Cosmetics and Christianity

 

Cosmetics and Christianity

 

A lot of pressure is placed on women to use cosmetics so that they will “look better”. Research shows there are two primary reasons as to why women wear makeup:

(1)             Camouflage – women feel insecure with their appearance so they use makeup in the attempt to ‘look better’ and hide imperfections.

(2)            Seduction – women will apply makeup to feel more attractive.  It helps them to feel more confident and assertive.

Cosmetics were designed and applied in the effort to enhance or change a person’s appearance so as to appear perfect, flawless, add color, and present an example of ideal beauty.

Former research showed that the average woman would spend an estimated $15,000 on beauty products in her lifetime.  Now, the updated estimated amount is around $225, 360 in a lifetime.  That is a lot of money! 

This used to apply mainly to women.  However, research now reveals that men will spend an estimated $175,000 a year trying to look better, look nicer, and look good.

Further reports reveal that, on average, a woman spends around 55 minutes each day fixing her hair and applying makeup.  That’s a lot of money and time spent in the effort to ‘look better’.

This study is going to look at cosmetics from a Biblical and historical view. 

HISTORY (fact check and verified by Encyclopedia Brittanica)

EGYPT: The first glimpse of the use of cosmetics can be dated back to ancient Egypt around approximately 4000 BCE. Makeup served as a sign of wealth.  It was also believed to appeal to the false gods they worshipped. Men and women alike would apply elaborate black eyeliner which we still see in historic artwork. Green eye shadow was applied to represent two of the false gods who were worshipped in Egypt.

ROMANS: Later in history, we find that the Romans discouraged and had a disdain for cosmetics. They strongly encouraged both men and women to use soaps, deodorants, and even moisturizers.  However, they considered the use of rouge and other makeup products to be associated with prostitutes.

(Why would that be? Because the use of makeup is associated with seduction and to appear more attractive and desirable.)

Roman doctors and philosophers would admonish against the use of makeup in their writings while poems and comic plays would make fun of makeup wearers.  They believed decorating the body with makeup implied vanity or selfishness in a person which they considered undesirable.

Throughout history, you will find times and eras when makeup was embraced or rejected. During the eras when it was accepted, history records that those who embraced the use of makeup gained a reputation of being vain.

In the mid 19^th century, Queen Victoria of Brittain declared that makeup was vulgar as makeup once again went out of fashion.

Then, makeup once again began to make it’s reappearance during the 1920’s in the United States.  Red lipstick and dark eyeliner were no longer considered selfish or wicked, even if used for sexual appeal.  Advertisers for a booming cosmetic industry managed to convince women that cosmetics were a necessity.   (We can see from history that the 1920’s was an era of intense rebellion and discarding of what was morally right and acceptable.)

From this brief synopsis, we can see that historically makeup was used to: signify wealth (Pride?), appeal to false gods, represent false gods, associated with prostitutes, considered a sign of vanity or selfishness, considered vulgar, used for sexual appeal, considered wicked when used for sexual appeal, and re-surfaced during an era of intense rebellion as they discarded what was considered morally right and acceptable.

That’s history which we can see fluctuated as to acceptance and rejection.  But what about Biblically?  Times change – people change – but what does God and His Word say?

 

THE BIBLE

Historically, we see that Egypt may possibly have been the place where the adorning with makeup originated.  The Egyptians used makeup to display wealth and appeal to the false gods they served. We know from Bible history that the Israelites were held captive in Egypt for approximately 400 years and adapted many of their ways.  God had a harder time getting Egypt out of Israel than He did getting Israel out of Egypt.

 

 

Paul admonished Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:9 to teach the women….

In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest
apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

We discussed modest apparel in the previous study. And we will discuss hair and jewelry in another study.  In this study, we are going to focus on what it means to adorn ourselves in shamefacedness and sobriety.

Shamefacedness comes from the idea of having downcast eyes and a bashfulness toward men. (Strong’s G127)   Paul is not saying that women should walk around with their heads hanging low in shame.  But shamefacedness is the opposite of boldness.  We will take a look at two biblical examples of boldness versus shamefacedness.

JEZEBEL –

The first woman we will examine the behavior of will be Jezebel.

2 Kings 9:30

And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and
she painted her face, and tired her head (put on an elaborate headdress), and looked out at a window.

Jehu had just been anointed to be King over Israel and appointed to destroy all of Ahab and Jezebel’s house because of their wickedness and teaching the people to serve idols and false gods. 

When Jezebel heard that Jehu was fast approaching, rather than trying to run or hide, she PAINTED HER FACE, put on an elaborate headdress, and looked out the window.

I don’t know about anyone else, but if I heard that someone was on their way to kill me, putting on makeup would be the furthest thing from my mind to be doing. Yet for Jezebel, for some reason, that was the first thing she ran to do.

Jezebel was trying to seduce or perhaps allure Jehu with her painted face, but it didn’t work. Jehu had her thrown out of the window and killed. Some will argue that seduction was not her intent, but Revelation 2:20-21 reveals that she was a seductress:

Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornications; and she repented not.

The books of 1 Kings, 2 Kings, and Revelation talk of the sins of this face painting woman.  Jezebel was a bold woman but not a godly woman.  She is not someone we should pattern our life after.

ESTHER –

The second woman we will examine the behavior of will be Esther. Some try to reason that Esther, the queen, used makeup. However, a close Biblical examination reveals this is inaccurate.

Esther 2:15 KJV

Now when the turn of Esther…was come to go in unto the king,
she REQUIRED NOTHING but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain…appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.

What Hegai appointed was not cosmetics but rather things for purification.

Esther 2:3     …and let their things for purification be given them:

Esther 2:8-9

…Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody
of Hegai, keeper of the women.   And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king’s house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.

Esther 2:12 expounds what things were given to her for purification…

…she had been 12 months according to the manner of the
women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and
six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women; )

Strong’s defines the word “purification” as “rubbed or a rubbing (with perfumery).”  (see Strong’s H4795)

Strong’s definition for the word “purifying” is “a scouring, i.e. soap or perfumery for the bath; figuratively, a detergent”.  (see Strong’s H8562)

The things Esther received were perfumes and soaps for cleansing the body.  Nowhere does Scripture indicate that she received makeup.

Esther is a Biblical example of a woman portraying shamefacedness.  She was not trying to alter her face so as to seduce a man or obtain his favor through allurement as Jezebel did.

 

In the Old Testament, God dwelt WITH His people.
But in the New Testament, God dwelt IN His people.

We are the Temple of the Holy Ghost. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

Consider the Old Testament Tabernacle (which is a type, figure, and example to us today).   The Tabernacle was not decorated on the outside (everything was covered with badgers’ skins), yet it was extremely beautiful on the inside.  Thus, it emanated God’s glory, not Israel’s!

The Old Testament shows a consistent pattern of examples in which women who wore jewelry and painted their faces with cosmetics were trying to seduce men into adulterous relationships.  They used the cosmetics to try to appear more attractive and more seductive.  Lust and ungodly emotions were the driving force.

Jeremiah 4:30 KJV references the coming captivity of Israel….

And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.

‘Rentest’ means ‘to paint the eyes, as if enlarging them.’ (Strong’s H7167)

‘Painting’ means ‘to paint, dye (specifically stibium for the eyes), fair colors.’ (Strong’s H6320)

Those who know me know how strongly I teach to stick with the King James Version Bible when reading because these other versions have changed, omitted, and watered down so much leading to false doctrines.  However, I am going to interject how the NIV phrases it here: ‘why highlight your eyes with makeup?’

I looked up the purpose of highlighting the eyes with makeup: it is to make them stand out and look more attractive. If a person wants their eyes to stand out and look more attractive, what is that an indication of?

Isaiah 3:16-17

Moreover the LORD saith, because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet. Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head…

The women had become very prideful and walked with a haughty demeanor with heads held high.

‘Wanton’ means someone who is sexually unrestrained according to Oxford Dictionary. Commentaries reveal that these women were making a tinkling noise by the chains worn around their ankles as they pranced along, seductively and haughtily glancing around with their heads held high and eyes falsely set off with paint.

God speaks against Israel as playing a harlot in Ezekiel 23….

Verse 40 - And furthermore, that ye have sent for men to come from far, unto whom a messenger was sent; and lo, they came: for whom thou didst wash thyself, paintedst thy eyes, and deskedst thyself with ornaments.

Throughout the Old Testament writings, God described backslidden Israel as an unfaithful woman decked with jewelry and makeup.

Read Hosea 2, Jeremiah 4, and Ezekiel 23 for further study.

Nowhere in Scripture is makeup spoken of in a favorable way.

Messages and teachings against makeup are not as readily received today as they used to be years ago since the majority of women now wear it.  Unfortunately, it has crept inside the Church until many are now boldly wearing it without shame or reserve.  

Preachers and teachers are often met with anger and resistance if they dare to approach the subject to teach and warn against it.  If a person doesn’t feel it’s wrong, why get so angry?  Anger is often a response used to get the other person to back down and be silent concerning something they do not want to hear because it is contrary to what they want to do. Regardless, the Bible is emphatically clear in showing face painting (makeup) has been the practice of harlots used for the purpose of seduction.

Some will argue and say, “I don’t feel convicted over it.”  However, a lack of conviction is not a license or permission to ignore or rebel against the Word of God.

What is the final authority concerning how we live? My feelings (whether I have convictions or lack of) or the Bible (which is the Word of God)?   When we stand before God on Judgment Day, our own feelings and convictions will not be excuse enough before a Holy God.

The thought pattern should never be, “How much do I have to do to get by?” but rather, “what can I do to become closer to Jesus and be saved?” 

A good question to ask ourself is: Does makeup draw me closer to God? Or does it more-so feed the desire of the flesh to be admired?

 

Ever heard the phrase, “I need to go put my face on?”

Really, that person is not putting their face on, they are putting a false face on.  It is not who they truly are or what they really look like.  The world’s idea of ‘beauty’ is to cover up and alter with makeup what God personally designed.

The world says, “Put this (makeup) on to look beautiful.”  But God says that HE will BEAUTIFY the meek with SALVATION.  (Psalm 149:4)

People spend money they sometimes don’t have or can’t afford to buy these cosmetics in attempts to appear more ‘attractive’.  While God’s original design will cost you nothing more than humility and a committed prayer life.

It’s the Holy Ghost glow radiating out from within a Daughter of King that makes a lady beautiful.  I’ve witnessed it time and again.

One important thing to remember, ladies: you are made in the image of God.  

God created you.  He formed every part of your being. He made your complexion. You are beautiful just as God made you. Don’t ever feel ashamed and don’t let anyone else try to make you feel ashamed of how God made you to be.

Who is really the free one?

The one who feels she cannot and will not step foot outside of her house without putting on lipstick, mascara, or some other cosmetic?  Or the woman who recognizes her beauty and worth are found in Jesus Christ and is content to be how God created her to be?

In ‘The Connection Between Makeup and Mental Health’ article by Rheyanne Weaver written February 16, 2012, they published a survey which included the data for 1,292 woman who were 18 years of age or older.  This article revealed that almost half of the women surveyed have negative feelings about themselves when they don’t wear makeup.

This really is sad to see that so many women in today’s society feel they need to have a false complexion in order to feel emotionally complete. Basically, these women feel that God did not do a good enough job when He made them.  

The world won’t say it, but we will:  Ladies, you are beautiful just the way God made you!

Another article titled ‘The Psychology of Cosmetics’ revealed the cosmetic industry rakes in $445 billion dollars.  It continued by stating:

 “Cosmetic companies make big money telling women that they need to use their products in order to look more attractive. But when we examine the psychology behind attraction, it is clear that the beauty industry is selling a lie.”

The COSTmetic industry is NOT looking out for your well being.

The COSTmetic industry does NOT care about YOU.

But God does!  He created you!

Following God’s ways will free us from the vices of the bondage of the world.

When a woman puts on makeup she is really saying deep down in her heart, “God didn’t make me good enough, so I’ve got to fix it.”

Makeup is a mask and covers up who you are as God made you.   The mask represents something that isn’t really there.

Be who you are and how God made you.

Does wearing makeup lead to greater holiness or greater worldliness?

It’s Biblically clear.   Scripturally, we can see that cosmetics are not something in which God delights.

Those who are unashamed of who you are and how God made you are really the ones who are free.