A Hairy Situation

We often focus too much on appearance rather than spiritual health.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   You may wonder why we are given 2 Samuel 14: 25-27. What do we care about Absalom’s hair? Well, we should care, not so much about his hair, but in how Absalom is described. So before us we have a description of physical appearance, of which we have already been warned that God looks on the heart. Only those untrained in godliness would follow someone for being handsome and be seduced by him. By following this type of leader, they blind themselves to the Lord’s ways and will. But don’t be arrogant about this in condemning the people. We would have fallen for his great looks and put-together family. The text tells us that there was no blemish in his appearance, but remember, appearance is just that. Our concern shouldn’t be an unblemished appearance, but a clean heart. And what we read is that he is handsome—a man with no blemish. His hair was the envy of men and women because it was so lush and thick and flowing. And so in love with himself that the text tells us that he weighed his own hair. Who does that? Surely there is some type of cultural explanation here? Well, the cultural explanation is that in that time period, the biblical reasons for cutting of the hair and making a fuss about it was to end a nazarite vow or to enter a stage of ceremonial cleanness. So, once again, we have before us a man who is handsome, but has no Biblical sense about him. And this plays out for us in the rest of the chapter. He proves himself rash, conniving. And the only relationship with David is one of formality. BODY IMAGE ISSUES VERSUS GODLINESS ISSUES Americans spend billions of dollars in the beauty industry, men and women. And it is no longer the beauty industry, but now also the body altering/modification industry. Enhance this, tuck this, shape this, lose this, add this, color this, shrink this, enlarge this. Think about what we are teaching our young people with all of this. We are teaching them that they are not adequate how God has made them. Think about what are teaching the young men to look for in a wife, and what we are teaching the young women what they must be and look like in order to be a “catch.” It’s as if we are chasing and clamoring for this very description that is given of Absalom; it’s as if this is our greatest goal, our greatest pursuit, that when they write our story they would say—“From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head, there was no blemish in him.” Derek Thomas tells about the story he read in Reader’s Digest about the farmer who put out an ad for a wife. “Seeking a wife. Age 35. Must have tractor. Send picture of tractor.” Completely different standard, right. That’s not bad advice for young men and women. “Seeking a spouse. Must have bible. Send pic of Bible.” Let me see if it is used, worn, or do the pages still stick together between those minor prophets. There is a difference between appearance and health, and we focus way too much time on appearance. Well, what we are witnessing is the unraveling of a family, and as a result, the nation is left vulnerable and divided.