Do You Dress Like a King?
By DON ESPOSITO
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At our Bible school called Hayahad we have a motto called “Raising the Bar”.
When you think that as a first fruit unto Yahweh and a begotten child in His family, that we are maybe 1 out of 100 million people on this earth, don’t you think that we have a responsibility to set an example to the world around us?
Even more than that, as a first fruit unto Yahweh and a begotten child in His family “don’t you think we have a responsibility according to scripture to stay separated from the ways of the world?”
The answer to both questions is an astounding yes.
We are living in what the bible refers to as the last days. Scripture tells us that these days are the most immoral and spiritually degenerated than any other in the history of mankind. It compares these days to both the days of Noah, when Yahweh destroyed the whole inhabitable world and the days of Lot, when perversion was so illicit that homosexually was rampant and sexual perversion was the norm and not the exception.
This perversion did not come overnight, but has been ingrained into our nervous systems over a full generation until now, literally becoming a part of the mindset of society.
Probably less than 1% of people are virgins when they get married and almost 60% of marriages end up in divorce due to this evil indoctrination by Satan of an immoral, illicit society.
So when we are discussing proper dress to those who are called out of the world to be kings and priests in Yahweh’s soon coming Kingdom, it goes much further than culture, as it truly comes down to are you exhibiting in your dress righteousness or worldliness?
1st John 2:15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him,
1st John 2:16 because all that which is in the world: the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the
1st John 2:17 And the world is passing away, and its lust. But the one doing the will of Yahweh abides forever.
We are to be a light to a dark and dying world. We as leaders for the Kingdom of Yahweh are not to go along with every new perverted fashion, but we are to set the standard of modesty and holiness that our Savior set before us. When Yahshua walked this earth as a human being for 33 years, He exemplified in every form of His life what a true King and Ambassador should be like.
The Apostle Paul reiterates the example that Yahshua set in the New Testament as he is telling Timothy the guidelines for dress and behaviour in the Congregation of YHWH.
1st Tim 3:15 But if I delay, that you may know how to behave in the house of Yahweh, which is the Congregation of the living Elohim, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
1st Tim 2:9 So also the women to adorn themselves in proper clothing, with modesty and sensibleness, not with plaiting, or gold, or pearls, or expensive garments,
1st Tim 2:10 but what becomes women professing fear of Yahweh, through good works.
The Apostle Simon Peter also lays down the same directive.
1st Pet 4:17 Because the time has come to begin the judgment from the house of Elohim; and if firstly from us, what will be the end of the ones disobeying the good news of Yahweh?
1st Pet 3:3 Let your beauty be not just the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on fine clothing;
1st Pet 3:4 but in the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of Yahweh very precious.
It is in the spirit of the above scriptures that we have tried to set the proper standard of dress in our protocol in the Congregation of YHWH, Jerusalem. Men should have clean modest apparel and no short pants, less their nakedness be exposed as was told to the sons of Levi in their priesthood (Exo 20:26).
Exo 20:26 And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be uncovered on it.
Yahweh had them build a ramp because according to Him, stepping on a step and having your ankle exposed is showing nakedness to YHWH. Look at the example of dress by our Savior Yahshua when He returns.
Rev 1:13 And having turned, I saw seven golden menorahs, and in the midst of the seven menorahs One like the Son of Man, wearing a garment down to the feet, and having His breasts girded with a golden girdle.
In like manner, we ask that women would wear modest dresses or skirts below the knees, and that their dress should not be overly tight, to possibly cause lust to the men in the congregation. The entire focus shall be on Yahweh and not on the women trying to get the attention on themselves.
As a higher most spiritual priesthood of the order of Melchizedek we should strive in all things to be most holy and appropriately dressed when appearing before our Heavenly Father.
There are a few people who still have not completely come out of the world, who do not want any type of dress code in the congregation and they ask, where does it say in the Torah that a woman should not wear pants? But, I would also ask wear does it say in Torah that a believer should not smoke cigarettes, take drugs, or watch evil Hollywood movies?
The point is that the Torah is a lamp to my feet (Psa 119:105) and it is a guide that we need to use for every aspect of our life. We need to look at Torah and see what the spirit of the Torah is saying.
Deut 22:5 “Women are not to wear men’s clothing, and men are not to wear women’s clothing; YAHWEH your Elohim hates people who do such things.
Now I believe from this scripture that we can safely conclude that a woman should not wear pants. Some may ignorantly say that in Yahshua’s day men even wore dresses. This is not an accurate statement as a man’s garment in Yahshua’s day was far from a dress and very masculine looking and I have actually studied remains of garments from archaeological research that clearly shows men and women ‘s garments were very different.
I was speaking to an older man a while back and he said to me that when he was younger in the Baptist church every woman without fail wore dresses, but you don’t see that today. Clearly from as early as pants became a garment for humans, they were worn BY MEN NOT WOMEN.
When did women start to wear the pants in the family? Starting in the 1960’s when the whole women’s lib movement came in and totally perverted our society and our dear poor sisters.
This is a fact and is where the statement “she wears the pants in the family” came from. Wearing the pants was a sign of masculine authority. (1st Tim 2:12) Women should not usurp authority of a man.
Do you know that in most third world cultures, such as Africa, where the women’s lib movement has not corroded their society that all women still wear dresses? As a matter of fact, I was told in Kenya that if Sister Petra came to Kenya wearing pants that the brethren would not even have listened to me.
Most women pants are immodest as people can see the womanly shape of your body. Wearing pants is a product of the western Babylonian society that has produced the self-existent, totally vain, self-centred women of America and the West. It really is a cultural issue; do women want to portray the culture of Babylon or Eden? The choice is each sister’s to decide.
We as believers are working toward restoring all truth back to this earth in preparing for Yahshua’s soon return. Do we want to just get by or do we want to raise the bar? Do we want to teach our children about Eden or do we want to teach them old habits of Babylon.
Yahweh made the natural femininity of a woman one of her greatest gifts to mankind. Yahweh made a natural beauty to a woman in the feminine style that she carries herself and Satan is trying to destroy this through vanity in the women’s lib movement.
Jer 6:16 So says Yahweh, Stand by the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk in it.
We are not to judge by appearance, but if we are honest with ourselves we know that first impressions mean a lot, and we want to be a good witness by being modest and trying to be the best example of our beloved Savior Yahshua.
1st Cor 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit in you, which you have from Yahweh, and you are not of yourselves?
1st Cor 6:20 You were bought with a price; then glorify Yahweh in your body, and in your spirit, which belong to Yahweh.
Scripture clearly says that we are to glorify our Creator in our body and the way we dress. Is dressing like the world immodestly glorifying our Heavenly Father or being an image of the way Yahshua was when He was on this earth? The answer is clearly NO!
In addition, how do we dress on the Sabbath when we appear before Yahweh and His Assembly? Are we well groomed with neat clean clothing? Are we wearing the best we have or are we simply showing up before the Creator of the Universe in ripped jeans and flip-flops?
Some will say, well this is all I can afford, but it does not cost any more money to present yourself in a clean well kept manner, then in a dirty unkempt state. It really is simply a matter of choice. Even in Africa where people are very poor, every man has one suit that he will wear every Sabbath to appear as dignified as possible before His Creator. People can buy good name brand clothes at Good Will stores or second hand shops for minimal finances. Some of my suits are more than 20 years old and they are still in very good condition; so we are not advocating a class system, which would be against scripture, but merely encouraging to be the best that we can be with the things that Yahweh has blessed us with.
If Yahshua returned tomorrow and you were told that He called for a meeting with you, how would you appear before Him? Remember the Sabbath is a rehearsal and it is a sign of respect to appear before our Maker as best and modest as we can.
Mat 22:11 And the king coming in to look over those reclining, He saw a man there not having been dressed in a wedding garment.
Mat 22:12 And He said to him, Friend, how did you come in here, not having a wedding garment? But he was speechless.
Mat 22:13 Then the King said to the servants, Binding his feet and hands, take him away and throw him out into the outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of the teeth.
Mat 22:14 For many are called, but few chosen.
As an Ambassador of Yahshua for His soon coming Kingdom, let us strive to raise the bar in every aspect of our life. Let us make every effort not only to be chosen, but also to be faithful. Let us realize that as a representative of Yahweh Almighty that we always want to exhibit the highest quality of honour, integrity, and truth in every thing that we do, including, how we dress and the perception that we give to others.
Yes, being a king does not just happen overnight; you have to work on it every day of your life and it should be exemplified in every manner of our life, including how we dress and how we look. First impressions do count, especially when you are the child of the King of the Universe.