Jess Whitlock
The summer heat is coming on and the clothes are coming off! The wise man wrote: “I perceived among the youths, a young man devoid of understanding, passing along the street near her corner; and he took the path to her house in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night. And there a woman met him, with the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.” (Pro. 7:7-10). The clothing of a man or a woman speaks volumes.
Mary Quaint is remembered as the “Mother of the Miniskirt.” She was quoted for her reasoning behind the design of the miniskirt.
Am I the only woman who has ever wanted to go to bed with a man in the afternoon? Any law-abiding female, it used to be thought, waits until dark. Well, there are lots of girls who don’t want to wait! Mini-clothes are symbolic of them. (Newsweek, Nov. 13, 1967).
While preaching for the Lord’s church in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, I was driving to my office one morning—a trip usually that took me by the Methodist church building. Imagine my amazement to see a large poster that read: “A HOT PANTS DANCE ~ December 1st from 8:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. ~ ALL GIRLS wearing HOT PANTS get in for half-price…” (at the bottom of the sign in all upper case letters): “COME AND ENJOY THE SCENERY!”(Emphasis theirs).
We know that when Adam and Eve were created that “…they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed” (Gen. 2:25). Soon, they ate of the forbidden fruit and realized that they were naked. The Bible then informs us that they “…sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons” (Gen. 3:6-7). The word “aprons” comes from the Hebrew chagorah, which is defined in meaning; “girdle, or coverings or loin-cloth.” Those “aprons” were not sufficient clothing in the sight of God. “Jehovah God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skin, and clothed them.” (Gen. 3:21). The NKJV renders it “tunics of skin.” The word “coats” is from the Hebrew kutoneth, which is described by the scholars as a “long shirt-like garment.”
God did not consider Adam and Eve to be clothed. The words chagorah and kutoneth, are used in the garments worn by the High Priest (Exo. 28:4). Later, the clothing worn by the priest is dictated by God. “You shall make for them linen trousers to cover their nakedness: they shall reach from the waist to the thighs” (Exo. 28:42). To uncover the thighs was to expose nakedness in the sight of Jehovah.
In Galatians 5:19-21 we have listed the “works of the flesh.” Paul warns that “…they who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:21). The word: lasciviousness; lewdness in the NKJV (Gal. 5:19), comes from a Greek word aselgeia, which scholars define as “licentiousness, lewd, unchaste, indecent desires, preceding from lust…” Webster’s Dictionary has this: “inclined to lechery, lewd, lustful, tending to arouse sexual desires…”
Some women dress to be Chaste (2 Cor. 11:2; 1 Pet. 3:2); others dress to be Chased! The Godly teaching must come from three different avenues:
The Home: To be a member of the cheerleaders, majorettes, or the Pom-Pom girls, permission must be granted by the parents. I cannot imagine a Christian father who would want his wife or daughter to dress in such a way as to invite the lustful looks of this world.
The Elders: These men are responsible for the spiritual oversight of the flock (the church), (1 Pet. 5:2), and are responsible for what the flock is fed (Acts 20:28). They will one day give an account to the Chief Shepherd (Heb. 13:17). The elders must set proper guidelines for what is allowed in worship to the Lord God. They must charge the preacher to uphold God’s truth in all matters pertaining to Christian living.
The Preacher: God’s man is to preach “all of God’s Word” on any subject that is addressed in Scripture. Sometimes the topics covered will not be popular with the world, and sometimes, even members of the church. This does not negate the command of Paul to young Timothy: (2 Tim. 4:1-5).
