CLOTHES

By Philip Johnson March 7, 2011 Why do you wear clothes? That may seem like a foolish question, but have you ever thought about the reasons why you wear clothes and why you wear the particular clothes that you wear? An obvious reason is for modestys sake, but you may also wear clothes for protection, and to fit into certain cultural norms. You need certain clothes in order to participate in specific sports, perform a certain job, and you may wear clothes to hide a blemish. Why did people in Bible times wear clothes? Our first parents, Adam and Eve were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed (Gen. 2:25). Then they sinned by disobeying Gods command and the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons (Gen. 3:7). They used clothing to cover the shame that they felt after they had sinned. Later, God made coats of skin and clothed them. That demonstrated the need for an animal sacrifice, and the animal skins protected them better than the leaves could. Their sin had caused thorns and thistles to grow and they needed protection from them and other causes of injury. Another example of clothing worn in those early days was a coat of many colors given to Joseph. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors (Gen. 37:3). This coat of favoritism from Israel encouraged Josephs brothers in their jealousy of him. Earlier in Israels life, when he was known as Jacob, he deceived his father Isaac by wearing his brothers clothes in order to obtain a blessing (Gen. 27:15). The trick worked, but it came back to haunt him later, when Jacobs own sons tricked him into thinking that Joseph had been killed by an evil beast. They killed a kid of the goats, took Josephs prized coat, dipped it in the blood and brought it to their father. Jacob had deceived his father with clothes and was deceived by his sons with clothes, in a most horrible way. When Jacob saw the bloody coat, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned for his son many days (Gen. 37:34). Sackcloth is similar to a rough burlap sack that was often worn in times of mourning or repentance. After Ahab was instrumental in the death of Naboth, Elijah prophesied that evil would come to him and his house. Ahab tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and fasted. The Lord noticed Ahabs humility and delayed the punishment one generation (1 Kings 21:27-29). Other biblical examples of sackcloth being worn as a sign of mourning or repentance are Mordecai, Job, David, Hezekiah, Daniel, and the king of Nineveh (Esther 4:1; Job 16:15; 1 Chron. 21: 16, Psalm 35:13, 69:11; Isaiah 37:1; Daniel 9:3; Jonah 3:6). Tearing your clothes was also an expression of mourning. David tore his

clothes when Saul died (2 Sam. 1:11), showing his love for one who had made his life miserable for many years. A few years before this, Saul was hunting for David and trying to kill him. David found Saul sleeping in a cave and cut off the corner of his robe. He showed mercy to Saul through the use of his clothes. Ruth was a virtuous woman (Ruth 3:11) who had lost her husband, but had been found by God and was serving Him in a new country. She worked hard each day in the fields of Boaz, a near kinsman, who by Jewish law should marry Ruth to raise children on behalf of her deceased husband (Deut. 25:510). She used clothes to send a message to Boaz by uncovering his feet when he lay down at night and by asking him to spread his robe over her. She was asking for his protection and prodding him to fulfill the requirements of the law. Our clothes do send messages to other people. May we always be sending messages that bring honor to the Lord. The account of the Lords crucifixion in Matthew 27:27-36 shows multiple uses of clothes. After he was scourged on the back, He was humiliated by being stripped of His ordinary clothes and given a scarlet robe to wear. Then they put a crown of thorns on His head and a reed in His right hand and mocked Him. Next, they took off the robe and put His own clothes back on Him. The pain to His lacerated back of dressing and undressing must have been unbearable. After they crucified Him they fulfilled scripture by parting his garments among themselves and casting lots to determine who would get His seamless robe. This was apparently all of his earthly possessions. The Lord was buried in a tomb after having his body wound in linen clothes (John 19:40). Three days later when His disciples came to the tomb, they found it empty, except for the linen clothes lying and the napkin that had been around His head wrapped together in a place by itself (John 20:7). Graveclothes could not keep the Lord in the tomb. His spirit came back into His body and He arose and is still alive today! It is believed that He may have passed right through His clothes (just as He passed through the wall into the midst of His disciples later that day, John 20:19) and left them lying where they were. When John saw the clothes, he believed that Jesus had risen (v. 8), because no one could have stolen His body and left the clothes looking as if the body had been wrapped in them. Another thought is that the napkin that was about His head had been the prayer shawl that He wore during His lifetime, and each person developed their own way to wrap their shawl. The disciples would have recognized the wrapping that Jesus did of His prayer shawl and would have known that He had done it and no one else. That would have given them proof that He was alive when they saw the napkin folded and in a place by itself. He arose just as orderly and unhurriedly as He carried out the other functions of His life. There is a sobering parable told by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 22:1-14 about a wedding that a king was planning for his son. Those who were invited to

the wedding would not come, so he sent his servants into the highways and as many as they could find were invited to the wedding. When the king came into the wedding, he saw a man that did not have on a wedding garment. He asked the man why he did not have a wedding garment on and the man was speechless. They bound the man and threw him into outer darkness. God is preparing a wedding to take place in heaven. You are invited, but you must wear the clothes that only God can give you. Your own clothes of good deeds are like filthy rags in His sight (Isaiah 64:6). You need the garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness that only He can give to you (Isaiah 61:10). You can receive that salvation by confessing with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believing in your heart that God has raised Him (Jesus) from the dead (Rom. 10:9). The coming day speaks of those which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 7:14). The marriage of the Lamb is come and His wife hath made herself ready and to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints (Rev. 19:7,8). Have you been washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you wearing the garments of salvation and ready for that wonderful wedding in heaven? It could happen today!