Gentlemen
I have been growing a beard since I was 21. That said it has taken many shapes through the years. As a former welder I loved the extra protection from UV, but hated the stink of burning hair. I recently with in the last 6 months found my savior. He'd been there the whole time. That said I started paying attention to scripture instead of just reading words on a page. The scriptures about grooming I found interesting. I have always shaved my widows peak off and always kept my beard lines exact. Scriptures say that we shouldn't do that.....Why? I'm a Why guy!! Well from what I gather is because that's the way he made us. I understand that jobs can tell you how to keep appearances. With that said wouldn't it fall under religious freedom? I worked in the food industry and they made me wear a beard net. They accommodated me and my non religious beard. So now that its a matter of belief would any of your employers?
Hello, Personally I look at my beard as similar to Tzitzit. Every time I feel or see it, it reminds me of Him and His Laws.
I can only see 1 verse that applies to the people (not the priests) Leviticus 19:27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard. The customs of the people of the land they were about to enter did specifically this among all the other abominations listed in chapters 18-20.
Leviticus 18:2 After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances...up until Leviticus 20:23 And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.
Hopefully that answers 'why'. I don't think they were specifically commanded to have a beard as such, but if they do, don't wear it the way that the Canaanites do.
We can also contrast the literal priestly command
Leviticus 21:5 They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.
To the figurative sorrow at the Day of the Lord
Jeremiah 38:47 For every head shall be bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands shall be cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.
What is a widows peak? After some time of following Torah I was getting conviction about growing a beard, I’d been keeping a goatee for many years but now letting it all grow out. My wife doesn’t like scraggly looking beards so I’ve been keeping it clean looking and more shortened down ie around a half inch or so in length.
I think it is refering to unnatural hair lines. Let the natural hair line be. As far as length of said beard that I believe is a matter of choice. Widows peak is the forehead hairline some people(ME) have a pointed natural hair line instead of rounded. Look at a picture of Eddie Munster for a visual
This is awesome information, my question. With the beard corners and such I read this Scripture before and still don't understand or feel I have a strong handle on it, can any of you brothers post a picture of a proper Yah beard with corners and such? It doesn't have to be your own beard. This would really help me. Also if your bald on top does it matter if you shave the sides of head?
What if you can't grow a beard due to skin issues? Does that mean because I am not following Yahuah's ways that I would be considered sinful.
Changing what Yah has given you is where I go with it. We are to be happy just the way we are. Mohawks would be an example of changing your hairline. Line beards would also be an example. If you can't grow a beard at all then that's the way he made you.
I have a mustache and fizzles, my beard growth doesn't grow fast. I appreciate it, though I feel very different when I see my brothers with such great beards.
Recently, among the Messianic Movement, a trend has been getting more popular stating that the Torah was indicating not to shave the beard specifically because the Hebrew People were doing it for the dead. While this might be true, I don't see this in Scripture specifically referring to this as the reason not to do so. (However, I have been wrong before).
I would be a hypocrite if I didn't admit that I go back and forth on this one myself. Regardless, whether I like it or not, Scripture seems fairly clear on this one to me.