How idolatrous are the gold earrings and bracelets from Abraham to Rebekah?

(…continues from part ONE…)

2)            Can Pastor Kumuyi tell me that the ornaments of Genesis 24:22, “And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;” which Eliezer, Abraham’s chief servant, gave to Rebekah, the first of which is nezem, is an idolatrous gift from Abraham, the friend of Jehovah? If anyone hands over to me ring, bracelet and locket with the images of Baphomet, I will refuse to wear them knowing that the image is that of the erotomaniac god of The Illuminati. If it is idolatrous faux pas to own and wear ornaments which Deeper Life Bible Church preaches against, why would the Father of the prodigal son give to him, on his successful return, a ring? And why would Jesus teach “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you” (Matthew 7:6)? Is it not because there is nothing wrong with wearing ornaments as long as they are not associated with idolatry?

David let his spittle fall down upon his beard

Understandably, we agree that the ring speaks of authority, but, the thing is, if it reeks of idolatry, then it becomes not permissible. It is quite disturbing that the venerable W.F. Kumuyi will teach his congregation to do everything to disallow the growth of mustache and beard, which the General Superintendent sees as idolatrous. The beard is a mark of dignity whether Oriental, Semitic or Western. Psalm 133:2 “It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;” the exegesis of which points to the dignity of the unity of the brethren, exemplified by the personality of High Priest Aaron, does not, in any way, exempt Aaron’s dignified beard. Why? His beard is God’s creation of Adamic accessory. Selah!

David dignified his personality with the masculinity of beard, otherwise there would never have been the account of 1Samuel 21:13 “And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.” If it is idolatrous, which god did David serve with his spittle soaked beard? If the keeping of mustache and beard are marks of idolatry, then we should not allow any hair on our body: eyebrows, eyelashes and the one of our domes from ever shooting out the least of millimetre jut. When King David’s emissaries were forced by Ammon newly installed king, Hanun, to have half of their beards cut off, why did they not shave everything off?  

General Superintendent of Deeper Life Bible Ministry, Pastor W.F. Kumuyi

What message did David send to his poor servants? “When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return” (2Samuel 10:5). Pastor Kumuyi, prithee, what is Scripturally wrong with dignified growth of beards? The only divine instruction against keeping of beards is found in Leviticus 19:27 “Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.” Egyptian and Arabian people practiced the cutting of the hair around their heads, leaving a circular hairdo; this is done in worship of one the deity named Orotal; and some in honour of Bacchus. Egyptians and some Arabian people trimmed their beards at the bottom giving it the fashionable square shape of idolatrous worship. For these reasons God told them not to adopt styles of idolatry. Note that God did not tell them not to keep the beards or mustaches. It is the socio-cultural style of grooming beards which satisfied idolatry God warned us against, and not the natural growth of it. If it was wrong according to the word of God will Ezra, the priest, Biblical writer and a scribe of God’s protocol keep his beard? Does the Bible make a documentation that Ezra plucked his beards because God accused him of idolatrous wearing of beards?

Aaron had beards adornment to his cheek

If Aaron had beards adornment to his cheek, even when he was being ceremoniously anointed as the high priest, Moses too, I believe, sported beards and, of course, the masculinity of the upper lip mustache. David, a prophet, best king of Israel, so far, grew beards. He is, without smidgeon of doubt, God’s son and servant; and if he saw nothing wrong with masculinity of bearding culture, how can Pastor Kumuyi see it as a spiritual faux pas? Who was Ezra? According to International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Ezra was pre-eminently a scribe, and especially a scribe of the law of Moses. He is called “a ready scribe in the law of Moses,” a “scribe of the words of the commandments of Yahweh, and of his statutes to Israel,” “the scribe of the law of the God of heaven.” As early as the time of Jeremiah (compare Jer 8:8), “scribe” had already attained the meaning of one learned in the Scriptures, one who had made the written law a subject of investigation (ISBE). Ezra, who grew beards, was a prominent priest of the God of Israel and, definitely, knew what to allow growing on our body, as God’s covenant children. “And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied” (Ezra 9:3).

You can put on the righteousness of Jesus by getting born again. Say this simple prayer, meaning it from your heart:

 “Dear heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I receive Him now as my Lord and my Saviour. I give God all the glory. Amen!”

(…to be continued…)

Read part One here

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