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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, JULY 1, 1983
PAGE 5
havior does accompany use of make-up and eye make-up does draw attention to
the eyes.
And all translations show this passage to be using the eyes
wantonly, oglingly, or flirting with the eyes.
Wanton means unchaste,
lewd, licentious, immoral (see dictionary). The passage in Isaiah defin
itely shows a modern use of the eyes in such a manner, not in the "meek and
quiet spirit" of New Testament teaching. It shows the spirit, or attitude
which transgresses the principle of God's spiritual Law.
Therefore God's Church must rule that, even as cigarette smoking is
sin, so is use of cosmetics.
Women have written me about "good grooming."
The Church surely
teaches good grooming, but that does not mean following the world's life
style. Good grooming does not require changing the appearance of the face
from the way God designed it. It would include proper arranging of the
hair, and clothing, but not painting faces.
Next passage, Ezekiel 23:40: "And furthermore, that ye have sent for
men to come from far, unto whom a messenger was sent; and, lo, they came:
for whom thou didst wash thyself, paintedst thy eyes, and deckedst thyself
with ornaments."
The liberals tried to say that bathing and certain ornaments of dress
are all OK, therefore they claimed the painting was OK. True, whether a
woman was going to receive even Jesus Christ in His lifetime, or, on the
other hand a paramour, she would bathe and even possibly wear some jewelry,
but she would not paint her face.
In this passage God is speaking of
ancient Israel as His adulterous wife, preparing for false licentious
lovers. She is here pictured in the role of a harlot attracting men as a
harlot. Even though a virtuous woman would bathe herself and wear jewelry,
this is picturing a harlot woman luring a licentious lover.
Jeremiah 4:30: Again speaking of adulterous Israel: "And when thou
art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson,
though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy
face with painting," etc. Nowhere does the Bible show face painting except
on a harlot or evil woman, even though it does show gold and jewelry on
virtuous women.
II Kings 9:30: "And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of
it; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a
window." Here, again, Jezebel was one of the evil women of the Bible, and
she was acting in the spirit of a harlot to attract a man. Such scriptures
certainly do NOT say virtuous women of God ought to follow harlots and paint
their faces.
Job 42-
:14: Job named one of his daughters "Keren-happuch"
(Revised
Standard Translation). The King James has it the same. But liberals on the
temporary "doctrinal committee" tried to translate that Hebrew word into
the English "eye make-up." They were in error.
The same Hebrew word "happuch" is used in Isaiah 54:11 in the sentence
"I will build you with stones of turquoise..."
(New International Ver
sion). A footnote on this Hebrew word says: "The meaning of the Hebrew for
this word [ turquoise] is uncertain."
Also the Hebrew word appears in . I
Chronicles 29:2: "turquoise, stones of various colors"--speaking of mate-