Tsiyon Messianic Community

Hi friends,

Recently BlueRooster12 asked me about beards. (Too bad we don't have a bearded smiley to put here) 

I think he had this verse more or less in mind:

Lev 19:27  "You shall not round the side of your head, nor mar the edge of your beard."

JFB Commentary offers this:

Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, etc. — It seems probable that this fashion had been learned by the Israelites in Egypt, for the ancient Egyptians had their dark locks cropped short or shaved with great nicety, so that what remained on the crown appeared in the form of a circle surrounding the head, while the beard was dressed into a square form. This kind of coiffure had a highly idolatrous meaning; and it was adopted, with some slight variations, by almost all idolaters in ancient times. (Jer_9:25, Jer_9:26; Jer_25:23, where “in the utmost corners” means having the corners of their hair cut.) Frequently a lock or tuft of hair was left on the hinder part of the head, the rest being cut round in the form of a ring, as the Turks, Chinese, and Hindus do at the present day.

neither shalt thou mar, etc. — The Egyptians used to cut or shave off their whiskers, as may be seen in the coffins of mummies, and the representations of divinities on the monuments. But the Hebrews, in order to separate them from the neighboring nations, or perhaps to put a stop to some existing superstition, were forbidden to imitate this practice. It may appear surprising that Moses should condescend to such minutiae as that of regulating the fashion of the hair and the beard - matters which do not usually occupy the attention of a legislator - and which appear widely remote from the province either of government or of a religion. A strong presumption, therefore, arises that he had in mind by these regulations to combat some superstitious practices of the Egyptians.

YHWH did not want the Israelites coming out of Egypt to continue to identify themselves with the pagan culture they had just been delivered from. In those days the pagans cut their hair and beards in ways that were dictated by their pagan religion. By looking at their appearance you could tell that they were idol worshippers. This is no different than what some religions today practice. Certain religious groups can be identified immediately today by their appearance. Not only Budhists and Hare Krishnas, but Amish, JWs and Mormons, for example. Also, tattoos and piercings of the flesh, then and now, identified a certain mindset of the pagans. These practices were forbidden in Torah. Why? Because Israel must be a holy people. Therefore, we must not seek to identify ourselves in our appearance with the satanic mindset of the unbelievers. We must be a set-apart people unto YHWH.

So, should you have a beard? The thrust of the verse is that you should not make yourself look like the pagans. Some feel that's all there is too it and feel free to shave their face. I have no trouble with that choice. My personal choice is to allow my beard to grow. I do trim it from time to time, which I don't find to be against the true intent of the verses. Allow the Spirit to guide you in your understanding of the Word as regards your appearance, as in everything else, and you will end up with an appearance that honors YHWH.

Shalom, Eliyahu
www.tsiyon.org

Okay, I just had to accept this challenge!  I Scroogled the net looking for bearded emoticons.  Here is what I found:

:-)>        beard
:-)===  long beard
:-)##     another long style beard
(:-{~   bearded
(8-{)}   glasses, mustache and a beard
:<)=      mustache and beards too
:^)#       happy with a beard
(:-{~    bearded
http://www.clipartof.com/images/emoticons/xsmall2/251_bearded_man.gif
http://www.clipartof.com/images/emoticons/xsmall2/381_mr_t.gif

I loved your comments concerning beards, and please note the presence of a little hair on the cheeks of my own profile picture.

A few years ago, in response to a similar question that started this thread, I submitted several instructional posts on another forum. Those posts were designed to educate its readers concerning the role and stature of a beard among the historical Jews, and why I decided to grow my own beard back in 1962.

If anyone is really interested, I’ll post them here.

Love the bearded smilies!  :-)#

And AW, bring on the beard info.  I'm sure we would all love to read it!

Shalom, E.

Okay, where does one start?  Huh

I will gather my notes, perhaps do a little needed editing and add a introduction note before adding the beard posts.

AS to what I have been up to over the past year is learning a whole lot of those things I am really ignorant of - so the list of things that I don't know keeps growing, while the things I think I know keeps shrinking.  Cheesy But, I have been sharing what I can on several internet communities, including my own site. My current study is centered on the Laws of God (Torah) and the Commandments of Yeshua, and what does it mean to be a believer in the Messiah, one of His followers, and a disciple (Talmid).

Ah yes. Birthdays! This year my birthday falls on Sun, the first of August, or according to the Hebrew calendar, the 21st of Av. However, I think my family will continue to look to the Roman day of 18 August for the official observance.

Other than that, everything has remained rather constant. I would love to see a Messianic group started in the Shreveport area. I think there was one somewhere  when Ruth and I first moved down here 4 years ago, but no longer in existence).

I have finally been "talked into" joining a ministerial alliance, at no cost to me, for the express purpose of assisting them in cleaning up some of the religious (man-made) doctrines that have been as chains around the church. So, I will see what I can do, if anything. But, I cannot consider myself as anything other than what I am, a simple elder in the body of HaMaschiah.

That, dear sister is the nut shell version of what's been going on in my life.

Shalom Aleichem

Art

Background:

Since this series of posts was originally submitted on a Oneness (Jesus only), Pentecostal (experience centered), Apostolic (primary instruction book: The Book of Acts) forum, a little background information is necessary.

In all Christian churches where the problem of facial hair arises, along with other such trivial questions, it turns out that beards and mustaches are not the issue at all. Rather, it turns out to be an issue of authority and control over the lives of others, as expressed by the development and application of man-made doctrines that have two primary justifications. The first is to exercise control over the lives of others (domination verses leadership) and the second is an attempt to gain or maintain God’s favor by performing religious acts that have the appearance being ‘spiritual’. In both cases, it is the seeking to justify one’s self in one’s own eyes and/or in the eyes of others, all the while ignoring God’s instructions in righteousness. (See John 7:24, 2 Corinthians 5:12, Colossians 2:23 & 2 Timothy 3:5).

Never the less, there are two important verses (taken, I hope in their proper context) that every disciple in Maschiah should keep in mind when making decisions concerning their life-style decisions.

The first is Romans 14, with emphasis on verses 4 & 5, that each person will stand or fall according to their own relationship with Yeshua, and that He will uphold His own [committed] servants. With that, so we do not just go running about doing whatever we think is good, there is a sobering doctrine found in
1 John 3:18-24, with the further admonishment of Titus 1:14-16. Please note that there a many other equally applicable scriptures, perhaps some better than the ones I chose for this post, but the bottom line is that you are free in the Sprit to peruse your own relationship with Yeshua, so long as you do not use that freedom to give yourself - or another – cause to fall. In a word, it is the exercising spiritual ‘maturity’. Consequently, we should be ready to offer a reason for both our words and actions.

For a while I was a member of an on-line ‘Oneness’ ministers group which has since folded, where, as usual, questions arose concerning the organizational doctrines of holiness appearance. Of course, the question of facial hair came quickly to the forefront of the discussions, along with the length of women’s hair, their dress length and men’s platform dress codes (the color of men’s suits, shirts and ties). It is remarkable to note that within that organization, I was accepted as a fellow minister by some men - and fully rejected by others (I was not an licensed member of any organization at the time). So, when I was approached to publicly ‘explain’ my beard (a challenge for an exercise in self-justification), I responded with the following:

A series originally posted online: 3 July 1998

The Issue:

To shave or not to shave, that is not the question.  (If I may take some liberties with a line from Shakespeare?)  This issue is not that simple for me. It is a question of personal conviction and the role such convictions must play in one’s relationship to God and their fellow men.

First the question must be. “Why is facial hair within an assembly an issue?” Answer: Because, like any man-made doctrine, by its very nature, it must create controversy – that is the purpose and end result of all such efforts of men to make themselves holy and acceptable unto God, and to impose their “good ideas” (dogma) on the lives and consciences of others. This is very different from the Law of God written on the minds and hearts of men. The differences being that the Law (standards) of God does not result in 2,000 plus years of controversy, except where there is a dispute over the correct translation/interpretation of a scriptural passage. These kinds of issues are then to be submitted to spiritually mature men, called, gifted, and ordained by God (not by men). These men are to seek the face of God and to render judgments as agreed upon by all of the assembled leadership, the congregation, attested to by the witness of the Holy Spirit. Once that is accomplished, the judgment is be conveyed, explained, and expounded upon by the testimony of qualified teachers (See Acts 15) – There are no one man shows demonstrated in this process, at any decision level.

Today, we have a great multitude of men and their organizations that come together and by their own hand, continue to establish and ordain themselves and their organizations to be God’s personal representatives to the collective Body of Christ on earth. At which point they proceed to create individual serfdoms called congregations. I submit that this is not the model of a New Covenant Assembly as provided for us in scripture. Even so –

Concerning facial hair, personal liberty in the Spirit and the role of one’s conscience before God: Why is it among a number of Christian organizations is the presence of facial hair considered a sign of rebellion against the local spiritual leader and even of God? Or, why is it that some churches and organizations forbid the growth of facial hair – in any form or style, especially on those in a ‘ministry’ position?

Therefore, the results of these religious rules, either for or against facial hair and all other forms of non-biblical rules, standards, requirements, and demands then become nothing more than a power struggle: The congregational leader verses the individual members of the assembly. There are only three possible outcomes from such a situation. (1) The compliance of the individual, (2) the overt rebellion where the individual leaves the assembly or the leader is fired, or (3) covert rebellion, where the individual outwardly complies with the leader’s demands, while inwardly resisting his authority. A forth outcome is almost never observed: the leader changes their mind and allows the individual to pursue their own convections.

What is so often missing is the admonishment not to allow the world to establish your relationship with Christ, see all of Colossians 2.

So, if one has a convection concerning the wearing of a beard, if it is not just a mark of defiance against authority, then one should be prepared to give a reason for their conviction.

The use of scriptural references to support the acceptance of God for men having facial hair:

First, an example from when Isaiah prophesied concerning the incarnation of the Word of God as the person of Jesus Christ:

Is.50:3-10 [JPS, 1917]
 
“I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering. The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of them that are taught, that I should know how to sustain with words him that is weary; He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as they that are taught. The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away backward. I gave my back to the smiters, and my checks to them that plucked off the hair; I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore have I not been confounded; therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand up together; who is mine adversary? let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? Behold, they all shall wax old as a garment, the moth shall eat them up. Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of His servant? though he walketh in darkness, and hath no light, let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.”

Our Lord wore a beard, as was the custom of His day. Until a short time ago, it was also the custom in most nations that men wear beards.  The old and the wise were known by the white hair on their heads and the length of their beards.  I am not yet so wise in the knowledge of our Lord God - or in His ways.  But, He is teaching me as I have the capacity to learn.

Then, from the Law of Moses:

As it is with most men, we all love to appeal to the Law when it suits our purpose and to reject that Law which we find unpalatable. We are quick to impose Mitzvah (Law. Commandment) No. 72, Do not get tattoo while also demanding that one must tithe (Mitzvah #252). Yet, we set aside Mitzvot (Laws) No. 68 & 69 because they are not acceptable to our religious leaders and their personal doctrines:

Le. 19:27 (#68)
Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard. 

Le. 21:5 (#69)
Priests must not shave their heads or shave off the edges of their beards or cut their bodies.
 
I confess that I have shaved off the “edges of my beard”, even though I am now of a greater priesthood. (1Pe.2:9,  “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”). And, is not Jesus also my high priest? (Heb.4:14, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.”) Even so, my wife finds a full, untrimmed beard to be objectionable.  After seeing me for the first time without a beard (after five years of marriage) she encouraged me to grow it back as quickly as possible! LOLOL Which I did!

Then, an example of social acceptance and the spiritual role beards played in the Scriptures:

It is a biblical disgrace to have one of the chosen people to be without their beard, to whit:

2Sa.10: 3-5 [JPS, 1917]

And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it? Wherefore Hanun took Davids servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away. When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

It is said that women should wear their hair long, as God gave them - a veil befitting a woman.  Why then would a man completely remove that which God specifically gave to men, his beard?  To show his face before the world as a woman does, clean and smooth?  Are we then to reject God’s gift as unholy and declare that man should not wear that priestly symbol which He gave us?  I pray not.

Second.  From a ministerial position:

It has been said that the wearing of beards today is a sign of rebellion.

This begs the question:  Rebellion against what and whom?  Against God who gave men the hair on our cheeks?  Or, rebellion againt the one who wore a beard as a man and said in Jn.14:9,  “... he that hath seen me hath seen the Father ...” [Taking something of a liberty here.] That is, rebellion against Him who suffered the pain and indignity of having His beard pulled out for our sakes - as one small part of the total redemptive act of God for mankind - so that all of the Scriptures might be fulfilled concerning the Christ?  (Isaiah 50:6) Or, is the “rebellion” against the standards of today’s world, which declares that we should bare our faces as women and children?  Which of these paths are we, in good conscience, to follow?  Follow social convention or our Lord’s example?  As for me, as a witness for Christ before His church, I have had my beard, with only a couple of short term periods, for over [now, 48] years.

It has been said that maintaining church unity is something like being in the military.  Even here I have stood a little different from the crowd.  With 30+ years in my profession, I worked in the private sector of the aerospace industry, for NASA, and the Department of Defense.  I also worked with and briefed military personal (Army, Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force) up to the rank of Major General (grew my first beard while on active duty with the Army in 1962), and addressed Directors of NASA Institutions/Organizations, and senior executives of Fortune 100 Corporations.  In addition, I also addressed the governing body of an international church. In all of this, by the grace of God, I have received only three personal complaints that I know of concerning my beard, and they were from two [organizational] preachers and one elderly [holiness] lady.

Third, in lamination:

Then, if it would do any good in the sight of God, as an expression of grief over the condition of the lost saints who have “returned to the world” and “shipwrecked their salvation”, then I would do as Ezra ---

Ezra 9:1-4

NOW when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass. And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied. Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice.

Fourth, there is the sign of God’s judgment:

Ezekiel shaved his head and beard to show the judgment of God. (Ezekiel 5:1-12)

God cursed and brought punishment and shame upon people by predicting that their heads and beards would be shaven (Isaiah 7:20, Isaiah 15:2, Jeremiah 48:37) Shaving the beard was a harsh sign of judgment.

Finally, Do I then say that all men should then wear beards in order to be acceptable to God?  Of course not, for it is also written:

Col 2:16-23 [KJV]:

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

WITH:

1Co 10:30-31;
 
For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

AND TWO MORE JUST FOR GOOD MEASURE

Tit.1:15-16a

15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. 

Ro.14:22-23

Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

And, of course, sin is defined as the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4)

Therefore, how can I judge another man’s heart or set up any other standards for any of us to follow, but God’s?  Let each man decide for himself that which he finds acceptable and approved before the Lord.  But, woe to him who proclaims evil to be good and good to be evil, or who uses his liberty to become a stumbling block to those of a weaker conscience.

What I have proclaimed before God, I cannot live as a lie before men.  As a witness for, and a servant of Jesus of Nazareth, my defense for who I am and what I teach is the same as Paul’s in 1 Co. 3:16 - 4:7.  Unlike Paul, I have no claim to a lofty office within the church, only to perform that work which our Lord God may assign.

In Conclusion:

I do one thing to honor our God and another man does another.  Each of us shall stand before God and give an account of ourselves. In this decision, I have a clear conscience before our God.  But, unless God commands it, I cannot - and will not - become the center of division and controversy within any congregation. For that reason I would first separate myself from such a congregation and join with another assembly that can accept me as I am, even in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

--------------------------

The result:

Those who followed my presentation and agreed with it, provided positive feedback. Those who did not agree with my position (arguments), remained silent.

There you have it - all of it!  : 

Of course, there are a lot of scriptures to 'look up', and context to check and principles to validate, but, it should prove to be an interesting exercise.

Shalom Aleichem

AW

Your two cents are always welcome. Thanks for responding to the missives.