Jewelry and Ornaments

 

Jewelry and Ornaments

 

In a day and time when the wearing of jewelry is commonplace and everyone now wears it (both men and women), what does the Bible say concerning it?  Is it wrong?  Is it a sin?  How does God look at the wearing of jewelry?

As I was preparing this lesson, I became curious as to why people wear jewelry, so I began to research the reasons.  Here are the answers I found:

·        For centuries, jewelry has been seen as a form of body decoration, allowing for the expression of self and social status.

·        Jewelry can speak of an individual’s wealth, social status, culture and reveal more about their self-identity.

·        People wear it because it sparkles, creates a focal point, and makes a person feel beautiful/pretty and more confident.

·        Research has shown that wearing jewelry can increase an individual’s self-esteem, no matter their age or social status.  (I, personally, do not understand how that effects self esteem but it is what research has revealed is one of the reasons)

·        You can enhance and draw attention to a particular physical feature with your jewelry. (examples: ears, eye brows, nose, etc)

·        Some will wear a piece of jewelry because it is connected to someone special in their life.  Every time they wear, see, or touch it, it reminds them of the person.

·        It used to be said that women wore jewelry because it represented femininity, but with men wearing jewelry now, I’m not sure how that changes things.

·        One survey claims that to men bracelets and other hand jewelry make the hand of a woman look more slim and seductive.

 

History of Jewelry (according to Encyclopedia Brittanica)

Throughout history, what was considered rare, beautiful, or valuable differed depending upon the culture.  

Some would fashion jewelry out of steel or plastic rather than gold or some other gem.  Others might use shells, bones, pebbles, tusks, claws, wood, or a precious metal or stone.

In some societies, jewelry was considered a sign of social rank, therefore, all were forbidden to wear any unless they were a part of the ruling class. 

Some would wear jewelry as a talisman to drive away evil and bring good luck. 

Some forms of jewelry were worn out of superstition.  For example, during the Middle Ages a ruby ring worn on the left hand was thought to help the wearer obtain land, titles, and to protect them in various ways.

So, we see from history that there are varying types of jewelry as well as reasons for wearing it depending upon culture and region.  However, we can not base what is acceptable upon what a culture may have accepted and their reason for wearing it. 

Everything must revolve back to how God views it and what His Word says concerning it.

 

HISTORY OF JEWELRY ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE

Let’s begin at the beginning – the book of Genesis.

In the beginning, God created man then woman and placed them in the Garden of Eden.  He did not place any form of jewelry upon either of them.  Of course, we understand He did not place clothes on them at the beginning either. 

After they sinned by disobeying God, God made for them coats of skin to cover their nakedness.  He did not make any ornamentation or jewelry for them to wear along with their coats of skin.

As time went on, the population began to increase more and more but so did sin as well. Many departed from serving the One True God and very few were found to still follow the Lord and do what was right.  

Even after the flood, we find sin abounding once again as the majority of people gathered to build the Tower of Babel.  God confused the languages, the people scattered, and we now begin to see mention of various nations who served false gods and exampled pagan practices such as the Chaldeans, Egyptians, and Sodom. (Genesis 11 – 13)  It is after the rise of these nations that we begin to see the mention of jewelry in the Bible.

 

The New Testament Church encountered some of these issues as the Apostles went throughout the then known world into pagan countries to convert and teach them about Jesus.  They, then, sent letters of instruction occasionally to the Churches teaching them how to live godly and holy and truly become a Christian.

Paul instructed the Church in Corinth in 2 Corinthians 6:17….

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,
saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing;
and I will receive you.

Paul and Peter both addressed the issue of dress and adornments in their writing to the Churches.

Paul is teaching and admonishing in 1 Timothy 2:9-10….

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.
But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

Peter taught and admonished in 1 Peter 3:3-5….

Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning
of plaiting of the hair, and of wearing of gold,
or of putting on of apparel.
But let it be the hidden man of the heart,
in that which is not corruptible,
even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit,
which is in the sight of God of great price.
For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves,
being in subjections unto their own husbands:

These Scriptures are speaking expressly to the women admonishing us that what we put on and what we do with our hair should reflect that of a Godly woman.  Our examples to look to are the holy women of old.  How we dress, live, act, speak, or what we put on should reflect and bring glory to Jesus Christ. 

The wearing of jewelry and ornaments can lead to vanity or is worn because of which is contrary to the teachings on moderation and modesty.

Paul said women should not adorn themselves with broided hair, gold, silver, or costly array.  (Obviously this applies to men now as well although it is mainly women who struggle in these areas.)

Adorn means ‘to decorate, ornament, beautify, or embellish (which means to make something more attractive by the addition of decorative details or features).

Peter said their outward adorning should not be in plaiting the hair, wearing of gold, or in apparel.  The braided hair refers to elaborate hair arrangements, particularly to the intertwining of pearls or gold threads into the hair which were popular at that time.

Paul and Peter both admonished and taught against all showy and expensive displays, including clothing that is too expensive and worn because of pride and vanity.

To understand more fully, we need to look back to the Old Testament which is our schoolmaster as Galatians 3:24 teaches.  Peter referred back to the Old Testament concerning examples of holy adornment used.

Exodus 33:1-6

And the Lord said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence,
thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it….
Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou are a stiffnecked people:
lest I consume thee in the way.
And when the people heard these evil tidings they mourned:
and no man did put on him his ornaments.
For the Lord had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.
And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.

God had just delivered the Jewish people out of bondage in Egypt. He promised to lead them into the land of Canaan, flowing with milk and honey.  Yet, the people quickly forsook God.  They had picked up heathenistic practices and ways while in Egypt that they still carried with them in their heart. 

Despite all the mighty miracles they had witnessed, they quickly forgot and forsook the God who had delivered them to make a golden calf from the gold earrings they had taken out of Egypt (Exodus 12:35 + 32:1-4) and then they worshipped it. 

Not only did they worship the golden calf made from the earrings they brought out of Egypt, but they also stripped themselves and were naked as they danced around it. (Exodus 32:25)

God had promised to lead them into the land of Canaan but said due to them being a stiffnecked (stubborn) people, He would not go up in the midst of them.

When they heard those words, they mourned and NO MAN PUT ON HIM HIS ORNAMENTS. (Exodus 33:4)  They knew God was angry!

In the next verse (5), God commanded them to “put off thy ornaments from thee.”

In response, all the people stripped themselves of their ornaments. (vs 6) 

Moses then pitched (set up) the Tabernacle and entered it.  As he did, a cloudy pillar descended and stood at the door of the Tabernacle.  (Exodus 33:7-11)

As a result of their consecration, the Lord came down in that cloudy pillar.  All of the people were free of any ornament and jewelry as they worshipped before God. In response, God spoke to Moses face to face as unto a friend.

Why did God command them to strip off their ornaments?  Why did the people strip off the ornaments as soon as they realized God was angry at their idolatry? 

It was a response of stripping off anything that caused vanity and humbling themselves in the presence of God. 

The vanity of ornaments is described in Isaiah 3:16-26.

The Jews had become proud and this displeased God.  As a result, He told them He would take off all their ornaments, which were signs of the pride in their hearts.

Below, are a list of the ornaments and expensive apparel which displayed their pride along with their definitions from Strong’s and Vine’s Expository Dictionary as well as Jamieson, Fausset & Brown’s Commentary.

Isaiah 3:16-26

16 – Moreover the LORD swaith, 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:

wanton eyes (strong’s H8265) = to ogle (having or showing excessive or offensive sexual desire); behave in a sexually unrestrained way (oxford dictionary)

walking and mincing as they go (H2952) = tripping with short steps coquettishly (flirtatious)

making a tinkling with their feet (H5913) = to put on anklets; make a tinkling ornament.

17 – Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab (make bald by disease) the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.

18 – In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,

Tinkling ornaments (H5914) = fetter; hence, an anklet, tinkling ornament.

cauls (H7636) = meaning to interweave; a decorative netting for the hair.

round tires like the moon (H7720) = a round pendant for the neck

19 – The chains and the bracelets, and the mufflers

chains (H5188) = pendant for the ear (especially of pearl); chain, collar

bracelets (H8285) = pressing; a wrist-band (as compact or clasping)

mufflers (H7479) = long fluttering veil

20 – The bonnets and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings.

bonnets (H6287) = embellishment, i.e. fancy head-dress; ornament

ornaments of the legs (H6807) = an ornamental ankle chain

headbands (H7196) = ornamental head garments

tablets (H1004, H5315) = houses of the breath; smelling boxes (Jamieson, Fausset & Brown’s Commentary)

earrings

21 – The rings and the nose jewels

And the list continues.  The Lord said He would take these things away (Isaiah 3:18).

 

Yes, we find at times that God’s people would put on jewelry.  This does not mean it had His stamp of approval.  Some habits and ways were picked up from the ungodly nations around them.

For example: Jacob had lived with his uncle Laban in the region of Padan-Aram for approximately 20 years.  He had married 2 wives and had several sons and daughters. Jacob was tricked into marrying two wives, but God’s original design was one man/one wife.  Somewhere they had picked up the practice of polygamy.  Just because they did this did not mean God approved for we see Jesus correcting the false thinking concerning marriage and divorce in the New Testament. From the beginning it was not so. (Mt 19:8)

Jacob’s wives had learned idol worship as well as other ways from their father’s house and the surrounding nations.  God spoke to Jacob to return to Beth-el.  It was the place of his early altar, the place where he first encountered God. (Genesis 28:10-22)

After God spoke to Jacob, he went to his family and instructed them to put away the strange gods that were among them, be clean (morally), and change their garments. (Gen. 35:2)

They gave to Jacob all the strange gods which they had AND all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. (Gen. 35:4)

Notice that when they were going to return to the place of Jacob’s early altar, they cleaned house and removed their earrings.  If there was nothing wrong with it, there would not have been a reason for them to remove and bury them.

We find that throughout history, God’s people removed the jewelry when they repented, reconsecrated themselves, and turned back to God.

 

Questions a person should ask themselves in figuring out what is right and what is wrongs:

1.      Does it align with Peter and Paul’s Biblical teachings of Godliness, holiness, and sobriety?

2.     Is it flashy or gaudy drawing attention to Christ or the person wearing it?

3.     What is my true motive for wearing it?

4.    Does it draw me closer to Jesus Christ or feed the vanity of the flesh?

5.     It may seem cliché, but What Would Jesus Do?