MODEST DRESS THROUGH THE AGES

							[By Ron Halbrook]
             1 Tim. 2:9-10
9 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;
10 But (which becometh women
professing godliness) with good works.
Introduction
1. Why 1 Tim. 2:9-10 in the Bible:
   Part of God’s Word—Means Something!
   Principle True through the Ages




                                      3
Introduction
2. Not Ashamed of the Truth:
   Acts 20:26-27; Rom. 1:16-17; 2 Tim. 4:2




                                          4
               Acts 20:26-27
 26 Wherefore I take you to record this day,
that I am pure from the blood of all men.
 27 For I have not shunned to declare
unto you all the counsel of God.
                Rom. 1:16-17
 16 For I am not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ:
for it is the power of God
unto salvation to every one that believeth;
to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
 17 For therein is the righteousness of God
revealed from faith to faith:
as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
             2 Tim. 4:2
2 Preach the word;
be instant in season, out of season;
reprove, rebuke, exhort
with all longsuffering and doctrine.
Introduction
2. Not Ashamed of the Truth:
   One God, Savior, Revelation,
    Baptism, Church
   Principles of Morality & Modesty




                                       8
   I. True From the Beginning

A. Matt. 19:3-9 God’s Ideal for Marriage




                                           9
               Matt. 19:4, 8
 4 And he answered and said unto them,
Have ye not read,
that he which made them
at the beginning
made them male and female,

8 He saith unto them,
Moses because of the hardness
of your hearts
suffered you to put away your wives:
but from the beginning it was not so.
    I. True From the Beginning

B. Heb. 1:1-2 Three Ages of Bible History




                                        11
                Heb. 1:1-2
1 God, who at sundry times
and in divers manners
spake in time past
unto the fathers by the prophets,
 2 Hath in these last days spoken
unto us by his Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things,
by whom also he made the worlds;
    I. True From the Beginning
B. Heb. 1:1-2 Three Ages of Bible History
   Patriarchal Age: Adam to Moses
    (Rom. 5:12-13)
   Mosaic Age: Moses to Christ
    (Gal. 3:19)
   Gospel Age: Reign of Christ to End
    (Matt. 28:20)
                                         13
  I. True From the Beginning
C. Some Things Distinctive to Each Age
   Patriarchal: Noah & the ark
   Mosaic: Sabbath law
   Gospel: baptism into death of Christ,
    & kingdom of Christ


                                            14
I. True From the Beginning
D. Some Things True in All Ages
     One true God
     God’s ideal for marriage
     Sanctity of human life
     One Savior promised
     Principle of modest dress

                                  15
 II. In the Patriarchal Age
A. Gen. 2:25 Innocence of Adam
   Before Sin
  “And they were both naked,
   the man and his wife,
   and were not ashamed.”



                                 16
 II. In the Patriarchal Age
B. Sin Changed the World
   Nakedness a danger
   Experienced guilt of sin,
    shame of nakedness
    Gen. 3:7-11



                                17
                 Gen. 3:7-11
 7 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.
 8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God
walking in the garden in the cool of the day:
and Adam and his wife hid themselves
from the presence of the LORD God
amongst the trees of the garden.
              Gen. 3:7-11
9 And the LORD God called unto Adam,
and said unto him, Where art thou?
 10 And he said,
I heard thy voice in the garden,
and I was afraid, because I was naked;
and I hid myself.
 11 And he said,
Who told thee that thou wast naked?
Hast thou eaten of the tree,
whereof I commanded thee
that thou shouldest not eat?
 II. In the Patriarchal Age
C. God Covered the Shame
   of Their Nakedness
   with Proper Clothing
   Gen. 3:7 Apron covered waist,
    upper thighs
   Gen. 3:21 Coat, tunic covered
    shoulders to knees
                                    20
                     Gen. 3
  7 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.
        APRON: Girdle, loin-covering
      (Brown, Heb. & Eng. Lexicon, p. 292)

21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD
God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
COAT: Generally with sleeves, coming down
    to the knees, rarely to the ankles
   (Gesenius, Heb. & Chaldee Lexicon, p. 420)
 II. In the Patriarchal Age
C. God Covered the Shame
   of Their Nakedness
   with Proper Clothing
   Modest clothing not unique
    to one age, but suited
    to nature of male & female
    in every age
   God set principle of modest
    dress for all mankind         23
   III. In the Mosaic Age
A. Same Principle of Modesty True
   in Mosaic Age
   Ex. 20:26; 28:42 Men cover
    thighs (nakedness)




                                    24
                 Ex. 20:26
   26 Neither shalt thou go up by steps
   unto mine altar, that thy nakedness
   be not discovered thereon.


                 Ex. 28:42
 42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches
to cover their nakedness; from the loins
even unto the thighs they shall reach:
   III. In the Mosaic Age
A. Same Principle of Modesty True
   in Mosaic Age
   Isa. 47:2-3 Women cover
    thighs (nakedness)




                                    26
               Isa. 47:2-3
 2 Take the millstones, and grind meal:
uncover thy locks, make bare the leg,
uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.
 3 Thy nakedness shall be uncovered,
yea, thy shame shall be seen:
I will take vengeance,
and I will not meet thee as a man.
   IV. In the Gospel Age
A. Same Principle of Modesty True
   in Gospel Age
   1 Tim. 2:8-10 Modest dress
    reflects woman’s holy character
    in worship



                                      28
                1 Tim. 2:8-10
 8 I will therefore that men pray every where,
lifting up holy hands,
without wrath and doubting.
 9 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;
 10 But (which becometh women professing
godliness) with good works.
                1 Tim. 2:8-10
 8 I will therefore that men pray every where,
lifting up holy hands,
without wrath and doubting.
 9 In like manner also, that
women adorn themselves in modest apparel,
      shamefacedness and sobriety;
with MODEST: Orderly, well-arranged,
not with broided hair, or gold,
        decent (set by God, Gen. 3:21)
or pearls, or costly array;
 10 But (which becometh women professing
godliness) with good works.
                1 Tim. 2:8-10
 8 I will therefore that men pray every where,
lifting up holy hands,
without wrath and doubting.
 9 In like manner also, that
women adorn themselves in modest apparel,
with shamefacedness and sobriety;
not with broided hair, or gold,
  SHAMEFACEDNESS: A sense of shame
        or or costly array;
or pearls,modesty rooted in character
 10 But (which becometh women professing
godliness) with good works.
                1 Tim. 2:8-10
 8 I will therefore that men pray every where,
lifting up holy hands,
without wrath and doubting.
 9 In like manner also, that
women adorn themselves in modest apparel,
with shamefacedness and sobriety;
not with broided hair, or gold,& judgment,
   SOBRIETY: Sound mind
or pearls, or costly array;
                   self-control
 10 But (which becometh women professing
godliness) with good works.
                1 Tim. 2:8-10
 8 I will therefore that men pray every where,
lifting up holy hands,
without wrath and doubting.
 9 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;
 10 But (which becometh women professing
       NO CARNAL DISPLAY
godliness) with good works. OF BODY
                1 Tim. 2:8-10
 8 I will therefore that men pray every where,
lifting up holy hands,
without wrath and doubting.
 9 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;
 10 But (which becometh women professing
godliness) with good works.
             GODLINESS: Reverence for God
                1 Tim. 2:8-10
 8 I will therefore that men pray every where,
lifting up holy hands,
without wrath and doubting.
 9 In like manner also, that
women adorn themselves in modest apparel,
with shamefacedness and sobriety;
not with broided hair, or gold,
      LIFE ADORNED WITH
or pearls, or costly array; GOOD WORKS:
               True worshipper of God
 10 But (which becometh women professing
godliness) with good works.
   IV. In the Gospel Age
A. Same Principle of Modesty True
   in Gospel Age
   1 Pet. 3:1-5 Modest dress
    reflects woman’s holy character
    in daily life



                                      36
                      1 Pet. 3:1-5
 1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection
to your own husbands; that, if any obey not
the word, they also may without the word
be won by the conversation of the wives;
 2 While they behold your chaste conversation
coupled with fear.
 3 Whose adorning let it not be
that outward adorning of plaiting the hair,
and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart,
in that which is not corruptible,
even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit,
which is in the sight of God of great price.
                 1 Pet. 3:1-5
5 For after this manner in the old time
the holy women also, who trusted in God,
adorned themselves,
being in subjection unto their own husbands:
        PRINCIPLE OF TRUTH TODAY:
            “For after this manner”

            TRUE IN PAST AGES:
               “in the old time”
                    1 Pet. 3:1-5
5 For after this manner in the old time
the holy women also, who trusted in God,
adorned themselves,
being in subjection unto their own husbands:

“The rule for the holy women of the N.T. time
extending down to our day
is not different from what was the rule
for the holy women of the O.T. time,
resting as it does
on a Divine appointment in the earthly constitution”
(Pulpit Commentary: 1 Pet., p. 163)
 V. God’s People Salt, Light, Holy
A. Matt. 5:13-16 Distinct from the World




                                           40
                      Matt. 5:13-16
 13 Ye are the salt of the earth:
but if the salt have lost his savour,
wherewith shall it be salted?
it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out,
and to be trodden under foot of men.
 14 Ye are the light of the world.
A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
 15 Neither do men light a candle,
and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick;
and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
 16 Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
 V. God’s People Salt, Light, Holy
A. Matt. 5:13-16 Distinct from the World
   Examples of dress exposing the
    shame of nakedness




                                           42
Exposing the shame of nakedness




                                  43
V. God’s People Salt, Light, Holy
A. Matt. 5:13-16 Distinct from the world
   The world admits unholy influence
    of immodest dress




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SURVEY: WHY GO TO BEACH

69% Men go to see women
                   in swimsuits

7% Women go to see men
  (“Beach Motives,” Psychology Today,
           Dec. 1982, p. 10)
 WEAR SKIRT ABOVE KNEES?
“Should a business or professional woman
  ever wear a skirt above her knees to the
  office? The biggest mistake women make is
  that they believe they see the world the way
  men do—but they see the world differently.
  We did a study with women wearing
  conservative suits with skirts above the knees.
  Woman would comment that the women
  were very attractive and could be very capable,
  very talented. Men, on the other hand,
  said they saw legs,” which was “sexy.”
      (John Mollory, “Issues & Answers,”
     Houston [TX] Chronicle, 9-19-93, p. 4F)
V. God’s People Salt, Light, Holy
   B. Rom. 12:1-2 Transformed
      Not Conformed




                                    47
                 Rom. 12:1-2
 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren,
by the mercies of God,
that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service.
 2 And be not conformed to this world:
but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is that good,
and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
 V. God’s People Salt, Light, Holy
C. Rev. 18:4-5 Separate from the World,
   or Destroyed with the World




                                      49
                Rev. 18:4-5
 4 And I heard another voice from heaven,
saying, Come out of her, my people,
that ye be not partakers of her sins,
and that ye receive not of her plagues.
 5 For her sins have reached unto heaven,
and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Invitation
1. Accept & apply 1 Tim. 2:9-10
   as a blessing
    Principle True through the Ages




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   Invitation
   2. Erring saint, repent & return now!

                   1 Jn. 1:9
9 If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.


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Invitation
3. Child of Satan, be born again now!

                 Jn. 3:5
 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily,
I say unto thee,
Except a man be born of water
and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
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