though
they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
Revelation 12:3 "And there appeared another
wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns,
and seven crowns upon his heads."
Isaiah 3:16, 18-21: "Moreover the Lord saith,
because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks
(arrogance) and wanton eyes (flirting), walking and mincing (flirting) as they go,
and making a tinkling with their feet: . . . 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 (necklaces), the chains, and the bracelets, and the
mufflers (fluttering veil), the bonnets (fancy head-dress), and the ornaments of the
legs, and the headbands, and the tablets (perfume), and the earrings, the rings,
and nose jewels."
The idol-worshipping countries that surrounded Israel used many of these items of jewelry, thus influencing Israel. People in that part of the world still heavily adorn themselves with jewelry.
Exodus 33:5-6: ". .. therefore now put off thy
ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. And the children of Israel
stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb."
Genesis 35:4: "And they gave unto Jacob all the
strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their
ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem."
Hosea 2:13: ". . . and she decked herself with
her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the Lord."
Zechariah 3:1-4: "And he (the Lord) showed me
(Zechariah) Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan
standing at his right hand to resist him. And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke
thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a
brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood
before the angel. And he (the Lord) answered and spake unto those that stood before
him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I
have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of
raiment."
Isaiah 64:6: "But we are all as an unclean
thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; . . ."
Revelation 3:18: "I counsel thee to buy of me
gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest
be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes
with eyesalve, that thou mayest see."
Our characters are to be clean and pure, covered with Christ's righteousness
(Revelation 19:8); hence our physical clothing should be neat and clean
when we come into the presence of God for worship (Exodus 19:10;
Numbers 8:21).
Revelation 19:8 "And to her was granted that she
should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the
righteousness of saints."
Exodus 19:10 "And the LORD said unto Moses, Go
unto the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes."
Numbers 8:21 "And the Levites were purified, and
they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and
Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them."
1 John 2:15-17: "Love not the world, neither the
things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is
not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust (desire) of the flesh, and the lust
of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the
world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth
forever."
[Further Study]
James 4:4 "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know
ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will
be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."
Luke 9:23: "And he (Christ) said to them all,
If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and
follow me."
John 12:32: "And I, if I be lifted up from the
earth, will draw all men unto me."
Romans 12:1-2: "I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonble service. And be not conformed to this
world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is
that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
[Further Study]
John 17:15 "I pray not that thou shouldest take
them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil."
After the children of Israel were brought out of Egypt, they were commanded to
have a simple blue ribbon in the border of their garments, distinguishing them
from the nations around them, and signifying that they were God's peculiar people.
Numbers 15:38-41 "Speak unto the children of
Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments
throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a
ribband of blue: And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it,
and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not
after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: That
ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. I am the
LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the
LORD your God."
Today God's people are not required to have a special mark placed upon their garments;
however in the New Testament we are frequently referred to ancient Israel for examples.
God uses clothing to represent our characters; and if God gave such definite directions
to His ancient people in regard to their dress, will not the dress of His people in
this period of earth's history come under His notice? Should there not be in their
dress a distinction from that of the world? Should not the people of God, who are His
peculiar treasure, seek even in their dress to glorify God? And should they not be
examples in point of dress, and by their simple, modest style rebuke the pride, vanity,
and extravagance of worldly, pleasure-loving professors? God calls for every Christian
to be renewed, both internally (spiritually) and externally (physically). He desires
we dress tastefully and becomingly, in a manner that will attract attention to Jesus
rather than to ourselves. God forbids external adornments that encourage pride as
pride is rebuked in His word.
Proverbs 16:5 "Every one that is proud in heart
is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished."
Malachi 4:1 "For, behold, the day cometh, that
shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be
stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it
shall leave them neither root nor branch."
James 4:6 "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore
he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."
The perfect character of Christ is the only adornment needed by the true Christian.