Hello all!! This blog post is meant to be wee bit humorous, informative, biblical, and historical. I can’t tell you where this all began, other than I know that the Holy Spirit has subtly led me on this faith journey through the LORD’s word up to this point. I hope you enjoy it!
Our last night in DC
What a week its been! I have officially begun my journey across the world for Christ and can’t wait to land in Mozambique. As I wait in a lobby to travel further, I thought I would take the time to offer a blog on a topic that has been on my mind recently and has compelled me to do some research on the topic and my findings, taken all together, have astounded me some what, to say the least. Ever since, Thanksgiving-ish I have let my facial hair grow out. Which has been a hallmark change for me since ALL of my life I have hewn very closely (no pun intended) to staying clean shaven ever since I could first grow a whisker haha. Whether it was because I first wanted badly to shave so I could “be a man” or was forced to remain clean shaven because of “work place protocol” I have been as Si on Duck Dynasty would probably state it “smooth”. But as of now, I’m definitely PAST my 5 o’clock shadow.
So what gives? Well, a confluence of subtle influences. The first step, was the LORD working in my heart to read his entire WORD, aka the bible, including the first five books, called originally the Torah. It was here that the LORD our God outlined his teaching( which Torah means), through Moses, to the Israelites so that they could live holy, culturally distinct, and ritually pure lives for his glory, separate from the Gentile pagans surrounding them. And during this trek through his texts that are literally over 3500 years old I came across the chapter in Numbers 6 that talks about the Nazirites and the requirements of men making the Nazirite vow before the LORD for dedication. But more on the Nazirite’s later.
The second influence was found in 1st Samuel 21:13 where the story is relayed that a young David, to flee the clutches of Israel’s arch enemy, the Philistine king of Gath, that while IN his royal court he feigned insanity and let “spittle run down his beard”. I can tell you reading this line really changed my mental projection of what young King David, let me say that again King David-the same one who Jesus the Messiah is descended from- actually had a beard, and at a reasonably young age.
The third influence, and this one was the only “visual” one is the hilarious and actually christian family TV show Duck Dynasty. The Robertson family who established Duck Commander hunting corp, might be the most famous beards in the last 50 years lol. I don’t know.
So after these three thought provoking ideas came to me. I began to think about the bible as I often do. And my thoughts naturally led me directly to Christ. And I asked myself did Jesus Christ, the LORD come in the flesh, our Savior, have a beard? And if he did, was it short and scruffy? Go-tee like? Full bearded? Duck Dynasty like? I didn’t know for sure. So I thought of all the scriptures that I could remember that are pertinent to answering that question and what I found was not only an answer, but also answers to many, many character traits of faith giants found all throughout the bible.
So let the Indiana Jones trek through the LORD’s ancient texts begin…
Text 1
“You shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it. You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes. You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard. You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the LORD.
(Leviticus 19:26-28 ESV)
So what does this text mean? It originally meant that these three verses were part of the 613 commandments found in God’s Torah to Moses. What is almost universally called today as the “Law”. This meant, and as various study bibles will attest to, that the Israelites were largely a very bearded people (only the guys) and not only that, but were “fully bearded”.
This hallmark of God’s people was unique for centuries, as pagan Canannites around them shaved their foreheads for the dead, while the Romans were known the most out of all ancient peoples for being clean shaven all around (Just look at bust of Caesar, Pompey the Great, or Sulla for verification). Though, all peoples were not clean shaven, such as the Greeks at times.
Text 2
In addition, to the general teaching for all Israelite males was the specific instructions for the priestly tribe, the Levites. This is found in Leviticus 21:5.
Text 3
Found in Genesis 41:14 it speaks of the favored Joseph, son of Israel.
Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”
(Genesis 41:14-15 ESV)
Here we can tell that a very blessed man of God would go at times, completely clean shaven.
Text 4
Numbers 6
This is where it gets really cool and thought provoking. Almost as if seeing the ways in which God, at times, delights in things. Though our Father, delights in many things and all people who have humble and contrite hearts and who fear him, there seemed to me a pretty consistent pattern in what God seemed to prefer for those who were singled out to him for specific purposes. This is where the Nazirites come in. These men or women on a voluntary basis, would dedicate a certain period of their lives to God. And during the course of their period of especial dedication they would abstain from certain things that were DIRECTLY prescribed by the LORD himself. These were, the person could not eat or drink anything connected to the fruit of the grape, wine, grapeskins etc. They could not come near a dead body even if it was a close relative. Also they could not shave or cut their hair at any time throughout the prescribed period. In, reading this it just struck me that when the LORD would have a special vow of holiness for his people he would prescribe that they not cut their hair or clip their beards. It was to “grow long”. And according to the ESV study bible, their are multiple men who were lifelong Nazirites during their lives. Such faith heros as Samuel and Samson. Like, let that sink in for a minute…. Samuel, a leader of God’s people, a judge, the man who anointed David, who proclaimed to King Saul that the kingdom was torn from him, was not only bearded, but had a very long beard and long hair. And ditto for Samson, and we all know what happened when he was persuaded to cut his hair. Moving on….
Text 5
1st Chronicles 19:1-9
This passage is even more thought provoking in illuminating the social and spiritual importance of beards for men of Israel, God’s people, during the period of greatest blessing of their kingdom history. In these verses David’s royal servants are disgraced by a foreign king. And one of the most humiliating things his men had done to them was they had their beards shaved completely off. The fact that they were disgracefully shaven wasn’t the surprising thing though. The fact that David would not let them come back into the presence of the king and serve him u n t i l their beards had grown back is amazing! It seems that beards were not only “cultural” but also had deep “set apart” connotations. And one of the possible definitions of being “holy” is being “set apart” or being especially dedicated. And having unbearded men in his court was apparently not the normal way of doing things. Furthermore, just imagine numerous able bodied men, having to be housed in a separate location away from the kings business, yet being supported by King David only because they did not have full facial hair. A provoking thought to say the least.
Text 6
Ezra 9:1-10
Here we have Ezra, a man described as one skilled in the teaching of Moses coming before the LORD in abject penitence for the sins of not specifically himself, but for the sins of his fellow people. The bible states that just before he offered up his prayer he pulled out some of his hair and beard as a serious sign of grief because of the uncleanness of his brethren.
Text 7
Luke 1:8-17
As for the new testament, lets begin with John the Baptist. While I could not quickly find a direct reference to John having a beard. Nonetheless, a reasonably strong case could be made that he did have a beard. To begin with, he seemed to have characteristics of being a “set apart” Nazirite. Having to abstain from the wine and strong drink and being filled with the Holy Spirit from birth he had some of the attributes of a Nazirite. Furthermore, the other describable attributes of John would lean to the inference that he was not one to regularly spend time on personal hygienic luxuries that we are accustomed to today, such as razors and daily shaving. For one, he lived in the wilderness, near the Jordan River and Jesus himself, proclaimed to the crowds, that when they went to the wilderness to see John they did not go to see a man “dressed in soft clothing”. In fact, he wore a leather belt and wore a garment of camels hair, an item that is not the softest thing to don on. Just imagine a man, dressed in camels hair, eating grasshoppers and dodging bees for wild honey, standing in the Jordan River, screaming at crowds of human beings as they voluntarily come to see him,” You brood of vipers! Who told you to flee from the coming wrath!” Definitely a man who very well could have had a full on Duck Dynasty beard.
Text 8
Acts 23:6-7
As for Paul, the writer of approximately a third of the new testament, he also most likely had a beard, nearly all the time. Acts 23 states that Paul proclaims to the Jewish council, that he is a Pharisee. Not that he was a Pharisee, or gave up being a Pharisee after coming to salvation in Jesus Christ, but that at that moment he stated “I am a Pharisee”. So unless he was telling a bald face lie, we must take him at his word, just like all the rest of his epistles. Even, more intriguing, when he stated these things at that exact time, he had already written many of his epistles previously, while “still a Pharisee”. This adds an interesting perspective to what Paul is trying to describe to his readers throughout the scattered congregations. As for, being a “Pharisee”, we all know they were the strictest sect of Judaism throughout the centuries preceding Jesus mission of earth. Pharisee’s not only followed ALL of the Torah, or at least, “outwardly”, but they added numerous heavy loads to the LORD’s Torah as written by Moses. This is why Jesus got into so many arguments with the Pharisee’s. Not because they devotedly followed God’s teaching(Torah) but that they placed their man man traditions as par to God’s Word. Thus, the numerous battle disputations between Jesus and Pharisees. Yet, let it be remembered that all Pharisees were not anti-love, and anti-Christ. A few, (which would ultimately include Paul) are Nicodemous, some non-named Pharisee’s being kindly described by Christ as “not far from the kingdom of heaven”, as well as, possibly, Joseph of Arimathea, who was “a member of the council” which would most likely imply that he was a Sadducee or a Pharisee. Thus, Paul who was zealous for the Law (aka Torah) would have been intimately aware of the passages above- Numbers 6, Leviticus 19, and Leviticus 21. All of which Paul, in upholding all of the 613 commandments of the Torah, would have observed the rules regarding not “maring” his beard or “rounding of the hair on his temples”.
Text 9
Acts 18:18
This is a passage in Paul fulfilling a vow to the LORD, in which he cut his hair after fulfilling it. This probably alludes to the Nazirite vow, since he was a Torah abiding believer in Christ. Though it could have meant any special vow that he made to the LORD, that possibly just coincidentally had the same attributes of a fulfilled Nazirite vow.
Thus the BIG question, did our LORD and Savior have a beard as he traveled up and down Judea and Galilee with his disciples? The answer, based upon all the texts listed above; the predominant “bearded” jewish culture; numerous heros of faith having beards; and being especially prescribed in the Torah, is a STRONG case yes. He most likely did have one.
We have to remember that Jesus lived the perfect sinless life before God that we never have been able to. And he didn't ever break the law because he never violated Roman Imperial decrees, but he was perfect and sinless because he never violated a single one of the 613 commandments found in our Father’s Torah. Including the instructions regarding hair and beards.
So where does that leave us? Well, it does mean that beards, including the “full Duck Dynasty” beards were a social norm for God’s male people, and that many of the great characters and their stories found in the old and new testaments did sport beards themselves. What does that mean for me? I’m not really sure yet to be honest. Does it mean that I’m going Duck Dynasty tomorrow? Not at all. Does it mean that men of God today can enter into singled out service for our LORD by becoming a Nazirite temporarily? Yes it does. Our Father’s instructions are at least until heaven and earth pass away (just read Matthew 5). Does it mean that I’m currently under a Nazirite vow? I am not currently. Nonetheless, this subject has been on my mind lately and I hope that you have enjoyed this journey through God’s timeless text as it pertains to how the bible’s characters “looked” while they were alive.
May blessings and wisdom be upon you!
Brother in Christ,
Matthew
