headcovering – 11:3 Restoration

Covered = protected

Recently my bride and I were watching a video series about homesteading and farming. The farmer made a statement a couple times similar to “mother earth doesn’t like to be naked so we need to cover her up”. He proceeded to talk about the different types of covering that he uses on his homestead and how if he doesn’t actively cover the ground then unwanted coverings end up happening such as weeds or wild grass etc… My bride paused the video and said “you know I just realized that all covering is about protection”.

A lot of parallels can be drawn between the relationship of a man with his woman and the farmer and his field. I have touched on this subject in the past. Recall, the literal physical head covering that a woman wears is symbolic of her submission to her head (man) who is in a place of protection and authority over her. When she is properly covered by a righteous man she will not be vulnerable to “unsavory” coverings such as men (weeds) who would only attempt to use and or abuse her for selfish reasons. When she is properly covered she will bring forth fruit that is valuable to her man (farmer). In a corollary thought, uncovered land will erode and be destroyed, where well tended land that has a proper cover will thrive and actually become richer soil over time.

The significance of covering is evidenced in a very literal physical sense with children but also in a spiritual and emotional sense. A righteous man as covering will produce a righteous harvest, where unrighteous covering, like weed infested land, will produce unrighteous children and spiritual and emotional chaos.

Restoring Kol Israel: No more male or female?

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. [27] For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. [28] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [29] And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.
Galatians 3:26-29 NASB

As I have pointed out before, Paul upheld and taught the Torah. Many folks in this Torah walk want to minimize Paul. They will find many things in his letters that they have trouble finding in the Torah, therefore they say “Paul wasn’t a legit Apostle” or “Paul was writing based on cultural bias and we don’t need to worry about what he said, it’s not Torah.” One of my first thoughts when I hear someone say this is ‘how arrogant can you be?’ My personal belief is that the Apostle Paul likely understood the Torah better than any other human being who ever walked the earth save Moses and Yeshua. There is a reason why Peter labels Paul’s writings as scripture (2 Peter 3:16). I pray that I have demonstrated to you in recent posts, as I will in this one, that the Apostle Paul upheld and taught the Torah and it is at our own peril if we ignore his writings. If something he wrote appears to contradict the Torah then we are misunderstanding him. If we have trouble finding something he wrote in the Torah then we simply haven’t understood the Torah to the depth necessary. This, I venture to say, is a lifelong task.

So, has anyone ever wondered what Paul was talking about in Galatians 3:28? Where did he get this from? What does it even mean? Is this found in the Torah?

In this study I was specifically looking at direct commandments being delivered within the context of the Torah which is the standard we are called to live by. The remainder of scripture is practical application of Torah. To the degree that commands are given elsewhere they all have their basis in the Torah and they never conflict with the Torah.

What does bên mean in Hebrew? Strongs H1121

Vision and Restoration…

Why are you alive? Fifty years after you die, what will have been the value of your life? How will people remember you? Will they remember you?

While ultimately, life is not so self centered as to be about my or your existence, few of us think deeply enough about our reason for being or living.

Recently, my wife and I, along with our eldest, attended a retreat focused on Biblical headship and patriarchy, our third such with this group. It was a refreshing gathering of believers from a number of different Christian/Hebraic backgrounds with the common passion for understanding marriage and headship from a decidedly Biblical perspective. Besides the interesting fact that is was fun to rub shoulders with Christians who don’t see or understand Torah as necessary while decidedly rejecting feminism and matriarchy based on the ‘old Testament Law,’ it was cathartic to hear from others who have experienced rejection from friends and family because they choose truth over tradition in this area. But, I digress.

Restoring Kol Israel: Covering

As we continue our headship study we will continue with the writings of Paul. Previously, we looked at 1 Corinthians 11:3, 7-10. Here we will consider the verses in the middle, often ignored or minimized as simply being about a cloth head covering.

Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. [5] But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. [6] For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. [7] For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.
1 Corinthians 11:4-7 NASB

As pointed out in the opening post of this series Paul upheld and taught the Torah. I believe we do ourselves and this passage a disservice when we only focus on the literal cloth head covering debate and ignore the deeper truths that Paul is teaching us in this passage. Remember, foundationally, a woman was always to be under the headship/authority/covering of a man. From the beginning, when Eve stepped out from under her covering, we see that she becomes vulnerable. The headship/covering is articulated over and over in Torah through numerous examples demonstrating that a girl was to be under the covering of her father until he released her into the protection of a husband.

…uncovered…

Yesterday’s Torah portion, Korach (Numbers 16-18), offered an interesting thought regarding some recent posts on my blog. We have been and will continue discussing headship and God’s instituted authority structures. The name of yesterday’s portion was ‘Korach’ after the man who led a rebellion against the leadership of Moses and Aaron.

Korach means ‘bald.’ As in, ‘uncovered.’ Both of the last two week’s portions can be summed up as ‘God’s judgment against those who rebel against His appointed authority.’ The result is stepping out from under His covering.

Scary stuff! Will we be fully submitted to Him and His ways, or do we negotiate and rebel? Israel wanted to return to Egypt claiming it was the ‘Land flowing with milk and honey.’ Korach wanted to institute his own tabernacle and priesthood. The people were generally grumbling against Moses and Aaron, and by extension, the Angel of the Lord, leading them in the wilderness.

³³As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God. And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
Ezekiel 20:33-38

Will we rebel or come to total submission? Only one option will reap the reward of the Kingdom.

Selah.