Cross dressing today (May, 2016) is more prevalent than ever as the created purposes for a man and for his woman has become further confused. Women have been dressing like men for years, but now men are beginning to dress like women. It is all going to end badly for those who will not learn to both hear and obey Yehovah’s words given through Moses.
Yehovah’s dress code and all His instructions, given through Moses to His people Israel, are eternal and unchanging; and because of this, they are supra-cultural. All men will be judged according to His timeless instructions.
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear THE Elohim and keep His commandments, for this is THE MAN’s (האדם, ha-a-dam) all. For THE Elohim will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecc 12:13-14)
“But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says my Master Yehovah, “and not that he should turn from his ways and live? (Eze 18:21-23)
Anyone who rejects Yehovah’s ways delivered through Moses will perish eternally, that means both my next door neighbor and me. BUT, the judgment is greater and more severe if we “say” we are His but do not follow His instruction given through Moses.
In part 1 we looked at the first of two places where Yehovah, through Moses, gives instructions on what men and women are to wear and found that His sons wear tassels / tzitzit, no one else!
Cross Dressing Is Not Acceptable Among Yehovah’s People
The second place in which Yehovah talks about His “dress code” is a very general instruction in nature, but we will see that Yehovah has strong feelings concerning those who ignore this simple instruction. Yehovah says,
“A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to Yehovah, your Elohim [lawmaker and judge].” (Deu 22:5)
Yehovah says that cross dressing is an abomination. A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man to wear a woman’s garment.
So how bad is an abomination? Let’s take a quick look at other things that Yehovah says are an abomination and find out for ourselves.
“If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.” (Lev 20:13)
“When thou come into the land which Yehovah, thy Elohim is giving thee, thou shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among thee anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to Yehovah, and because of these abominations Yehovah, thy Elohim drives them out from before thee. (Deu 18:9-12)
“You shall burn the carved images of their elohim with fire; you shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it for yourselves, lest you be snared by it; for it is an abomination to Yehovah your Elohim. Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed thing.” (Deu 7:25-26)
Concerning all the sexual sins listed in Leviticus 18, including sleeping with your daughter, mother, sister and animals, Yehovah says:
“For whoever commits any of these abominations, the persons who commit them shall be cut off from among their people”. (Lev 18:29)
So we should see, and acknowledge, that cross dressing very serious matter. The Creator seems to want a strong line drawn between what men and women are to look like.
“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! … Because they have rejected the law of Yehovah of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.” (Isa 5:20-21, 24)
Cross Dressing Is Culturally Defined
In order to discover what is considered a woman’s garment and what is not, we should simply ask ourselves this question. “In my culture what would a man wear if he were to ‘put on’ a woman’s garment?” The answer to this question is different for each culture around the world. A European man would answer this question differently than a man from the Middle East or an Aboriginal man. For me, if a man were to put on a woman’s garment, my mind immediately says a dress or a skirt. Your answer to this question will help you understand better what a woman should wear.
Now notice, I said a “European man” a man from the Middle East” and “an Aboriginal man.” Why did I say it this way? Keep in mind, a woman is always to have a man in her life, a covering. As “the adam” said, after he was given his woman by Yehovah, “she is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called ishshah (woman) because she was taken out of eesh (man).” He is saying, “She is me!” If a woman dresses like a man, the sin is on her man!
Men, you are to keep your women (wives, daughters, mothers, sisters, even your handmaids) safe. What is acceptable apparel for the females in your home and what is not, differs from man to man. It is not my job to say what another man’s woman should or should not wear. As their man, it is your job. Having your wife / woman, daughters and other woman dress in such a way as to keep them safe is your responsibility, not theirs. It does not matter what other ladies wear or what your daughters’ friends wear. If they are going to dress like a man, the sin is on you; and if you let them dress in such a way and go places that puts them in harm’s way, that is on you as well.
As you can see, in this context men have fallen very short of being the family leaders and protectors that they were intended to be.
But, cross dressing is only the tip of the iceberg. What a woman does is a much more significant matter.
Men and woman have different duties and responsibilities in Yehovah’s kingdom, and it appears that Yehovah feels very strongly about those roles becoming mixed; cross dressing is just an outward sign. In Yehovah’s kingdom a man is only to have one elohim ruling over him, so also is a woman to have only one man ruling over her. A woman was not created to lead men!
Go to part 3 – Women Leading Men?