What do our clothing and behavior say about us? Does our freedom in Christ mean we have a right to dress any way we choose? If men have a problem with it, is that their problem? What about off-color language? Is it simply part of life in today’s world? And what, if anything, do modesty and discretion have to do with pigs’ noses?
Today, we’ll also look at what it means to worship God, how our whining affects our children, why God did not allow Moses to go into the Promised Land, and why we should pay our taxes.
Welcome, to “God’s Word Day by Day.” This year I’ve added a couple of new features. First, check out the “Free Resources” tab at the top. You’ll find a downloadable, printable PDF with “Going Deeper Study Questions” for each day’s post and a list of all the Bible readings so you can check them off as you go. You’ll also find the daily posts on YouTube. The daily emails now have a link to both these Soul Survival posts and the YouTube videos. If you’re not already signed up, you can do it here.
Today’s Readings:
Numbers 19 & 20
Psalm 33.1-9
Proverbs 11.22-24
Mark 12.1-27
Modesty, Discretion, Fraud & Pigs’ Noses
Proverbs 11.22-24:
To the Ladies:
What do our clothing and behavior say about us? Is clothing merely a fashion statement? Is it our right to dress any way we choose? And is off-color language simply part of life in the business world? Does the Bible have much to say about modesty, discretion, and our behavior out in the world, especially, around people of the opposite sex?
It turns out God has a great deal to say on these subjects. Verse 22 in today’s reading for starters.
As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.
A beautiful woman without discretion—a woman without modesty, wisdom, and grace—is compared to a pig!
A pig is an animal that roots around in garbage, an animal that you can clean up, but who will go right back to the pigsty! The beauty of a woman without discretion is like a jewel put in the nose of an animal that pokes around in the slop!
Ladies, why do we stand around and listen to dirty jokes, or laugh at them, or … tell them? Why do we expose parts of our bodies that should be reserved for our husbands or future husbands—by wearing things that are too low, too short, or too tight? And why do we allow our daughters to dress that way?
Why do we allow gossip and criticism and other unwholesome things to come out of our mouths? Why do we watch TV shows and movies where modesty and discretion are the last things they want to portray?
The Most Important Rule
The Bible doesn’t give us rules and regulations about the length of our skirts or the style of our clothes and I don’t want to either. And we need to be extremely careful about becoming self-righteous in this area, especially when it comes to visitors to our churches or with new believers. But as we grow in Christ we should be more sensitive to these issues and more aware of the heart attitudes behind them.
When asked what is the greatest commandment, Jesus said, in short, love God and love others (Matt. 22.37-40). Our behavior has an effect on others: on our brothers in Christ, on our sisters in Christ who are their wives, on those who look to us as an example, and to the world who is watching to see if there is really anything different about us.
More than once, I’ve heard women say, “I like to dress this way. If men look at me, that’s their problem.” But is that the whole truth?
Modesty, Discretion & Fraud
Certainly, men are responsible for what they do with their eyes, but we are also responsible to not be stumbling blocks.
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness (1 Thess. 4.3-7).
God has called us to holiness … not how far can I push the envelope without sinning. We’re to possess our bodies in sanctification and honor so we don’t defraud our brothers in Christ (or anyone else for that matter).
One definition of defrauding is to offer something for sale that you don’t intend to provide, what we might call false advertising today. So it turns out that when our behavior or how we dress causes a brother to stumble, it’s not just their problem.
Modesty & Discretion with Our Words
Sometimes it’s not our dress but our mouths that can be stumbling blocks. Paul told the Ephesians:
3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks (Eph. 5.3-4).
We might think we’re doing OK by avoiding the first two, fornication and uncleanness, but what about coarse jesting, things like off-color jokes, sexual innuendo, or outright flirting?
We may not be able to avoid others who talk that way entirely unless we live alone in a cave. But do we give approval by laughing along with everyone else? Or worse yet, openly participating?
A Woman Who Fears the Lord
Instead, Peter said:
Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God (1 Pet. 3.3-4).
And Solomon in describing a godly woman said that “strength and honor are her clothing.” He went on, “She opens her mouth with wisdom and on her tongue is the law of kindness.” He ended his description with this:
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.
Who is the “woman who fears the Lord”? The fear of the Lord is reverential respect. She understands that everything she does, she does before the Lord, even how she talks, acts, and, yes, dresses.
What This Doesn’t Mean
This does not mean that women can’t dress attractively and fashionably. And it doesn’t mean that we should impose legalistic standards on others. But each of us should consider these things in our own hearts and, at times, be willing to lovingly talk to less mature sisters in Christ as Galatians 6.1-2 and Titus 2.3-5 command. So we, “may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things” (Tit. 2.10).
A Note to Men:
Men, I pray that you will become the kind of men who value what God values in a woman, rather than the world. Too many men value the wrong things. Sadly, I have even met men with 1 Peter 3.3-4 wives who were demanding they become Proverbs 11.22 women! That shouldn’t be so.
A Few Thoughts about Today’s Other Readings …
Numbers 19 & 20:
Whining, Murmuring, & Complaining
Almost 40 years had passed since God delivered the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. Most of the adults had died just as God said they would. They did not enter the Promised Land because they listened to the evil report of the ten spies instead of trusting God. Now there was a new generation murmuring against God. They seem to have learned more from their parents’ example than from their parents’ fate!
What are your children learning from you? Do you tell them not to “whine and complain” while you “whine and complain” about your spouse, your boss, your government (this one hits pretty close to home for me), your mother-in-law, or whatever?
This is one way the sins of the fathers and mothers are visited on the children (Num. 14.18). Even though our children make choices about how they’ll live and are responsible for those choices, we make it more difficult for them to choose to do right when we set bad examples.
Striking the Rock
The story in Numbers 20 where Moses and Aaron are told they will not enter the Promised Land seems sad and unfair at first glance. But we must remember that God is good (Mk. 10.18) and He always gets it right. The psalmist said:
I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are right, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me (Ps. 119.75).
Remember, too, that God knows and understands the heart perfectly. Moses had spoken strongly and authoritatively to the people in the past without consequence. But there must have been a different heart attitude when he was told to speak to the rock and, instead, struck it, not once but twice. Instead of obeying and trusting in the Word of God, he trusted in the arm of the flesh, doing what seemed right to him in the heat of anger. When we trust in human solutions instead of trusting in God’s Word, we, too, are in a way striking the rock. And when we do so in anger, we compound the problems and the sin.
Psalm 33.1-9:
Created for His Glory
Isaiah 43.7 says:
Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory.
We were not created to live life any way we please, but to bring Him glory.
We’ve talked about how we bring Him glory when we dress and act with modesty and discretion. We, also, bring Him glory when we show His love to others (Jn. 13.35).
Another way is through our praise and worship. Psalm 33 is a beautiful song of praise to the Lord—a template that we can use in our times of prayer and praise to the Lord.
But all that we do is worship. It either brings Him glory or glorifies the flesh and the devil. May we seek to glorify Him in all that we do, in our personal and public worship, and in the ways that we live our lives.
Mark 12.1-27:
Taxes & Unrighteous Leadership
In verse 17 Jesus responded to a question about paying taxes with this:
Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.
John MacArthur says, “Thus Jesus declared that all citizens are under divine obligation to pay taxes to whatever government is over them” (Rom. 13.1-7; 1 Pet. 2.13-17). That is perhaps one reason why Proverbs 29.2 says:
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.
Coming Up:
In the coming days, we’ll talk about giving and our hearts, that if we go looking for trouble, we’ll find it, and ask the question, “What are you willing to pour out for Christ?”
I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss them.
If you have a prayer request or a question, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of the post. I will do my best to answer and would love to pray for you.
And if this post spoke to you, I would so appreciate it if you would share it on your favorite social media platform.
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer.
A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
Leave a Reply
Your email is safe with us.