Bible Texts About Jewelry and a Proposed Understanding About Seeming Contradictions
Bible Texts About Jewelry and a Proposed Understanding About Seeming Contradictions
(note: skimmers & scanners might not get the logic)
There are several texts in the Bible that seem to give permission-by-example to use jewelry:
“And I asked her, and said, whose daughter art thou? And she said, the daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands. And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son.” Gen 24:47, 48
“And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck...” Gen 41:42
“As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.” Ps 25:12
“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” Isa 61:10
“Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number.” Jer 2:32
“I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.” Ezek 16:11-13
“But the father said to his servants, bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand…” Luke 15:22
However there are two texts that explicitly discourage jewelry:
“Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel…” 1 Pet 3:3
“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…” 1 Tim 2:9
As it turns out heaven is also made of precious materials:
"And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass." Rev 21:21
So how do we interpret seeming contradictions? I suggest that we study other apparent contradictions in the Bible.
Example 1: Israelites told to go to promise land but were punished when they tried to.
They murmured and therefore, of that generation only Joshua and Caleb, who had correct attitudes, were allowed to reach the promise land.
Example 2: Abraham and Sarah were given miracle child (Heb 11:11) but were asked to sacrifice the son (Heb 11:17)
To Abraham it was a test of which is more important, the gift (his son) or the giver of the gift (God).
Example 3: Israelites went to Egypt, but later told to come out of Egypt
The went to to survive the famine and came out of Egypt to go to the promised land.
Example 4: Jesus saved from Herod as a young boy, but not saved from crucifixion.
Example 5: Abel died in faith (heb 11:4), Enoch living in faith until now (heb 11:5)
So these leads us to several questions:
1. How do we know which is the right thing to do at a specific point in time?
2. How do we know it is not "teaching for doctrines commandments of men" (Mat 15:9) ?
1. How do we know which is the right thing to do at a specific point in time?
In the case of jewelry, it turns out that the most recent Biblical instructions (1 Pet 3:3, 1 Tim 2:9) are discouraging it. If it was God's will for the old-testament times to use jewelry, then let be it. If it is God's will that after the cross, we adorn ourselves simply, then let be it.
2. How do we know it is not "teaching for doctrines commandments of men" (Mat 15:9) ?
If we had to ask this question then we are questioning the Bible as a whole, which of course history proves Bible prophecy. see http://discoveries08.org/schedule/ for topics on prophecy.
