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Curry Silcox

Standard for Modesty?


Being a teenage girl who was raised in the church, the word ‘modesty’ is something I’ve heard since the moment I hit puberty. I’m sure I’m not alone in this. Many girls can recall the countless “modesty classes” they’ve had over the years. Yet, all of them would follow the same routine. The class would begin with a reading from 1 Timothy 2:9-10. Followed by phrases such as, “Dress how you believe to be modest.” I was lucky if I heard “Of course, don’t be extreme and wear something incredibly vulgar.”

Throughout all of these classes, taught by both men and women, I was never once given a set of standards. A guideline, if you will. In fact, I was told they didn’t exist. Upon further research I concluded there had to be a specification somewhere: a list of body parts that I should cover in order to shield the male mind from lust. Or perhaps, a list of body parts that both men and women should cover because God has had a standard for his Creation since the beginning of time. Nakedness Through Adam and Eve The first use of the word naked, in the Bible, can be found in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve have partaken of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. They are now aware of the difference between right and wrong, which has caused them to sin. In the losing of their innocence they come to realize, in verse 7, that they are naked. It reads, “The eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings” Next, we read in verse 10 Adam saying, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” God then confirms Adam’s understanding of nakedness in verse 11. God says, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Finally, in verse 21 it states, “Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.” Take a moment to notice a few things from this passage. First, we see that Adam and Eve have a clear concept of the meaning of naked. They attempt to cover their nakedness with fig leaves. (These fig leaves would have resembled what we know as loin cloths.) Yet, when they hear God coming into the garden they still hide themselves. Why? Because they are still naked. They know the fig leaves are not sufficient for God’s standard. Next, we see that God has made them proper coverings made from animal skin. The text describes it as a tunic. Moses used the word “tunic” intentionally. We would typically think of it as a piece of clothing, similar to a dress, that drapes over the shoulders and down to the knees. As shown in the picture below. Here we have God setting a standard for how He wants His creation to cover their nakedness. Nakedness Through Aaron’s Sons God’s people understand the concept of covering themselves. In Exodus 28 we can read God’s specific instructions for the incoming priests (Aaron and his sons). In verses 4-39 God has given a list of holy garments that are to be made and worn by Aaron as he serves in the role of Priest. Then, in verse 40, God gives a simple list of clothing for Aaron’s sons. (Tunics, sashes, and hats) In verse 42 God says, “And you shall make for them linen trousers to cover their nakedness; they shall reach from the waist to the thighs.” This is a seemingly random instruction, considering up until this point God has given them a list of ceremonial clothing rather than clothing with the single intent of covering. But, if we continue reading through verse 43 God says, “They shall be on Aaron and his sons when they come into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister in the holy place, that they do not incur iniquity and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and his descendants after him.” So, why must they wear the linen trousers? That they do not incur iniquity and die. Why would not wearing them cause them to incur iniquity? The tabernacle of meeting and the altar were set upon an incline. Meaning, that the people would watch from below. Recall that Aaron and his son’s are wearing tunics. Similar to dresses, tunics are open at the bottom. Therefore, God requires them to wear shorts underneath their tunics so as not to allow their nakedness to be shown. Not only does God command the linen shorts, but he also commands the length. “they shall reach from the waist to the thighs.” From this passage we can conclude that God sees from the waist to the thighs as nakedness. The Old Law Done Away With This is a question you may or may not be asking yourself. “Was not the Old Law done away with when Jesus nailed it to the cross, according to Colossians 2:14?” The answer is yes. The Old Law was in fact done away with. But, the question we must really ask ourselves is this. “Is the Old Testament the same as the Old Law?” The answer is no. The Old Testament is just that, a Testament. It is a recording of the Old Law along with written accounts of historical events. These accounts being inspired, of course. Therefore, if you believe the evidence regarding nakedness I have just displayed above is inaccurate, rest assured. It applies to today. Both pieces of evidence are God’s standard that He has had since the beginning of time. This includes the length of the linen shorts for the priests. The shorts were not part of the holy garments they were to wear for symbolic and ceremonial reasons. Rather, they were simple coverings God commanded in order to keep them modest. The same goes for Adam and Eve. The tunics God made were not given as part of the law they were under in the patriarchal age. Rather, they were given as garments that were meant to cover the parts of the human body that God created and considered naked. Nakedness In The New Testament In the New Testament we see no standard being mentioned. This is because the standard has already been set in the Old Testament. Therefore, any references to the word nakedness or modesty, in the sense of physicality, are understood to be the same standard that was set in the Old Testament. Examples such as, John 21:7 (KJV) in which it states, “Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he had been naked) and did cast himself into the sea.” From our understanding of the word “naked,” that we have gained from the Old Testament, we can know that God’s use of it can be used to describe someone that is not covered from their shoulders to their waist to their thighs. God Gives Us His Guideline So, while modesty has many different meanings we can understand that God has, in fact, set a standard for our physical modesty. And not just for women. Both Adam and Eve were clothed with tunics that covered from shoulder to knee. Aaron and his sons wore shorts to cover their thighs. Rather than worrying about belief we can rest assured that God has a guideline for our clothing choices and it can be found right in His Book. As long as we choose to search for it.

- Curry Silcox

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