Did the bible or God at any point condemn people who use jewelries?
There are subjects I don’t discuss because I consider them as a distraction; they add nothing neither do they really deprive us of anything as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. yet, satan and the enemies of the Church have exploited such subjects to create further confusion among followers of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This subject has often raised heated arguments for those who support and those who oppose use of jewelries.
The views of those who oppose use of jewelries
When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites, 'You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.'" So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb Ex 33:4-6NIV
This is the main scripture those who oppose the use of jewelries quote in their defense. They suggest that in this scripture God meant to say that it was those jewelries that made them sin by making idols. According to them, from that point God condemned the use of jewelries and declared it an abomination.
Some of them also quote the following scripture,
So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears, and Jacob buried them under the oak at Shechem. Gen 35:4NIV
They opined that Jacob also declared that jewels were abomination to God.
They also quote the following scripture to support their position
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 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. 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, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear 1 Peter 3:3-6NIV
They refer to the above scripture to prove that the New Testament condemns the use jewels.
The points for those in support of use of jewels.
If we want to be truthful about Exodus 33, we must take that scripture before Chapter 33, and then we will see that it was God that gave them the favour that brought those jewels.
"And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians." Ex 3:21-22NIV
The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. 36 The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians. Ex 12:35-36NIV
We must also accept the fact that the bible was very specific about the reason that they took off their jewels at one point. It was in the process of mourning for the judgment that they had brought on themselves that God asked them to take off the jewels as sign of punishment. That scripture said that they were already taking it off before God asked them to remove them.
When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites, 'You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.'" So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb Ex 33:4-6NIV
After this point, there is no scriptural indication that God proclaimed jewels or ornaments an abomination, rather we see in the subsequent chapters that God asked them to use the same jewels in His service
Moses said to the whole Israelite community, "This is what the Lord has commanded: From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the Lord an offering of gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece Ex 35:4-9NIV
From this scripture we can see that they still had some jewels in their custody after what happened earlier. God never proclaimed jewels an abomination in this place or any other place in the bible.
In fact, God referred to Himself as the jewelry of His people
Does a maiden forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet my people have forgotten me, days without number Jer 2:32NIV
If jewels were so offensive to God, I am very sure that He would not have referred to Himself as an abomination. Instead, we see in other scriptures that God boasted about decorating His people with jewels
"'I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you. 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. I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. 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. Ezek 16:9-13NIV
True bible position about jewels.
It is difficult to prove that God hates jewels or sees them as abomination without perverting the bible; ant that is what those opponents of jewelries do. 1peter3:3-6 does not in any way condemn the use of jewelries. The statement is like when somebody tells a pastor, “What makes you a pastor should not be your suit or clerical robes. Rather you must imbibe the discipline of a true man of God”.
It will be totally wrong to conclude that the statement implies that suits or clerical robes are wrong.
Apostle Paul expressed this view somewhere else
I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God 1 Tim 2:9-10NIV
The right word is expressed here; modesty. Not exorbitant or wasteful or extravagant in their dress manner.
This scripture brings in something else; braided hair. Some theological school of thought argue that women should not dress their hair beyond use of hair thread. This also is not from scripture. Those who argue against “attachment” ought to know that the hair thread is made from the same petroleum materials as the “attachment”. Though there are cultures where people groom their hairs for sale. This is a matter of choice. If one is not comfortable with them, it is wrong to turn it into doctrinal issue,
Some even link it to jezebel; I am often shocked when I read servants of God mutilating scriptures to score their point.
The Lord Jesus Christ did not see an ornament or jewelries as a bad thing. In the parable of the prodigal son, here is the way He described the reception that his father gave to him and I hope that you remember that this is a type of the heavenly Father.
"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. Luke 15:22-23NIV
“.. the best robe ... ring on his fingers, sandals on his feet and plenty of meat”, and that is for those who think a good worshiper of God will not eat meat.
In describing the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, read this;
The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass. Rev 21:19-21NIV
See the different kinds of precious stones presented in connection with God’s agenda for the Church and the coming kingdom. All these are presented in a positive light.
My position with regard to such matters is in the words of Apostle Paul;
Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Rom 14:1-3NIV
Indecent dressing is totally unacceptable. My father was a missionary when women come to church with only leaves across their private parts and their breast. Yet, it was never reported that he raped a woman. If we have problem with our flesh, we should ask God for grace, rather than attack the opposite sex.
I will love to have your reaction.
Emma your brother emmanjnwosu@pnurnigeria.org
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#churchfamily #sounddoctrine #charismatic #jewelry #jewellery
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