A recent news broadcast closed with the oddity of a young man winning
second place in a girl’s beauty contest in Nottingham, England
A recent news broadcast closed
with the oddity of a young man winning second place in a girl’s beauty contest
in Nottingham, England. His long, blond, curly locks must have appeared very
feminine to the beguiled judges and contestants. His gender was discovered by
his all male yell after taking second place—ahead of 27 other girls.
In various localities, last
fall, a number of male students were refused admission in both high schools and
colleges until their hair was shortened to the present fashions of masculine
appearance. We learned also that some schools are renting shaving equipment for
the bearded students as well.
Our attention was also drawn to
this subject by a book review of Fashions in Hair by Richard Corson. He claims
to have made an authoritative and documented study of hair styles covering the
last 5000 years and includes 3500 illustrations. Styles are depicted for
Egyptian and other ancient civilizations and continue up to the present,
confining the later years largely to western cultures. We wearied with the book
itself in noting that down through the ages about every conceivable length of
hair and style of managing it was in vogue at one time or another by both men and
women. Wigs were also worn, not only by the bald, but on top of healthy heads
of hair. In certain eras, the heads were shaven to accommodate wigs styled in
every imaginable contortion. Yes, Solomon aptly said, "That which is was
long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; . . ." (Eccl. 3:15,
J.N.D. trans.).
The hair, being epithelial
tissue, has not been spared the tortures of singeing, crisping, curling,
braiding, bleaching and what not! To manage the hair a host of preparations
have been used, varying from the bee’s wax melted and applied by ancient
Egyptians to the "greasy kid’s stuff" of today. The hair has been
decorated by sprinkling ground up gold dust, powders, ribbons, flowers—limited
only by the imagination.
The ancients had religious significance
also attached to hair styles. Even their idols had hair styles with imputed
meanings of good or evil. It is believed that these idolatrous practices
accounted for the law of Moses forbidding Israelites to "shave the corners
of your head round, neither shalt thou mutilate the corners of thy beard"
(Lev. 19:27, J.N.D. trans.). "After the doings of the land of Egypt, . . . shall ye not do:and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I
bring you shall ye not do:. . ." (Lev. 18:3).
Of Old Testament worthies,
perhaps Samson is the most famous of all with respect to his hair. In
accordance with Nazarite vows, no razor had ever touched his head, for he was a
Nazarite from his mother’s womb. Uncut hair pictured self-neglect in yielding himself
to the will of God. It also renounced his masculine dignity and rights, for the
long hair, even then, pictured the subject place, characteristically that of a
woman. It was a sign of authority and power on his head. (See also 1 Cor.
11:10.) From this place of outward weakness, dependence and subjection to God,
Samson derived super-human strength. This was lost, however, when his seven
locks were shaven breaking his Nazarite vows. No longer in that place of
pictured weakness, he became "weak, . . . like any other man" (Judges
16:17).
When the Nazarite vows were
voluntarily assumed for a time and the stated time expired, the Nazarite was
then to shave the head and put the hair on the fire under the sacrifice of the
peace offering. Thus he offered it to God when the vows were completed (Num.
6:18.) In Samson’s case the vows were broken and no such offering followed.
Jeremiah the prophet penned God’s word to Israel saying, "Cut off thine
hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away" (Jer. 7:29). Jerusalem, pictured as
leading and representing God’s people, was sorrowfully disobedient and wholly
unsubject to God. Her long hair (not literally) pictured a subjection that was
not real and true. Hence God’s word to "cut it off’ and "cast it
away." It could not be offered to Him.
In ages past, hair length
variations were more predominant for men than women. When the hair length
increased, since New Testament times, threats of church officials often rang
out against men following the trend of the effeminate fashion. Mr. Corson
noted, with somewhat muffled glee, that church rules served as only the
slightest deterrent to stem the tide of hair fashions. In fact, church leaders
sometimes followed the fashion lagging but a generation or so behind the pace
setters. Even in Christendom, where allegiance is professed to Christ, the hair
styles of kings and famous people influenced the vast majority far more than
the inspired words of Holy Writ. Mr. Corson also observed that if the present
trend holds, as it has before, we may be in for two centuries of long hair and
wigs for men.
In this day few realize that the
Scriptures regulating the hair and head coverings apply, although conversely,
as much to men as they do to women. If the historical record be correct, it is
evident that men have been in violation of the injunction specifying short hair
more than the women that of long hair.
The present popular styles find
the man with short hair, which is in agreement with Scripture, and the majority
of women cutting their hair with regularity so as to be robbed of that which
God calls "glory to her." There is, as previously observed however, a
trend among men toward "Beatle bangs" and the more effeminate curls.
Who knows which way the fickle cycle of style is turning?
God’s numbering of our hairs,
which none of us has ever bothered to do, shows His detailed concern about us
even in such matters as we might esteem insignificant or trivial. But, if He is
concerned as to their number, we are assured their length is also noticed. Few
issues in the Scriptures are more incontestably plain than God’s will about our
hair. Might it be that this issue, though confessedly a small one, is one of
God’s testing points as to our state of soul and subjection to His Word? The
Lord Jesus said, "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful
also in much:he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much" (Luke
16:10). What is it that makes us think we can ignore these obvious, simple
things and yet humbly orient our lives in subjection to weightier matters of
faith, hope and love? We are persuaded that this trinity of Christian virtues
is manifested by obedience— the true expression of love.
And so, a sign of our times is
but a reminder of man’s rebellion through the ages. The natural heart "is
not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."