October 18: No Beard Day
There is perhaps one strong argument for No Beard Day, and that’s its placement some time before the beginning of “Movember” and No Shave November, where men are encouraged to grow some killer facial hair. Perhaps this holiday was brought into existence for no other purpose than to give the ‘contestants’ of Movember and No Shave November a way to get a fresh start. Would you believe that the laws of God included a no beard day?
How many laws did God give Moses? While there is still some debate, the total number hovers somewhere around 613. For most Protestants, we tend to think in terms of the big 10, the 10 commandments. One group of those 613 have to do with ceremonial cleansing. Leviticus 14 provides a classic example. What should a leper do if he is healed and desires re-entry into the community? Among the many rituals, one includes shaving off all his facial hair, including beards and eyebrows. I’m certain that October 18’s No Beard Day has no connection to ceremonial cleansing. But it should give us pause. Why this emphasis on being “clean?”
The answer is not hard to imagine. Clean things and holy things have much in common. Unclean things or impure things have no place in the presence of God. Invariably, ceremonies making unclean things clean again involved the sacrifice of animals, and the shedding of blood. The leper was required to make several sacrifices before re-entering the camp. All of these practices served one primary purpose, and that was to point us to Jesus.
None of us can make ourselves clean. We are all unholy and impure. Beards notwithstanding, we desperately need
to be made clean. For centuries, God
painted a picture for us of how that would happen. Bloodletting, coupled with acts of faith were
the only way. They remain so today. On this No Beard Day, take some time to
review the practices described in the OT for becoming clean. As you do, think of Jesus. Be clean.
Be holy, as He is holy. And the
next time you see a beard, think of Jesus.
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