Sound The Trumpet

Typically, modesty is viewed as an issue for the women. The majority of men are visually stimulated where the majority of women are stimulated on various emotional levels. For that reason, it is the women who have the most to be concerned about regarding their appearance. This does not mean that men do not have a problem with modesty. The majority of the Scriptural principals discussed in this series of articles apply to men equally as they do to women. Men are to be covered, should not reveal their thigh, should not reveal their chest and should not wear clothing which is so tight as to reveal the form of their body. More importantly, men and women both need to have an appearance which brings attention to their countenance. They need to draw attention to Christ. Ultimately, directing attention to Christ is the key to modesty for both men and women. If you have read this series on modesty and you only came away with a checklist or a list of rules to dress by, you have missed the point. Just as Christ should be the focus of our life, Christ should also be what people see in our lives. This leads us to a logical question: can a person, whether male or female, be modest if they are not saved? Regardless of how you may dress, you cannot be truly modest, in the sense described here, if you are not saved.

Mark 5:1-15 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. (2) And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, (3) Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: (4) Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. (5) And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. (6) But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, (7) And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. (8) For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. (9) And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. (10) And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. (11) Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. (12) And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. (13) And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. (14) And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. (15) And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

In this passage, Jesus encounters a man possessed with many demons. He was described as a man who was unable to be tamed, who was naked and who cut himself. In verse 13, we see Jesus bidding the demonic spirits departing from the man into a group of swine. Immediately, the man was changed. In verse 15, the man is described clothed and in his right mind. Jesus gives us a clear principle in this passage. When one is saved, he is changed. A newly saved person is also a new creature. Part of the change Jesus makes in our lives is clothing us. Second, it is impossible for someone to be truly modest (drawing attention to Christ living in them) if they are not saved. One cannot draw attention to something that does not dwell within them and one cannot direct attention to someone she has never met. When someone is saved, the Holy Spirit of God indwells that person. One job of the Holy Spirit of God is directing attention to Christ. If you have never met Christ and the Holy Spirit is not living within you, you cannot direct attention to Christ - you cannot be modest.

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Do you find the concept of modesty repulsive? If so, I would suggest that you may not be saved. No, I cannot know what is in your heart. Nor do I have access to the Book of Life, but if you find the concept of modesty, of drawing attention to Christ, to be so repulsive, so revolting that you must mock it and fight against it, you may be in the same condition as this maniac of the Gadarenes.

One of the key issues of modesty is not drawing attention to yourself but rather drawing attention to your countenance and to Christ. In order to truly be modest, a lady should be revealing Christ in her life, not her body.

1 Pet 3:1-4 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; (2) While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. (3) Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; (4) 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.

The lady should be respectful of her husband’s wishes. When he is asking her to be modest, she must respect his wishes. In fact, the lady should seek her husband’s opinion about modesty. She should allow her husband to consider what she is wearing and determine what is or is not appropriate. The husband knows what attracts a man’s eye and can help steer the wife away from things that would not be appropriate. Unmarried young ladies should seek the advice of their Godly mothers. If their mother is unsaved, they should look to another Godly, married lady in their church. In either case, when dealing with an unmarried young lady on the subject of modesty, a man should not directly deal with the issue. He should guide his wife and allow his wife to deal with the issue. Part of the adorning of a lady is her chastity or quality of having a chaste spirit. To be chaste is to be free from sexual defilement. A lady who is unmarried would be sexually pure – having never touched a man in a romantic context. A lady who is married would be loyal to the marriage bed. In addition, whether married or unmarried, a chaste lady has pure conversation; she is free from the obscene. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary says, “In language, pure; genuine; uncorrupt; free from barbarous words and phrases, and from quaint, affected, extravagant expressions.” To compare, the harlot is loud, boisterous and explicit. Finally, the passage above reinforces that the adorning of a lady should not be her outward appearance. Wild hairstyles and gaudy jewelry scream for attention, and the admiration of others, instead of pointing people to the Lord. People are attracted to the modest lady by her meek and quiet spirit, by the spirit in her that is controlled by the hidden man of the heart. She should reflect the Holy Spirit of God.

1Ti 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.

1 Tim 2:9-10 echo’s the sentiments in 1 Pet 3. It is amazing how the Word of God never contradicts itself. Again, the lady should not rely upon her jewelry, hairstyles or costly array to make herself attractive. She should rely upon the Spirit of God dwelling within her. If she is attracting people to the Spirit of God, then the Spirit of God may use her to get people saved.

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

As someone who is legitimately a Christian, you are also a new creature. The things of the world you once enjoyed should no longer be pleasurable to you. If you drank liquor, the Spirit of God should convict you of that. If you were one who spent time in dance clubs, and you are saved, the Spirit should have shown you that modern dancing is a sin! Likewise, when you were saved, the Spirit of God should show you that immodest apparel is a sin also. As a new creature, you have the individual soul liberty to do what you want to do, but what you want to do should reflect becoming a new creature through salvation. So what should a modest lady avoid? Over the years, styles of dress have changed. Sadly, the styles of dress have become more revealing to the point where many women, whose character is far from harlotry, are dressed in ways which could easily cause a man to stumble into sin. Hollywood, the popular music culture and the fashion industry all encourage you to show off your body, but a Christian lady should know that her body is not her own.

1Cor 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

As a Christian, you have been purchased already. Paul referred to himself as a servant. Literally, a bond-slave belonging to Christ. Therefore, since we are not our own, we belong to Christ and we should do the will of Christ. For a lady, dressing modestly is the will of Christ. The following notes are a practical guide intended to help a Christian lady who desires to glorify God in her body and spirit
The modest lady will not be ‘naked’. In other words, nothing above the thigh should be revealed. Whether sitting, standing or hanging from a tree, everything from the thigh to the top of the chest should be covered. In most cases, this means the garment should extend below the knee when standing, because the garment will gather up and shorten when sitting. The garment should also completely cover the rear (crack-free zone). If you constantly have to tug your skirt down to cover your knees when sitting, then it is too short. The same goes for having to keep pulling your shirt down to keep your stomach or backside covered. Why fight that battle all day?? It is so much easier to wear clothes that aren’t on the border line of being too short, that way you can relax! On top, she should not reveal her chest. A good rule of thumb here is that the neckline should not be lower than three fingers widths below the notch at the top of the breastbone. Cleavage should never be seen. Also, sleeves should not reveal the lady’s underwear. A good rule of thumb here is covering the armpit. If someone cannot see the armpit, they cannot see anything else.
The modest lady will not wear tight clothing. The modern harlot will dress in a way that advertises what she has to offer. This means that the little she covers will still be revealed through tight garments. What is tight? Today just about everything has spandex or some type of stretchy material in it. This is not by accident. If you have to stretch open your shirt to fit it over your head and shoulders, then it is going to be tight and form fitting on your chest and torso, revealing every curve. Clothing that is tight is revealing and leaves little to the imagination. This advertises your chest size and the curves of your waist and hips. A Christian lady should not want to “show off” her body; after all if she truly is a Christian, her body is not her own and she will want to advertise the Spirit of God and not her body.
A modest lady will not reveal her underwear. “Teacher, teacher, I declare. I see someone’s underwear!” Remember that? In a time now past, it was an open shame to reveal your underwear. Now, it is common. This concept should be simple enough. If the garment is tight so that it reveals the outline of underwear (or that there is no underwear at all), then it is also drawing the guy’s attention away from the lady’s countenance and to her undergarments. Additionally, if the garment opens in a way that reveals the undergarment, it is inappropriate. For example: sleeveless garments (or garments with very short sleeves, three-quarter sleeves, etc.) allow a guy to see into the blouse revealing the lady’s undergarments or chest. Another modern trend is to actually show off the underwear. Many women are wearing low-waist skirts/pants. As a result, they are revealing their underwear. In a similar way, women are revealing their underwear on top -almost to the point of showing off their underwear. Lace peaking out of the top of a shirt draws curiosity and attention to that point. Once again drawing attention where it doesn’t belong. A Christian lady should be pointing people to her Saviour, not to her body.
A modest lady will not draw attention to her jewelry. The verses on modesty also mention gold, pearls and costly array. A Christian lady should not be “flashy” with her jewelry and clothes. People around her should not look at her and admire or even covet her expensive clothes and jewelry. When people look at a Christian lady they should first see her sweet spirit and testimony. Our clothes and jewelry should never over power, or stand in the way of people seeing Christ in us. This is not to say that all jewelry is wrong, but it should be kept in balance as an accent, and not a focal point. A Modest lady will not adorn herself with overbearing makeup. God gives each lady a natural beauty from within. That beauty can be accented with mild, natural makeup. However, when the makeup becomes a focal point, it has already become too much. Unlike nakedness, there is no hard and fast rule we can point to here. However, the Bible does give us an example to look at. Jezebel was a queen who has the reputation of being the wickedest of women. She was a murderer, a prostitute and, overall, an enemy of God. How did she adorn herself? Among other things, she “painted her face” (2 Kings 9:30). We do not know what she looked like, but I think it is safe to assume that her makeup was distracting, so much that it was noteworthy. In today’s culture, makeup has drifted toward a dark tone. Many young women use very dark makeup, especially around the eyes. Dark makeup has always been associated with Satanism. Many of the young women today may not consider their association when wearing the black or dark colors, but the association is there. Also, when she paints dark colors around her eyes, she is drawing attention to her eyes. A woman’s eyes can be very enticing. If the woman is sly, she can use them to entice a man into her snare.
A modest lady will not wear unnatural hair coloring or gaudy hair styles. In 1 Peter 3 and 1 Timothy 2 the Bible refers to hair styles. The references here point to braiding and folding hair in an excessive way. They were styling their hair so that the hair became a focal point instead of God living within them. Today, we see many different bold and attractive hair styles. Styling your hair is not necessarily wrong. It is only when the hair style becomes overwhelming or when the hair style draws someone’s attention away from your countenance. Hair colors that do not naturally occur are immodest. The sole purpose of such a color is to draw attention to the person and not to Christ. Likewise, coloring styles are immodest. You will never see a modest Christian lady wearing un-natural colors or stripes in her hair!

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

2Co 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.

In everything she does, a modest Christian lady will be separated from the world. Anything which could be written about modesty in relation to today’s fashion or style will change. As the world’s standards change, the Christian’s standard should not. Christians, and sadly, the church, seem to keep the worldly standards at arm’s length. However, as the world’s standards become worse, so do the church’s standards. The church is keeping the world at arm’s length and moving away from the Word of God. Ultimately, the standard of modesty should be one of separation. Our appearance should set us apart from the world. People should visibly see a difference in Christians. The ungodly fashion industry, and Hollywood stars should not be our examples of how we should look. Quite frankly it is a good measure of what we should NOT look like. From the top of their self absorbed heads to the bottom of their anything for money and attention feet, the Hollywood crowd is the complete opposite of what a Christian should aspire to look like. Separation does not mean drab. Christians do not have to wear muted colors, and dress plainly. But at the same time the Christian should look distinctly different. The Christian should not be constantly trying to keep up with every crazy fad that comes along, especially if it is extreme and draws attention to the body and not the Spirit of God.

Gen 3:1-6 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? (2) And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: (3) But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. (4) And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: (5) For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (6) And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

The serpent here was described as subtle.  In fact, we know this particular serpent was Satan himself.  Someone who is subtle is someone who is sly, who can easily deceive someone.  The devil was being subtle to convince Eve to sin. However, in the Word of God, there is another kind of person who is described as subtle:

Prov 7:10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtle of heart.

When we take the passages we have studied so far and put them together, it becomes easy to imagine how Eve convinced Adam to eat the fruit.  True, she was enticed by the devil as he lied to her.  However, I can imagine her going to Adam and showing him the fruit.  Perhaps winking at him and begging him with her flattering words to eat.  Likewise, the harlot is described as subtle of heart.  In a previous section, we discussed how the devil often uses women as bait in his snare.  The harlot is another kind of woman Satan uses as bait.  No one would debate that the harlot is a trap.  However, how many other women are walking around with the attire and language of a harlot and do not realize it?
The attire of a harlot includes more than her clothing.  Likewise, the attire of a harlot is subtle.  If a man is not careful and vigilant, he will quickly be ensnared by her.  Once in her snare, his testimony or life could easily be destroyed.  Sadly, there are many women walking around us every day who are adorned in the attire of the harlot.  If you approached some of these women and accused them of being a harlot, they would be deeply offended.  As we will see, many of them unwittingly occupy our churches in every service. So, what is the attire of the harlot?

Prov 7:10-12  And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtle of heart. (11) (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: (12) Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

The true harlot is clearly dressed in a certain way.  She reveals her body in a way that it intended to attract a customer.  The harlot is also acting in a very specific way and she is speaking a specific way.  We understand why she is dressed the way she is, but why is she acting and talking the way she does?  For the same reason: she is advertising what she has to offer.  She is advertising her product and setting a trap for a man.  Is the man who takes the bait without guilt?  Of course not!  If a man takes her bait, he is guilty, but she has set a trap for him!  Likewise, a woman who has adorned herself in the attire of a harlot has also set a trap for a man.  Sadly, she may not even realize it.
The harlot is dressed in a certain way, and that she dresses that way so that she can sell her product.  She is dressed to show off her product - her body.  She knows that most men are drawn in by their eyes.  When men see the body of an attractive woman, men are naturally excited and drawn to her.  At the site of an attractive woman's body, a man is tempted to sin.  Everyone with any common sense knows this.  Every woman wants to be considered attractive.  Who is she trying to attract?  The way a woman is clothed certainly reveals whether she is concerned with attracting men or not. However, there is more to the attire of a harlot than the clothes she is (or is not) wearing.  As we learned already, she is subtle. In other words, she is a flirt.  She is the one who is always talking and drawing men to her with her actions and words.  Yes, it is immodest to be a flirt and a harlot is also a flirt!   The harlot is also loud.  She wants you to know she is there.  The harlot is also stubborn.  In fact, most immodest women will refuse to admit these simple truths are a part of who they are!

1 Cor 6:19-20  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (20) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

The harlot is dressing in a certain way because she has something to sell.  However, as Christians, we have nothing to sell. We have already been purchased by the Blood of Christ!  Our bodies are not our own to do with as we please.  As Christians, we belong to God.  We cannot do as we wish, we are to glorify God with our bodies.  The Apostle Paul referred to himself as a servant (Rom 1:1).  Literally, Paul was referring to himself as a man who is so indebted to another that he would be considered to be a slave.  When a Christian exposes her body or acts as a harlot does, she is not glorifying God in any way!  When a woman acts in this way, she is merely advertising what she has to sell.

A stumbling block is something that can cause someone to sin or something that can help someone sin.  For example, suppose I knew that someone who an alcoholic and trying not to drink.  Now, suppose I took them to a bar. By taking them to a bar, where they would be tempted to drink, I would become a stumbling block to them.  In the same way, if I offered that person a drink, I would, again, be a stumbling block for them.  I would be giving them a way to sin or giving them the opportunity to sin.  We never want to be in the position where we can be accused to leading someone to sin. 

Rom 14:13  Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

We can all see that we should never knowingly do something that would cause someone else to sin.  That may even make us accountable for their sin in some way.  But have you ever considered that the way you dress may cause someone to sin? 

Mat 5:27-28 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: (28) But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Jesus told us plainly that a man could sin with a woman just by looking at her.  We also know a man can sin by looking from David's example.  His sin began when he looked across the rooftops and he saw Bathsheba bathing. Now, we clearly know that David's sin was David's fault.  There is no doubt of this.  However, if Bathsheba had not been on the rooftop bathing, David would never have seen her.  We have to assume that Bathsheba sinned here also.  She created the circumstances that enticed David to sin.  We could even say that the devil set a trap for David and used Bathsheba as the bait.

Today, the bait to sin is all around us.  We cannot walk through the mall, go to a high school football game or, sadly, go to many churches without being surrounded by more bait.  Yes, everywhere we turn, we are surrounded by women who are dressed in such a way as to entice a man to sin.  Perhaps it is a short skirt or shorts or perhaps she is completely covered but her clothes are tight and reveal her form.  Either way, the trap is set.  What is even more sad is that these women often do not realize they are being used as bait in Satan's snare.

Prov 6:24-26  To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. (25) Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. (26) For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

A woman's speech can be just as powerful as her attire.  With her words or even with her eyes, a woman can convince even the strongest man to do things he would never consider doing.  Literally, as this passage says, a man can be brought down to the cost of a piece of bread.  Consider Samson.  He never dreamed that a woman would cause him to literally give his strength away.  On three different times, she teased him, begging him for the secret of his strength. Likewise, three different times, he played her game.  Finally, however, he was taken.  Many women do not realize the power they have over men.  The most critical thing women, mostly unmarried women, do not realize is that men are stimulated, literally enticed, by their eyes.  That is, they are attracted by what they see.  On the other hand, woman are attracted by their emotions – by what is said to them and how they are treated.  Whether she realizes what she is doing or not, an immodest woman will reveal her body. Again, perhaps she will actually reveal her skin or perhaps she will only reveal the form or outline of her body.  In either case, she is revealing herself in a way which will draw a man's eye.  By doing this, she will become the bait in a trap the devil would use to snare the unsuspecting man. 

 

We know that Adam and Eve realized they were naked and were ashamed.  One could argue that they were ashamed because of their sin.  Certainly, they were ashamed of their sin and how they disappointed God.  However, as we examine Scripture, we can see that revealing the body, outside of marriage, also reveals one’s shame.  If it is shameful to show nakedness, it would be unreasonable of God to set a standard for us without defining that standard.  So, how does God define naked?  Answering this question will solve many of the problems we face as a result of the indecency we see around us today.  If you go to the typical beach in America during the summer and ask the people if they are naked, they will quickly tell you no.  As much as it reveals, a woman’s bathing suit still reveals much of the woman’s body.  No one on the beach would admit they are naked.  In fact, you may even be able to find many who are quite proud of their bodies and are showing them off.  Is this God’s plan?  Does God approve of this?

Isa 47:3 Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.

God is saying that their nakedness shall be uncovered and their shame revealed.  In other words, God is saying that revealing your nakedness is revealing your shame.  So, what is nakedness? How does God define nakedness? Before we answer that question, ask yourself this:  Regardless of what the standard turns out to be, do you want to walk around naked or would you be willing to dress in a way that pleases God?

Exo 28:42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach.

In this passage of Exodus, God is giving instructions to the priests about how they are to dress when they come before Him.  We do not have to dress like a Hebrew priest.  Rather, the point here is to see that God defined as covering ones nakedness.  This passage speaks of linen breeches.  Breeches are a garment worn by men – today, we call them trousers or pants.  God is instructing the priests to cover their nakedness with a garment that extends "from the loins even unto the thighs."  As we see in the next verse, this garment (which came to the knee) covered their nakedness.

Isa 47:2-3 Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. (3) Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.

We just looked at Isaiah 47:3, and how revealing ones nakedness also reveals their shame.  Isaiah 47:2 defines what nakedness is by saying, "...make bare the leg, uncover the thigh ... thy nakedness shall be uncovered..."  What is the Lord saying here?  He is telling us what nakedness is: uncovering the thigh.   The thigh is the part of the leg that extends from the hip to the knee.  In other words, it is the leg from the knee up.  In fact, it is not just the top of the knee where the thigh begins, it is the bottom of the femur (thigh bone).  The femur and the tibia / fibula bones (lower leg bones) meet in the knee.  We could argue that the thigh extends to the middle of the knee where these bones meet.
If we take God's Word as our absolute standard, as we should, would a skirt that only covers part of the thigh be revealing your nakedness?  What about a pair of shorts that do not completely cover the thigh?  What about a bathing suit that does not cover the thigh at all?  Do you walk around naked?  

God was not surprised when he found Adam and Eve hiding in the Garden of Eden.  After all, how can we hide from God?   It is not Santa Claus that knows whether you have been good or bad, it is the omniscient (all-knowing) God who sees every action we take and knows every though that crosses our mind.  God was not surprised when Eve was tempted, He was not surprised when Eve ate the forbidden fruit and he was not surprised when Adam followed Eve’s leadership. God knew that man had sinned and that they now knew of good and evil.  God knew that Adam and Eve were naked and hiding.  God even knew where they were hiding. 

 

Gen 3:7  And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

 

When God found them hiding, God also found them in their need.  Adam and Eve had made themselves aprons in an attempt to cover themselves.  However, their efforts were not enough.  The aprons they made for themselves did not cover their nakedness. 

Gen 3:21  Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

When God found them, God killed animals and took the skins of the animals and made coats for Adam and Eve.  An apron may only cover from the waist down, the word translated as “coats” from the original Hebrew means “to wrap around” or “to cover.”  The coats God made did not just cover their private parts, these coats literally wrapped around them and covered their body.   

Omniscience, or being all-knowing, is one aspect of God.  We see God’s character when we realize that Adam and Eve could not hide their location or their sin from God.  However, this is only one aspect of God’s character.  Another aspect of God is His pure sinless nature.  As you study the book of Genesis, you quickly see that there are severe consequences for Adam and Eve’s very simple sin.  They ate a little fruit and it resulted in God giving them a death sentence. Not only were Adam and Eve sentenced to death, but all of humanity was sentenced to death.  That is certainly a harsh penalty for sin.  However, God also provided a payment for sin.  As a result of sin, God required the shedding of blood to pay for sin.  Ultimately, Jesus would become the Lamb who would shed His blood to pay the debt for the sins of Adam and Eve as well as all of mankind.  However, many people lived and sinned before Christ shed His blood.  How were their sins dealt with? Just as Adam and Eve were physically covered by the skins of animals, the animal’s shed blood was symbolic of the blood Christ would shed for our sins.  These coats covered Adam and Eve’s nakedness but more importantly, it covered their sin as well.

 

Modest attire is one of the hardest struggles that a Godly lady faces.  There is a very delicate line a lady must walk to avoid drawing attention to her body while still showing her God-given beauty and countenance.  Sadly, the standards of dress we see today, even in churches, are horrible.  Women today seem to have lost even the very basic sense of what is modest and decent.

As you learned from the definition of the word modest, there are many aspects to being modest.  For many, the primary idea of modesty has to do with dress and how the body is revealed.  We will see more about other aspects of modesty later in this study.  It is true: how a person is dressed will say a lot about her.  Because of this, society has placed a large focus on the way we dress.  Popular styles tell us that the body should be revealed.  This is typical for the Devil.   He is a liar.  He is trying to establish an opposite to everything the Bible tells us.  The Devil would have us believe that revealing the body is necessary to attract a spouse.  That revealing clothes are glamorous and nakedness is natural.  One of the Devil’s goals is the destruction of every human on the face of the planet.  The Word of God offers us a very simple contrast:  outside of marriage, revealing the body is an open shame. 

Gen 2:24-25  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.(25) And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

In this passage, we see the beginning of the first family in the creation.  Adam and Eve were the first husband and wife, they were naked together and they were not ashamed.  This passage is often referred to when explaining the physical relationship between a husband and his wife.  However, that is not necessarily the only context here.  At this point, they were not ashamed because they had not sinned.  They did not know what shame was and they did not understand the concepts of nakedness, sin and shame.  They had not eaten of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  We cannot understand what it would be like to live without a sin nature or exist without the knowledge of "good and evil."  This concept is impossible for us to comprehend.  However, this is the state Adam and Eve were in at this point.  Just as we could not comprehend living in a completely sinless state, they had no comprehension of good and evil, of sin or of right and wrong.

Gen 3:1-6  Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? (2) And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: (3) But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.(4) And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: (5) For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.(6) And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

To begin, let’s parse, or take apart, this passage.  In verse one, we see the serpent.  Today, we know snakes as a sly, subtle animal.  It is able to sneak up on its prey and quickly strike.  Sometimes, a snake's strike seems to come from nowhere.  Likewise, the devil is a subtle creature.  The devil sneaks up on us and deceives us with lies and half-truths. That is just how it all begins here.  The devil lies to Eve by telling a partial truth.  Eve answers the devil explaining that they can eat of every tree except one.  She adds that they cannot even touch that tree.  Now, here, she is adding to God's command.  God never told them they could not touch anything.  In fact, they were the keepers of the garden.  How could they keep the garden if there were trees they could not touch.  Satan's reply is an outright lie. In Genesis 2:17, the Lord commanded them that they would surely die if they ate of the tree of knowledge.  The devil went on to add that their eyes would be opened and they would be like gods knowing good and evil.  At this point, it was only God and the angels who knew good and evil, Adam and Eve did not.  Eve believed the lies of the devil, ate the fruit and fed it to Adam.  Their eyes were opened, and they did now see good and evil.  They did not sin by being naked.  This was how God created them.  However, now that they could see good and evil, they realized that there was shame in being naked.  Consider the next verse:

Gen 3:7  And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

As soon as they ate this fruit, their eyes were opened and they realized they were naked.  Later, we will see that God compares nakedness to an open shame.  They realized this fact before God inspired the first letter of the Word of God to be penned.  Once they realized they were naked, and ashamed, they attempted to make coverings for themselves.  They sewed together fig leaves to make themselves aprons.  Merriam-Webster's on-line dictionary defines an apron, in this context, as a garment tied around the waist.  In all likelihood, these aprons covered the "vitals," but were they sufficient?   By any definition, an apron would never be considered to cover ones nakedness. In fact, Adam did not even consider himself to be clothed sufficiently.

Gen 3:9-10 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? (10)  And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Just a few verses after Adam and Eve realized they were naked and sewed themselves aprons, God cam looking for them in the garden.  As God was looking for them, they hid themselves.  Adam told God they were hiding because they were naked.  Did their aprons cover any more of their bodies than the modern bathing suit?

Gen 3:21  Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

Again, Merriam-Webster's on-line dictionary gives us a definition to consider for the word coat: an outer garment worn on the upper body and varying in length and style according to fashion and use.  Clearly, a coat covers the upper body and extends below the waist to different lengths.  We can assume that whatever God made, it covered whatever God defined as naked. 

Since we are dealing with modesty, we should define the word modest.  The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language (Fourth Edition, copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company) defines modesty as, “Reserve or propriety in speech, dress, or behavior.” Noah Webster defined MODEST in the 1828 version of the American Dictionary of the English Language as:

1. Properly, restrained by a sense of propriety; hence, not forward or bold; not presumptuous or arrogant; not boastful; as a modest youth; a modest man.
2. Not bold or forward; as a modest maid. The word may be thus used without reference to chastity. -- The blushing beauties of a modest maid.
3. Not loose; not lewd. -- Mrs. Ford, the honest woman, the modest wife.
4. Moderate; not excessive or extreme; not extravagant; as a modest request; modest joy; a modest computation.

Few would argue that a Christian should guard her speech and behavior.  However, for many it would seem that modesty has lost its definition. Followers of Christ should also demonstrate God-like character in every aspect of their lives, including their appearance. When you think of modesty, what images come to your mind? Do you think about a woman who is dressed a certain way or do you think about other things?  Modesty is revealed in a sense restraint, in not being bold or boastful, in having a sense of chastity.  In other words, modesty is much more than just the clothes you wear, modesty is revealing nothing but Christ.

Every day we make choices. The clothes we wear may not seem all that important in the grand scheme of life to anyone other than ourselves. Our clothes, however, speak volumes about us. Complete strangers may be able to surmise our gender, age, ethnicity, economic status, education, vocation, personality, and even character based upon what we wear. Employers, teachers, parents and peers will all take notice of our attire. The adornment of our bodies can either reinforce or change their ideas about each of us. The way we dress just may make the difference in obtaining a job, receiving an “A” on a school presentation, or making a good first impression and quickly earning the respect of our friends. Before we decide what we should wear tomorrow, let’s consider what God has to say on the subject of modesty.