I would like to begin this post by apologizing for taking so long to reply to a well thought out comment on The History of the Beard. Because it has been so long, here is the comment in full.
Newfarmer,
I was the single awkward kid in high school who had a full beard at 15, and have kept a closely shaved one ever since. The single exception being one summer where I created controversy similar to yours, only by loosing it!
But of particular interest to me is your question of, “could it be that the Father wanted me to keep a beard?” Now, I confess that I am actually quite attached to my beard, and it to me! But I wanted to discuss a few of the verses you used to support Biblical beardhood.
I love your view that the Law is of immense benefit, and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16) The first verse I was ever taught to memorize was Psalm 1, where David meditates on the Law day and night! Jesus himself came not to abolish the Law, but rather fulfill it, and upholds it until heavens and earth pass away. (Matthew 5:17) But there is an idea which I do not see reflected in your writing, and would love to see what you think about it!
You see, in fulfilling the requirements of the Law himself, I believe Christ inverted the Church from that of the Old Testament from being inwards to outwards.
Consider:
Romans 7:1-4 states that, dead to the law which only binds the living, we now are joined to each other, and Christ himself instead. So in your quotation of Romans 7:12, we see that the law is holy because of the life it could not bring to us. In 6:14, we see that we are in fact not under law but rather grace. Galatians 3:23-25 affirms the law as our tutor until we might be justified by faith in Christ.
On this topic, there is something that might be of particular interest to you that my pastor only recently learned from a man who has studied classical Hebrew all of his life. He claimed that God never originally intended to place Israel under the law, but did so because of their stubbornness.
Look closely at Exodus 18, where God desires to make them a kingdom of priests to the nations, and then shortly thereafter brings down the law in Exodus 19 instead. This seeming inconsistency is explained in Deuteronomy 5, which explains that God’s people drew back from him and sent Moses, instead of themselves meeting God as he desired.
Now look at the New Covenant (which is the literal translation of Testament in Greek.) In 1 Cor. 9:22, we see Paul speaking of becoming all things to all men that some might be saved. Jesus himself sends out his disciples to the ends of the earth in Matthew 28:19. And while we are still set apart, 1 Peter 2:9 speaks of it being so that we might “proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Therefore, Paul urges us, we aught to strive to be set apart in our behavior, rather than our appearances.
In the Torah, God asks his people to separate themselves from the nations around them that all the earth might see who they are, and come to them to seek the Lord. But in the New Testament, Christ sends his people out into the world, to become all things to all people but still true to Christ and his commandments. This is so that God’s temple might reach the furthest corners of the earth by the means of his people, the individual living stones which comprise it. (1 Peter 2:4-12)
The reason I speak any of this at all, is because I latched on to your second paragraph speaking of being holy and separate. Yes, being set apart is of immense importance! But this seems not to be in practice of outward appearance, as it was with Israel in Leviticus 19:27, when God wanted his people to abstain from shaving their beards as was the custom of the pagans around them. But rather than an outward sacrifice, as Jesus reiterates 3 times in Matthew alone, quoting Hosea 6:6 (Matthew 9:13, 12:7, 22:23) he would rather see steadfast love that manifests itself in actions towards others. This is therefore our reasonable act of worship, and the holiness he desires to see.
I fear that I often sound fanatic or accusatory in my passions, but I write only because I hope to shed more light on what God desires from us, especially as relates from the law! I reflect that, perhaps my diatribe is already known to you, and by it you affirm the father and speak “amen!” Or maybe by some chance, someone else should stumble across it even as I have, and it speak truth to them.
Keep strong on your beard growing, and I heartily affirm you on resisting our culture’s obsession with youth! I look forward to any response.
In His Grasp,
Jacob Cotten
I would like to address the idea that Yeshua’s death inverted our separation from outward separation to inward separation only. Our separation is not intended to be only outward or only inward. We should be separate in both flesh and spirit. When Yeshua said “Do not think that I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets . I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” (Mt 5:17) He was stating that He has come to correctly interpretthe Law. When a teacher of the law was misinterpreting scripture, it was said that he was “destroying the law”. When a teacher of the law correctly interpreted scripture, it was said that he was “fulfilling the law”. Yeshua fulfilled the law by correctly interpreting what the Father’s desire for that law was. As an example, Yeshua taught that adultery was not only a physical act but a mental or spiritual act. “You have heard it said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whosoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Mt 5:27,28) He was teaching that the law is to be kept both inwardly and outwardly. The Father desires for his law to be written upon our hearts. Not hearts of stone but hearts of flesh that we may receive blessing from His law (Psalm 112).
Obedience to the laws of YHVH is in itself an act of separation. The fact that my family keeps Sabbath separates us physically from the rest of the world. Our family lives on a completely different weekly schedule than most. Fridays are spent getting ready for Sabbath. While most of the world carries on doing all sorts of things on Saturday, we are usually at the house taking it easy. While many are going to church on Sunday morning, I am working on my ever growing honey-do list and miscellaneous farm work. Not until we began worshipping on Sabbath, did we understand that obedience to the commandments of YHVH would separate us – physically.
Most of the modern day church holds to the idea that we are to live with Christ in our heart but look and act like the world so that we may draw unbelievers to Yeshua. Is it any wonder that much of the modern day church looks more like the world and less like Yeshua? Things that are hidden away in our hearts are easy to leave by the wayside when they are inconvenient. While not directly pertinent, I am reminded of James 2:18 “Show me your faith without your works and I will show you my faith by my works.” What is written on our hearts will inevitably be made known on the outside.
While it is important to be physically separate through obedience to His laws, we must never mistake that our obedience has any merit in itself. Our hope comes only through the shed blood of Yeshua Hamashiach (Jesus the Messiah). A good friend of mine said “If it doesn’t begin and end with Jesus, it is useless.” Amen and Amen! May our lives begin and end with Yeshua!
~Pa
