Troublesome Topic: HAIR IS IMPORTANT DESPITE BEING DISPOSABLE

Hair received quite a bit of emphasis in the Law because it helps demonstrate who we are. It is part of our identity.

SHAVING THE BEARD OR HAIR AROUND THE EDGES OF THE HEAD

A beard was important in showing a man’s identity. Causing severe damage to a man’s beard was a serious offense. According to II Samuel 10:4, one of the ways Hanun, the king of Ammon, disgraced David’s emissaries was by commanding his men to shave off half of each man’s beard. The other thing Hanun did was he ordered his soldiers to cut off the back of the robes of David’s men so that their buttocks were exposed. This was also a huge offense because it caused unspeakable disgrace. When David heard about this, he sent messengers with new garments in hand to tell his emissaries to stay in Jericho, where they were hiding in disgrace, and wait till their beards grew back to a reasonable length and then return to Jerusalem where people knew them and had respected them. Because Hanun had disgraced David’s emissaries, who had been sent in good faith as a gesture of kindness, David went to war against the Ammonites and defeated them.

Isaiah 7:20 is another mention of the shaving of the beard as a disgraceful thing. II Samuel 19:24 indicates that trimming one’s mustache was also considered important and letting it go untrimmed was a sign of mourning.

Why did the Gentiles trim the edges of their beards for the dead? I think it goes along with the reason they tattooed themselves for the dead. I believe they were angry with the Creator God so they purposefully did things that would offend Him; they knowingly disfigured their bodies either permanently (with tattoos) or temporarily (by altering their hair and their beards) in order to get back at the Creator God and express their anger at Him.

The same could be said for the way some pagan rituals required the men of that religion to shave the edges of their hair, leaving only a round knob of hair on the top of the head. This was also changing how God had made them. God prohibited the Israelites from doing the same thing (Lev 19:27) because it would make them look unnatural.

According to Numbers 8:7, at one point in the consecration of Levites, they had to shave off the hair from their entire bodies. I take this to mean that they had to divest themselves of everything they were and be totally committed to God alone. This is a picture of what we need to do when we agree to a relationship of communion with God. I do not mean shaving one’s entire body; I mean divesting ourselves of all that we are and giving ourselves unreservedly to Him. God is good and He gives most of our identity back to us – we usually keep our personality, our interests, our abilities, etc.

Likewise, those who had been leprous needed to shave their entire bodies as part of being recognized as free from leprosy (Lev 14:8-9). Once again, this was a recognition of a new identity.

THE LENGTH OF THE HAIR

Long hair was a part of a woman’s identity. It was considered a blessing because it accentuated her feminine qualities. It seems a safe assumption that most women of that time were highly motivated to keep their long hair neat and orderly. This is demonstrated by the fact that archeology has found many hair combs and hair ornaments from ancient times. Her hair (and the veil that covered it) made her identity clear to all. Most women of ancient times would never dream of cutting their hair short.

Long hair among men showed them to be a bit rebellious, operating outside the accepted social norms. In contrast to women, the long hair of a man would have been unkept and unruly. It did not mean they were effeminate, but that they refused to fit into anyone’s mold.

Since hair was useful for identification, it was used by the priests to determine if a skin condition was an abnormal condition sent by God, or just a normal human ailment. The characteristics of the hair in the sore showed what type of sore it was. This fits perfectly with the use of hair as an identification system.

DID JESUS HAVE LONG HAIR?

I used to think the answer to that question was “No”, but now I think the answer is “Yes.” The reasons for my change of opinion are too long to include here, so if you are interested, see my lesson on that topic: DID JESUS HAVE LONG HAIR? I COR 11.

HAIR IS DISPOSABLE

I have been making the case that hair is important because it is often used for identification, however, there is another side to this coin and it is this, hair is disposable. Hair, fingernails and toenails, and small parts of the outer layer of your skin, are the only parts of your body I can think of that can be removed without damaging your body. That is why the Bible sometimes uses hair as a symbol for something disposable.

If it were not for the fact that God has given hair a role in identification, hair would be insignificant. But it is not insignificant, it is important, even though it is disposable.

God granted something disposable an important role.

We humans are not disposable. But we would be insignificant if God had not made us who we are. If evolution were true, our lives would truly be insignificant, disposable, of no value. We should thank God that, not only do we have value in His sight, but He made us as the crowning jewel of His creation; He gave us special responsibilities amidst all that He created, and He asks us to be mirrors that reflect what He is like.

Do we need to follow the Old Testament regulations about hair and beards today? No. However, we do need to be clear about who we are based on who God made us to be.

The next lesson in the full series is MURDER BY AN UNKNOWN PERPETRATOR.