Biblical Beards

I’ve wanted to write on the subject of beards for some time.  I’ve hesitated for a couple of reasons. One, I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes or cause hurt feelings.  Two, if you’ve ever spoken to me about beards, you know that I am very passionate about biblical insights on beards.  I do not want my passion to be misconstrued as some sort of fanaticism, I assure you it is not.

I also do not want to be seen as bashing anyone past or present who holds a different view.  At some point, someone felt very, very strongly that beards were wrong, a sin even, as is witnessed by the intense emotion that surrounds the subject on both sides of the discussion.

Personally, I’ve been taught everything from “beards are spiritual icicles” to beards are wrong because they represent rebellion, to beards are a source of pride. The rebellion idea can almost always be traced to the 60s, as beards were seen as a symbol of the Hippie movement in the 60s

I disagree wholeheartedly with those “reasons” and want to share a right-spirited explanation of my reasoning and findings on this subject.  I obviously believe it is an important topic, or I would not have invested my time and effort into studying beards in the Bible and in History.
And on another personal note, the greatest revival I’ve ever experienced in my life and in my ministry, this side of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost was during a period that I wore a full beard.

Nothing that God establishes should ever be surrendered to the world or to the devil.  Rainbows are a perfect example. Rainbows are and forever will be the sign of Gods promise to never destroy the earth by flood again, yet we have surrendered a thing of beauty, and a symbol of God’s promise to the world and it now represents the LGBT world.  The rainbow will never lose its meaning even if it’s been hijacked to represent a perversion.  Likewise, one moment in history will not and should not determine the purpose and importance of a symbol established in the garden of Eden to distinguish between men and women.

Before I go further, I want to offer a short testimony to show you where this journey really started for me.  As a young Christian, eager to share the good news of Jesus, I started reaching for a young man at work. As it turns out, he was raised in the Mennonite faith and felt that beards were necessary for men.  He was living in a backslidden condition but was open about his desire to have a relationship with God. As we continued to talk about faith, it became very apparent that he was much more knowledgeable about my beliefs than I was of his.  He soon asked about beards and what I believed was right and wrong and could he have a beard if he came to my church.  Being raised to believe that beards were good and Godly if not essential, it would have been very difficult to convince him otherwise, especially when his argument was more Biblically sound than mine.  This was the first time in my young Christian walk that I encountered a standard that was not founded on Biblical principles; actually, I’m still not sure when and where it was decided. As I strove to find an answer that would satisfy us both, I found nothing. No scripture, no sound reason, nothing.  When I asked questions about it I was told that beards are rebellion and that’s the same as witchcraft, I didn’t want to be classified as a rebel or a witch.  Also, being immature and not being able to answer his questions our discussions waned and eventually stopped altogether.

I needed to know the truth.

1 Corinthians 11:14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

We use that scripture a lot to convince men and boys to get a haircut.  I’ve never really had an issue with cutting my hair or not wearing it long, but the thing that has always jumps out at me about this scripture is the first part. “Doth not nature itself teach you.”  Without going any further on the beard subject, what is the natural way? Does the beard occur naturally? Or is it cultivated on the face? Obviously, it occurs naturally and is forcibly removed from the face of men. What does that say about the lessons of nature?

Every reference to Beards in the Bible is either neutral or positive. I can’t find any references to the cutting of the beard that does not pertain to God’s Judgement, mourning, disease or breaking a vow.

Leviticus 19:27 says not to round the corners of your head nor mar the corners of your beard.

The assumption here is that there is a beard. If they were not to cut off the corners or mark up the corners of the beard, how could it be ok to cut it off completely? This is written in the middle of some pretty heavy rules handed down from God, and the emphasis is not on growing but on marring what naturally occurs.

Then we have Joseph tucked away in an Egyptian prison. When he was finally pulled out to interpret the dream for the king, the Bible says he shaved and changed his clothes. It’s been said that he shaved before going before an important person to indicate that shaving is the proper way.  Let’s look at that a little deeper.  Joseph was in Egypt in a period when almost everyone shaved their entire body.  It was part of their customs and rituals, and they were obsessed with it.  So, if the old testament is a schoolmaster and Egypt is a type of the world, why would we consider this an example to follow.

In 2 Samuel 10, the Bible tells of David’s ambassadors going to Ammon to show kindness unto the new king Hanun.  Hanun thought they were spies and decided to shame them by cutting their garments in two and shaving off half their beards.  The Bible doesn’t say that David even responded to them cutting off his men’s clothes, which exposed the buttocks. He only told his men to tarry in Jericho until their beards are grown before they returned home.  The beards held a sacred place in the Israelite male’s life. It was a sign that he was a man, made in the image of God.  David wouldn’t let his men come home until their beards were grown.  If they were not important, why did David not say shave off the remainder and come home?

The Bible teaches us not to wear anything that pertains to the other sex. Yet throughout most of history, men and women wore robes. A beard is one of God’s ways of showing everyone what you are as a man or as a woman.  Without a beard, the line can become blurred.

I expect someone to bring up the circumcision, saying that God created man a certain way but then commanded him to be circumcised. True, but He very clearly commanded Abraham (Abram) to circumcise all the males on the eighth day. No such commandment was given about the beard.

Beards have gone in and out of vogue throughout history and followed the fashion of the day and the style of the elite.  Something that Christians have been warned about throughout the ages. Love no the world, neither the things that are in the world.

16 out of 45 U.S. Presidents had some sort of facial hair

Aaron had a beard – Psalms 133:2
David had a beard –  1 Samuel 21:13
Mephibosheth had a beard – 2 Samuel 19:24
Amasa had a beard – 2 Samuel 19:24
Ezra had a beard – Ezra 9:3
Ezekiel had a beard – Ezekiel 5:1
Jesus had a beard  – Isaiah 50:6

The reformation period ushered in a period of bearded preachers, many of who preached that beards were pleasing to God (What I personally believe)

C H Spurgeon had a beard and was attributed with the quote “it is a very natural habit, Biblical, manly and beneficial.”

Modern Pentecostal churches can trace their revival to the Azuza street revival and William J. Seymour. Seymour wore a beard, and though God used him to usher in a revival that burns still around the world today, he would not be allowed behind many of the pulpits today. Pulpits that wouldn’t even exist if not for his persistence and sacrifice while wearing a beard.

Likewise, our Lord and Savior had a beard (Isaiah 50:6) but wouldn’t meet the pulpit standards of many churches today.

God knows all things. He knew that the gays would use the rainbow as their symbol. He knew that the ’60s would come around and people would say that beards are rebellion as a result, yet He put a beard on Adam’s face anyway.
Every time I shave, I feel like I’m saying, “God, you made a mistake, let me fix that for You.”

If we are fearfully and wonderfully made, If we are made in the image of God, doesn’t it seem that we should maintain and uphold that image.

In my understanding, I don’t believe that it’s even a question if it is wrong or bad to have a beard. My question is, is it wrong or bad not to.

I welcome your comments, concerns, disagreements, but not your arguments. I refuse to argue.  I want, as we all should, the light. I must walk in the light, above all, I must be saved.

Tell me what you think. Like, Comment and Share.

Have a wonderful Independence Day, keeping God as the centerpiece of all your celebrations

God Bless
Greg