Cosmetics

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suprdave@lightspeed.net wrote:
> 
> For the serious Bible student, here is some real gold nuggets to ponder
> regarding the subject of cosmetics or make-up:
> 
> The usual argument against make-up, especially lipstick, is based on the
> verse which says that Jezebel painted her face. "And when Jehu was come to
> Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face, and tired her hair,
> and look out at a window." (II Kings 9:30)
> 
> It should be pointed out , first of all, that the portion of her face which
> she painted was the area around her eyes. The word here translated "face"
> (Strong's Concordance #5869) is the common word for eyes. About 589 times it
> is translated "eye" or "eyes" in the Bible. The marginal rendering of this
> verse says: "...put her eyes in painting"; Goodspeed: "She painted her
> eyelashes"; Moffatt: "...painting her eyes"; Lamsa: "She painted her eyelids
> with kohl"; Rotherham: "She set her eyes in stibium"; Amplified: "She
> painted her eyes"; and so forth. There is no doubt about it. The portion of
> the face that Jezebel painted was the area around her eyes.
> 
> Strangely enough, there are Christian women who use mascara on their eyes,
> but would not think of  using lipstick on their lips - because Jezebel
> painted her face. They do not realize, apparently, that the specific part of
> the face that Jezebel painted was her eyes.
> 
> Jerusalem's unfaithfulness to God was sometimes likened to a woman who was
> unfaithful to her husband. The message of the prophets was that even though
> she made herself fair, her lovers would turn against her and she would be
> judged. In such a context the following verses were given:
> 
> "Ye have sent for men to come from far...and, lo, they came: for whom thou
> didst wash thyself, painted thy eyes, and deckedst thyself with
> ornaments"(Eze.23:40). And , "Though thou deckest thee with ornaments of
> gold, though thou rentest thy face <eyes> with painting, in vain shalt thou
> make thyself fair; thy lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life"
> (Jer.4:30)
> 
> These 2 verses, along with the one about Jezebel, have been quoted by those
> who oppose the use of make-up. However, the painting of the eyes was a
> common custom of the time. Other practices mentioned in these verses were
> equally common and unquestioned. In the case of Jezebel, we read that she
> "painted her face <eyes>, and tired her hair, and looked out a window." She
> "tired" , that is, attired her hair. Some take this to mean that she combed
> her hair. As far as we would know from this verse, if painting her eyes was
> a sin, then so was combing her hair. Obviously, true doctrines or standards
> cannot be built on incidental statements such as these.
> 
> Before the woman mentioned in Ezekiel painted here eyes, she took a bath.
> Was this a sin? The woman mentioned in Jeremiah painted her eyes and clothed
> herself with crimson. But even the wearing of crimson, in itself, cannot
> have a bad meaning. The "virtuous woman" of Proverbs 31:21 clothed her
> household in scarlet (crimson:Strong's #8144). Surely she was not clothing
> her household in an improper manner. David, in speaking of Saul's good
> points (II Sam.1:24), says that he clothed the daughters of Israel in
> scarlet (crimson). The text in Jeremiah also mentions that this woman put on
> her ornaments. We have already seen that the use of ornaments was a common
> and unquestioned practice of women in the Bible.
> 
> Let us reason together. Luke tells about a woman with long hair whose sins
> were many (Luke 7:37-47). Would this prove that all women who have long hair
> are sinners? Would the fact that Proverbs 7:17 mentions a harlot using
> perfume prove that all women who use perfume are harlots? Or because an
> esteemed woman such as Esther was bathed and perfumed for one year (Esther
> 2:12,13) - would this mean that women today should go to this extreme?
> 
> On the same basis, then, the fact that three scattered references to women
> painting their eyes (along with such things as taking a bath, fixing their
> hair, or putting on clothing) cannot prove that the use of cosmetics is
> wrong. it is the motive, the attitude, the intention of the heart that can
> make such "fixing up" right or wrong.
> 
> Women darkened their eyebrows, lashes, and the edges of the eyelids in order
> to make the white of the eyes look larger. Clarke's Commentary (Vol.4, p.35;
> Vol.2, p.513) states: "this fashion seems to have prevailed very generally
> among the Eastern people in the ancient times; and they retain the very same
> to this day...This staining of the eyes with stibium...was a universal custom."
> 
> In Song of Solomon 1:14; 4:13, this identifies "henna" (Strong's Concordance
> #3724) provided a much used reddish-orange dye. Concerning this, the
> Encyclopedia Judaica (Vol.9, p.327) says, "Throughout the ages the peoples
> of the East prized this beautiful, fast dye which was used for dying the
> hair and nails." Henna was also used on the palms of the hands and soles of
> the feet.
> 
> Considering how well-known and how widely used these various forms of
> make-up were in the land of the Bible, if God was against such, why is it
> nowhere stated in the Bible? Out of the 31,101 verses in the Bible, not one
> gives a direct command against make-up.


I would like to say, "thank you". For what? For the Word of God.
I enjoyed what you wrote. In my way of thinking, I am much more
pleased to see a lady with sobriety (soundness of mind, self-control)
than one that has no discretion about her at all. Peter tells a woman
how to win her husband if he is lost. Not the putting on of gold and
 apparel. Neither the plaiting of the hair. But, a chaste
conversation ( I Peter 3:1-5), the ornament of a meek and quiet
spirit. A wife can win her husband with the heart and not the outward
appearance. 
   I feel a person should be as close to Jesus as they possibly can
and do whatever he wills. Seek out your own salvation with fear and
trembling before the Lord.         Jim Cape