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Make-Up |
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All women want to be "pretty" -- that is the way we are. Women tend to be MUCH more concerned about their overall appearance than men. Seriously...think for a moment...when was the last time you saw a man wearing red fingernail polish? How about a man you know who's hair suddenly changes color about once per year? -- No? -- Then when was the last time that you saw a man wearing make-up on a daily basis? (We are not speaking of actors and "stage face paint" here either.) Still nothing? Well, I didn't think so. It does not seem "natural" to us to think that a man would do these things.
So I wonder...WHY do you? While not everyone wears fingernail polish or colors their hair, I haven't seen a woman today who keeps her face make-up free...and I wonder why. First, what is considered to be "good quality" make-up tends to be somewhat expensive. Also, no matter how "fast" you get at "painting your face" every day, it still takes time. You take time to "pick out just the right colors"...time to shop for the best sales you can find on the products...sometimes, you spend time trying new products...time in finding just the right special place for your "face paint" and then "try to keep it organized and fresh"...and for what?
Let me ask you -- as a Godly woman, would you consider getting several tattoos? How about one that will help to "cover-up" a "spot" on your forearm that you don't like...or maybe there's a "blemish" on one of your legs that a tattoo would help hide. Not a good idea? Why not? Or would you completely change the color of all your flesh? Even though there is a difference between face make-up and tattoos, think of the implications within the similarities for a moment.
Just as a tattoo tells Almighty God that He did not do a good enough job on you and you need to "help Him out a bit" by making yourself "prettier" or "more handsome" by "coloring" your flesh...wearing make-up on your face tells Him the same thing!! -- "I want to be pretty!" "ME, ME, ME..." "ME is not pretty the way I am. ME needs make-up to look my best!" Really? Does painting your face show the world the REAL you? If it does, then you are doing nothing more than showing the world that you really are just a fake!
Come on ladies -- REASON -- what do you REALLY look like when you do NOT "have your face on"? Painting up your face is NOT what you REALLY look like.
And here it comes again -- the, "But there is nothing wrong with trying to look nice. And there is nothing in the Bible about it either!", routine. Well, actually, THERE IS. Have you never read the following?
"And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?" (2 Kings 9:22)
"And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Had Zimri peace, who slew his master? And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to him two or three eunuchs. And he said, Throw her down. So they threw her down: and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and on the horses: and he trode her under foot. And when he was come in, he did eat and drink, and said, Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her: for she is a king's daughter. And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands. Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel: And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel."
(2 Kings 9:30-37)
Scripture clearly tells us that Jezebel was an evil woman. The point is, the Scripture explains that she "painted her face", and this could not have been "okay", "acceptable", or "good" at all, or it would not have been mentioned as one of her actions. We need to remember this in realizing that Jezebel was far from being a woman of God. Have doubt? Then I ask you to hear the following words that the Lord has given us. But before you read, I know that some of you are going to say, "But THAT was for Israel -- it has NOTHING to do with ME!" In that case dear visitor, you need to remember something...if you are making the claim to be a child of God, to have been saved by grace through the atoning sacrifice of the shed blood of Jesus Christ, then YOU have been grafted onto THE Vine, and you ARE part of Israel. If you claim Yeshua Ha' Mashiach as your Lord and Saviour, then you should expect to be in the New Jerusalem during the Millennial Rein as an heir to the throne, and therefore, a real part of Israel.
READ the following Scripture, carefully and PRAYERFULLY. The Scripture above and this one below are the only two places in God's Holy Word where make-up, or "painted faces", is mentioned. Neither instance is a "good" one. "LISTEN" to the Lord as He speaks...
"If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove. And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory."
"Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled. O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?"
"For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim. Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah. As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD. Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart. My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment. How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet? For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge."
"For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it. The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein. And when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life. For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers." (Jeremiah 4:1-2, 13-22, 27-31)
My dear sisters in Christ, do you hear the Lord calling out to you? Who are you trying to "fool"? You cannot fool God Almighty. And who are trying to please? Who are you trying to "impress"? Shouldn't you be wanting more than anything to please God?
"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. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety."
(1 Timothy 2:9-15)
SHAMEFACEDNESS: This term, which in the archaic form is "shamefastness", has the exact same meaning -- which is to be very modest. So let me now ask you this...do you know that it used to be common knowledge that any woman who had her face "painted", was a prostitute? That's right -- not so long ago in history, no decent God fearing woman would have even considered "painting her face".
"but the woman being deceived was in the transgression"...so how long is womanhood going to listen to the serpent and continue to fall into his deceptions and lies? If you haven't "seen" by now just how deceived and trapped you are within many of Satan's little snares, then you my precious friend are being "Willingly Ignorant"!
"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, ...they willingly are ignorant..." (2 Peter 3:3, 5a)
What about this word itself -- "MAKE-UP"? To be "made-up" -- a fake. If God Almighty wanted your lips bright red, pink, mauve, or any other color, don't you think He would have made you that way? And if He wanted your eyelids and their surrounding area to be shaded various colors and with "paint" all over, don't you think He would have done that as well? Why must you insist upon "improving" what your Creator has given you? Can't you be content with that which you have been given?
"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content." (1 Timothy 6:6-8)
