My wife has been going through a
Bible Study called The
7 Experiment by Jen Hatmaker which has really engaged many of the ladies of
my church. The second part of this
particular study is all about clothing.
Again, let me reiterate, my concern with any of these areas is: “What
does the Bible actually say?” That
should be a key for us in any subject we tackle in the Christian faith. Our perspectives and attitudes should be
informed by Scripture and then we need to align ourselves with it where we
differ from God. The study focuses on
various areas where Americans normally struggle with excess and challenges them
to focus on God in those areas. One area
they tackle is clothing.
THEOLOGY OF CLOTHING: (VESTIMENTOLOGY)
Vestimentology (as far as I know
I made that up) is the study of the theology of clothing. Clothing, like food (see the last blog) is
one of those essentials in life that every person is concerned with… except
nudists, I suppose. Food and clothing are tied together many times in Scripture and have a similar feel as to our
attitudes towards it… with one exception.
Food + Clothing in the Bible:
Genesis 28:19-22, Judges 17:10, 2 Samuel 12:20, Matthew 6:25-34, Luke 12:23,
James 2:15. In these passages and in
many more, clothing is tied with food as an essential part of life. Since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of
Eden, clothes have been a part of the life of human beings (Genesis 3:7,
Genesis 3:21). Clothing is an essential
covering for the human bodies.
There is one exception when it
comes to clothing that is not always associated with food. Clothing can be seen and often is seen as a
status symbol. I suppose food could be
as well which is why only certain people eat at Ruth Chris Steakhouse or
splurge and hit up the Olive Garden.
Yet, clothing more than any other can symbolize status. This is why street
gangs have for years
opted for certain clothing or colors to symbolize their unity. This is why school
uniforms are so popular in many school districts. This is why many companies
opt for uniforms or a particular dress code.
Status. The “ooh look at me”
factor.
Key words in Scripture when
looking at clothing: clothes (169x), clothing (52x), Armani (0x), jewelry
(13x), rings (42x), sandals (28x), robe(s)(ed) (107x), cloak (51x), tunic(s)
(22x), hat (0x), adorned (9x), wear (45x).
So what does the Bible say?
Jeremiah 4:27-31 “This is what the LORD says:
"The whole land will be ruined, though I will not destroy it
completely. 28 Therefore the
earth will mourn and the heavens above grow dark, because I have spoken and
will not relent, I have decided and will not turn back." 29 At the sound of horsemen and
archers every town takes to flight. Some go into the thickets; some climb up
among the rocks. All the towns are deserted; no one lives in them. 30 What are you doing, O
devastated one? Why dress yourself in scarlet and put on jewels of gold? Why
shade your eyes with paint? You adorn yourself in vain. Your lovers despise
you; they seek your life. 31
I hear a cry as of a woman in labor, a groan as of one bearing her first
child-- the cry of the Daughter of Zion
Notice in these verses above that
in the midst of a disaster, the people of God were concerned with clothing,
makeup, and jewelry rather than their own lives. The importance of clothing and accessories
can be exaggerated in our lives. For
some reason, Gilligan’s
Island popped in my head as I think about the ridiculousness of Mr and Mrs
Howell in need of the finest things on a deserted island. I think about people who refuse to leave
their homes and possessions in the middle
of great storms because they prize those things almost over their own
lives. I think of all the men who have
to pack two extra suitcases for an overnight trip.
Ezekiel 16:10-19 “I clothed you with an embroidered dress and
put leather sandals on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with
costly garments. 11 I adorned
you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your
neck, 12 and I put a ring on
your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 So you were adorned with gold
and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered
cloth. Your food was fine flour, honey and olive oil. You became very beautiful
and rose to be a queen. 14
And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the
splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign
LORD. 15 "'But you
trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished
your favors on anyone who passed by and your beauty became his. 16 You took some of your garments
to make gaudy high places, where you carried on your prostitution. Such things
should not happen, nor should they ever occur.
17 You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, the jewelry
made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in
prostitution with them. 18
And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil
and incense before them. 19
Also the food I provided for you-- the fine flour, olive oil and honey I gave
you to eat-- you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what
happened, declares the Sovereign LORD.”
Here is where the theology of clothing comes to the forefront in this
passage and in many others (for example Matthew 6:19-21). Notice that God is speaking and it was HIM
who blessed the people of God with fine clothes, jewels, and other costly
items. Those things were seen by God as
a blessing from Him to them. Yet, they
used these items for status. They ended
up using these items for sin and “trusted” in those things rather than in God. They used the fine jewelry they were blessed
with for themselves and for idols.
Verse 18 says clearly that the embroidered clothes they owned became an
idol themselves. I love that at the end
of verse 19, God says to them… that IS what happened.
1 Peter 3:1-5 (echoed in James 2:1-5) “Wives, in the same way be submissive to your
husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over
without words by the behavior of their wives,
2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty should not come from
outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and
fine clothes. 4 Instead, it
should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet
spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.
5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put
their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to
their own husbands…”
The New Testament also weighs in on the clothing issue. In the Apostle Peter’s day (and the Apostle
Paul’s day) certain clothes meant certain things. Wearing your hair in a certain way meant you
were a prostitute. Ladies inviting men
would wear certain sandals which imprinted messages on the ground. Colors of cloth indicated royalty or social
status (Mark 15:17-20, Luke 16:19, Acts 16:14).
Even a certain type of ring indicated you were a slave or a free
person. Peter states matter-of-factly
that as a Christian person, our worth and status come from the inside and from
our relationship with God. The
importance of an individual rests not on their clothing, but on their worth as
an individual in God’s sight.
So what is a proper theology
about clothing (vestimentology)? I think
vestimentology and culinology
go hand in hand in many respects. They
are both essentials in life. They are
both needed blessings from God for each one of us. Both are seen as worthy endeavors when
sharing with the poor. Yet,
vestimentology adds the additional thought that clothing can lead to a great
sense of self importance (pride) which can lead to sin. This self importance can lead to…
… judging others as less than you
because they don’t measure up fashionistically
… spending money you don’t have
to look the part that is fake or shallow or deceptive
… the attitude that clothes and
accessories are more important than other “actually important” things
… dressing in a way to
lure/seduce the opposite gender
… clothing and shopping being an
idol
A proper vestimentology would
keep clothes in their place, enjoying them as a direct blessing from God,
sharing them when you are able, but not allowing clothes to become an idol.
Some Suggested Action Steps for a
Proper Vestimentology (theology about clothing):
*
Look in your closet/drawers and see if there are still clothes with tags
on them. If so, you probably have an
issue with excess.
*
Ask yourself (be honest): Do you buy things because other people have
them?
*
Watch your attitude as you seek to share clothing with others, not
making them feel like they are poor, less than you, or in desperate need of
your fashions because they don’t measure up.
*
Do you refuse to shop at Walmart because it is beneath you?
*
Go through your closet/drawers and give away clothes that you do not
need.
*
Look for ways to hand down
clothes within your family and extended family instead of always buying new.
*
Pray that you would keep your “stuff” in a proper perspective in your
life.
Up Next…
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