Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

I wonder how some would juxtapose the two following texts?

These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests. Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen. "Make the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen—the work of a skilled craftsman. It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to two of its corners, so it can be fastened. Its skillfully woven waistband is to be like it—of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen. "Take two onyx stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel in the order of their birth—six names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders as a memorial before the LORD. Make gold filigree settings and two braided chains of pure gold, like a rope, and attach the chains to the settings. "Fashion a breastpiece for making decisions—the work of a skilled craftsman. Make it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. It is to be square—a span long and a span wide—and folded double. Then mount four rows of precious stones on it. In the first row there shall be a ruby, a topaz and a beryl; in the second row a turquoise, a sapphire and an emerald; in the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst; in the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper. Mount them in gold filigree settings. There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes. "For the breastpiece make braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. Make two gold rings for it and fasten them to two corners of the breastpiece. Fasten the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece, and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. Make two gold rings and attach them to the other two corners of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod. Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. The rings of the breastpiece are to be tied to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband, so that the breastpiece will not swing out from the ephod. "Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the LORD. Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron's heart whenever he enters the presence of the LORD. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the LORD. "Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, with an opening for the head in its center. There shall be a woven edge like a collar around this opening, so that it will not tear. Make pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the LORD and when he comes out, so that he will not die. "Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: HOLY TO THE LORD.
(Exo 28:4-36)

And then the following text used to ban all "flashy stuff" and "baubles".

Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
(1Pe 3:3)

If it's unholy to wear gold, and it always has been, as contended by the hard right, why was the high priest ordered to wear it, along with a whole boatload of other jewelry, into the Holy of Holies?

I got to thinking that Aaron and company would be denied fellowship by many of our good brethren unless we were able to convince them to replace God's traditions for their man made ones.

It makes a man ponder..........

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

Wow, OTW. I'm surprised that you're not aware of the LONG-standing exception to the no-jewelry rule:

IF the jewels are sewn onto or into the clothing, it's acceptable. Example:

http://frecklewonder.typepad.com/cocktail4b.jpg

Since this trend was begun with the high priest and God's commandments, it's obvious that THIS exception is the ONLY exception allowed. (As your lengthy text supports.)

:)


:heeheehee

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

Thanks for the help! I did not see the exception clause in either Peter or Paul's writings, so I guess UPCI tradition will have to suffice.

In fact Peter and Paul apparently teach against the wearing of rubber, plastic, and string "jewelry" also if it is wrapped around the wrist, neck, or finger. At least according to some.

Go figure.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

If God truly detested all precious metals in contact with humans, why allow his high priest to wear such things in the holiest place ever created? It really does boggle the mind.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

That is rather odd, considering that we are to take the verse so literally. A literal approach would forbid gold, pearls and expensive clothing. Rubber, plastic and cheap jewelry should be just fine.

Oh, yes...this is where you pull in "Let not your good be evil spoken of." Well, at least they admit that cheap jewelry is good. :D

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

Ah, yes. One of the great "elastic clauses" of scripture. It can be stretched around almost any concept one desires. Or, it can be ignored in other cases. Like when certain very conservative people dress in clothes the value of a small African nations GDP in order to "bring their best" to the Lord, not caring who it might offend because they might be in violation of the "costly array" restrictions.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

Your making way too much sense On The Wheel.


But the greatest 'elastic clause' as you put it, is still the "Obey them..." catch all to which all other laws, rules, and regulations must bow to. In fact, it IS the rule which allows virtually anything to be added (or taken away) from the Word itself.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

You are correct. That is the mother of all "elastic clauses". It can be applied to almost anybody's pet doctrine. Of course, the admonition to not be "Lord's over God's heritage" cannot seem to fit over ANYTHING! :happydance

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

Gotta be careful..trying to perfect holiness can be called WORKS baby..works..

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

The Word admonishes us to perfect holiness, but to do so because we are His, not to become His.

Those who are not interested in perfecting themselves according to true scriptural precepts give me pause. They should be interested in the whole counsel of God in order to live successful Christian lives. After all, Jesus said that if we love him we will show that by keeping his commandments.

Unfortunately, men keep manufacturing new commandments. And because they are man made they are both arbitrary and inconsistent. I try to balance my frustration for those who add to scripture with a love for the actual scripture itself.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

represents the glory of the saints. we are lively stones. The NJ city is decks with jewels as well, which is the church.

That leads to why would God use sinful things to symbolize things regarding his bride?

Some will just say it's symbolic.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

I'm quite sure you are right. However, the fact that a man can enter the holiest of all places wearing some of the most jewel bedecked clothing known to man seems incongruous to the whole concept of the inherent evil associated with wearing any kind of adornment at any time for any reason.

That's all I'm trying to point out.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

It also contradicts one anti-jewelry teaching which uses the fact that the Jews melted down their Egypt-begotten jewelry to make the golden calf, which was then ground into powder and ingested in their water. This is often purported as a reason we shouldn't wear jewelry, based on the idea that God decided the only good place for gold was on the inside. Unfortunately for that little theory, the instructions for the high priest were given after that golden-calf/doctored-water incident.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

Very true. Furthermore, all the jewelry was not even used up in the creating of the sacred things of the tabernacle. Moses gave some back to the people because they had given enough. I'm sure some of them continued to wear it because of all the thousands of commandments given on every topic imaginable, there was no outright prohibition of the wearing of jewelry. We might call it the "missing commandment" but one people follow more closely than some of the written ones (thou shalt not bare false witness) for one.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

The passage in Peter was written for wives, 1 pet 3:1-3:6. So it's o.k. for men to wear all the jewellery they want, since technically men are the priests of the home.

:doggyrun

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

I've never worn so much as a tie tack, but I might strap on a big gold cross for church on Sunday. It will meet God's exacting standards because I will write "Holiness to the Lord" across the top!:happydance

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

Well since Jesus wears a golden sash, I gues he would not be allowed into some churches. Rev 1:13

Also since Jesus had a beard he would not be allowed into other churches

Since Jesus was a wine bidder, then he would most definitley not accepted in many churches.

Come to think of it, if Jesus returned he would not be welcomes in most churches.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

So true. And to allow him on the platform in sandals?? Are you kidding me? That church would become the laughing stock of Pentecost! Also, he did not seem very adept at taking up offerings. I guess he did not want to have his people be blessed.:heeheehee

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

I agree.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

Thats why Hes standing at the door knocking.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

He probably didn't cut his toe nails either.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

It seems clear to me from this this scripture alone, though there are others, that the wearing of gold is not inherently evil in all cases. It misuse and abuse is what is wrong. When people are inflated with pride or use it to bring inordinate attention to themselves or for the purposes of seduction, then jewelry becomes a sin.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

I would say is NEVER inherently evil.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

My point exactly. All my life I have been given the message that any gems or shiny metals on the body (hair exempt at times) is always evil and in defiance to God's direct wishes.

Someone else brought up the story of the Israelites being forced to ingest the gold from the Golden calf. Again, that story was used to show that all gold, which is a type of divinity, should be in the inside not the outside. However, God's people continued to wear jewelry of all kinds, including the priests at God's command! Now I'm sure that ingesting the gold had nothing to do with the evils of jewelry, but God's abhorrence of false gods.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

The whole point of "not with broided hair or jewels or gold" actually ties into with the "hair/covering" chapter of 1Cor

It's odd that the UPC studied the braided hair stuff out but not fully. Women in Roman/Greek societies wore their hair very long except for temple prostitutes. They were also fond of elaborate weaves and braiding involving precious jewels or metals.

Truely, to the woman then her hair was her pride (Glory)

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

I have found is completely asinine that THIS is perfectly acceptable at a typical UPC camp meeting -and in fact expected.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3658/...e9972029_z.jpg


Yet, THIS isn't.
http://cdn.activedesktopwallpapers.c...2X384-1348.jpg

Which one of the above is parading around screaming "Look at me! Look at me!"?

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

one of the pictures didnt link right

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

I guess the better question is, "Which would I rather look at?" :happydance

Seriously though, many have missed the point completely. They vilify all jewelry (except in the hair curiously enough), yet have no justify completely drawing all sorts of attention to themselves by costly, trendy (and at times just really odd) clothing. I would rather see that meek and quiet spirit the God so wants to see.

As for the inconsistency, man made doctrines are always rife with them. They are like shifting sand, as Christ declared.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

I've been raised around conservatives all my life and have never found anyone who can explain the inconsistency of the "hair exemption". Especially since hair is the only actual body part mentioned in the NT when it comes to bejeweling and bedecking. Plastic "Live Strong" bracelets get you banned from ministry, but a hair full of feathers, gold, gems, and other ornamentation gets oohs and ahhs at the conservative bastions like the WPF sponsored Peak conference.

It is incomprehensible. People from the outside are supposed to just swallow this convoluted theology or they are "not hungry enough"! The arrogance is ASTOUNDING!!!

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

RW...STOP!!!!! Stop, because you are making too much sense!

MissB hit on it earlier too. Let's be honest though...in the oneness movement the only "real" jewelry are on the left hands of the married ladies and on the wrist of the men preaching. Basically no other jewlery is real...oneness people are too chap or can't afford it, but they sure want you to think they can afford a 50k tiara or 5k earings that are used as a pin on a blouse.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

Well, Jennifer Connelly (the one with the earrings) is considered a classic beauty who has always worn only a small amount of makeup and jewelry and yet continues to look beautiful as she ages.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

For those that believe that "bobbed-hair" is a sin then wouldn't putting jewelry and all that in one's hair be a sin too? None of it is sin, but the inconsistency, like you said, is the key.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

In case you missed it, I was referring to the good Ms. Connelly. :thumbsup

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

One of the things I question about earrings is the self mutilation for adornment thing.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

The "no hairbow" people are at least consistent, even though they are usually so legalistic everybody is lost who does not adhere to their very narrow and exacting brand of salvation theology.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

I would have to be with you here. The other day my wife was in a store where a 2 month old baby was getting its ears pierced. Her screams could be heard all over the store. Why that is not child abuse I don't know.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

I agree with you there. That is just pure vanity from the parents perspective.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

Very true. Also, what is that telling that baby. It's beauty is incomplete without the addition of jewelry. It's reprehensible.

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

Agreed...

Re: Holiness unto the Lord written on Jewelry?
 

I can't imagine doing this to an infant, or even a child, actually. I'm reminded of a "Toddlers and Tiaras" episode where a little girl's piercing had grown back together and her mother forced the earring back through in spite of the tears. It was heart breaking. I'm not sure why that wasn't considered abusive behavior.