“I haven’t a thing to wear” is the lament heard from many a woman as the seasons change. This is usually another way of saying, “I am tired of what I have and would like something new!” Some may feel they need clothes to give them confidence; for others it can be a source of pride to wear the latest fashion or the most expensive ‘classics.’ Then there is the deliberate flaunting of the female form to catch the eye of the opposite sex. How easy it is to be influenced by these subtle expectations that serve to line the pockets of designers and the clothing industry.
Sisters in the Truth are not immune to these things. If the love of clothes and the interest in the latest fashion has taken over the love of God in one’s heart, there is something seriously wrong. On the other hand, a well remembered spiritually-minded young sister, determined to demonstrate her disinterest in clothes, paradoxically drew attention by her unkempt appearance! As with many things, it is a question of balance and emphasis.
The LORD created the beautiful female form to be attractive to the male who is seeking a wife. The bride wishes to look beautiful and pleasing to her husband on her wedding day, and she takes great delight in the preparation and selection of her dress and trousseau [a bride’s clothes and linen, collected during her engagement]. This is natural and right in God’s sight, as shown in John’s analogy describing the New Jerusalem “coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev 21:2).
Inner beauty
One such bride in Scripture is a lovely young princess, joyfully preparing herself to be presented to her bridegroom:
“The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king’s palace” (Psa 45:13-15).
Some think this was a bride of Solomon, and that she may have been the daughter of Pharaoh. Others suggest this was Hephzibah, the beautiful bride of faithful king Hezekiah. Whatever the primary application, there is the deeply moving spiritual picture of the Bride presented to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is interesting that, irrespective of the rich and exquisitely-made clothing, the true beauty of this bride “comes from within” (v 13).
One wonders whether the apostle Peter had this Scripture in mind when speaking to the sisters of his day:
“Your beauty should come not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight” (1Pe 3:3,4).
Sixteenth-century Puritans interpreted Peter’s comments so literally that their obsessively plain style of dress became a cult. Rather than condemning a pretty outfit, braided hair, or a delicate gold necklace, Peter is counseling the godly woman to focus her attention upon developing a Christ-like character.
Certainly the virtuous woman of Proverbs demonstrated these characteristics. She industriously made herself garments of “linen and purple”. She rejoiced as the symbolic bride of Christ and, inwardly, her clothing was “strength and honour” (Prov 31:22,25).
Interestingly, both figurative brides were dressed in fine linen, a fabric which is brought to the discerning reader’s attention many times throughout Scripture.
The history and processing of linen
Linen is made from the flax plant and has been popular for five millennia. Very versatile, it can be woven as strong coarse yarn, suitable for sails, or as delicate cambric for wedding gowns. Ancient cultures — Egyptian, Greek and Roman — greatly valued the material. The spinning and weaving of linen is depicted on the wall paintings of Egypt. The Egyptians were so skilled in the processing that white cloth was produced (five hundred threads to the inch), far finer than anything made today!
Growing flax is easy, given the right conditions: moist fertile soil and plenty of sunshine. From seed to harvest, it takes a hundred days. One variety from which the highest quality of linen is made has lovely blue flowers. Although the stalks are straight and slender, they are covered with a tough woody casing that must be removed to reveal the workable fibers. This process is called retting, whereby the stalks are immersed in water and then laid in the sun to allow bacterial action to render them pliable. (Rahab hid the spies beneath drying flax stalks on the roof of her house: Josh 2:6.) Stripping the bark is a labor-intensive work; great skill and patience is needed to remove the tough outer part without damaging the delicate inner fibers. What a lovely spiritual lesson: believers in Christ must be immersed in water and undergo a lifetime of exposure to the word of God in order to strip away the hard layers of human nature. The “divine weaver” can then work with the pliable inner core.
Priestly garments
Exodus 28 outlines the details and instructions regarding the priestly attire. Aaron’s garments were made of fine linen embroidered with gold, blue and purple, whereas his sons wore simple fine white linen. These holy garments were “for glory and for beauty”; they were to be fashioned by men specially endowed with skill and wisdom by the Spirit of God. During the consecration ritual the priests and their garments were sanctified:
“And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him” (Exod 29:21).
From head to toe, men and clothing were sanctified, ritualistically cleansed before being allowed to approach the holy things of God. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest put aside his splendid priestly clothing and entered the presence of God in the Holy of Holies clad in simple garments of fine white linen (Lev 16:4).
The prophet Ezekiel reveals the reason why the cool quality of linen was an appropriate material for the priests:
“They shall have linen turbans on their heads and linen trousers on their bodies; they shall not clothe themselves with anything that causes sweat” Ezek 44:18, RSV).
Sweat glands secrete waste products, giving rise to an unpleasant odor. All waste products from the human body that is tainted with sin are abhorrent to the holy person of God.
Garments of salvation
When the LORD God chose Zion He stated:
“I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall ever sing for joy” (Psa 132:16, NIV).
Aaron’s garments were but a shadow of those worn by the immortal kings and priests in Revelation:
“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints” (Rev 19:7,8).
“The bride has made herself ready” (note the past tense). Here is the antitype of the virtuous woman of Proverbs and the bride of Psalm 45, preparing themselves with garments of linen, preparatory to meeting the bridegroom.
“The righteousness (of the saints)” is plural. Bro. John Thomas suggested the phrase would be better rendered “right actions of the saints”, and most modern versions give “right acts”. We know that faith not works is required; however, faith leading to the right action of baptism imputes righteousness. At baptism we “put on (Greek ‘enduo’, meaning ‘to clothe oneself’) Christ” (Gal 3:27). These are the garments described by Isaiah:
“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD. My soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness…” (Isa 61:10, NKJ). Could this be the wedding garment of the parable?
Having washed her robes in the blood of the lamb (Rev 7:14) and striven to keep them undefiled from sin, the bride of Revelation 19 is dressed in fine linen, clean and white. “Clean” is the Greek word “katharos”, from which we get the word catharsis, meaning to purge. “White” is “lampros”, from which “lamp” is derived, meaning bright. The symbology is lovely; the bride is morally clean and radiant, having been clothed upon with the immortal glory of the Lord God (2Co 5:4).
The antidote for an obsessive interest in clothes is to consider these spiritual concepts and be exhorted by them. When we next swell with pride after compliments about a new outfit, or crave a dress in a shop window which is well beyond our budget, then an examination of attitude and priorities may be in order. The appropriate dress for those in Christ is the armor of God:
“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:14-17).
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One