by Tol Burk

It’s summertime, so there will be articles about modesty, but before you ignore this one, I ask you to stop and read it. Usually the emphasis is on swimming attire and such. But modesty is much more than showing some skin—you can be immodest in the dead of winter. For the sake of your soul, as well as those of your children, please stay with me.

Many will immediately say, or at least think: “How do you define modesty?” Or the more common question, “How short is short?” The Greek word, kosmios, used in I Timothy 2:9, is translated “modest.” It is derived from the Greek word, kosmos (adorn, adorning). The English cosmos describes the orderly arrangement and operation of the universe. We can see this use in the command in I Timothy 2:9 where women should adorn themselves with “proper” or “modest” apparel.

What is modest? I think the New Living Translation puts it well: “And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes.” Modest apparel does not draw attention to oneself. Modesty is not just about how short your clothing is, although that is one of the most common types of immodesty. Nor is it just about how tight your clothing is. Both of these are immodest because they draw people’s attention to you.

Much immodest clothing incites lust, which is sin (Proverbs 6:25-26, Matthew 5:27-30). Flashy apparel, haircuts, and excessive jewelry are all included in “indecent and inappropriate clothing.” The Holy Spirit doesn’t use the word “modest” the way we do. This is not about nakedness or how short is short, but being what we used to call "gaudy." A woman, or a man, walks into a room and every eye is drawn to them. Their loud, flashy shirt or skirt; all their gold necklaces, earrings, bracelets, etc. Whether you think they’re ridiculous looking or not, they have achieved their goal; everyone notices them. This is the direct opposite of modesty.
Have you been to the beach, swimming pool, or just out shopping and seen someone (man or woman) whose apparel draws your attention to them? It’s so tight, it shows everything; or maybe it uncovers or fails to cover things. Again, what is their point in dressing this way, if not to draw attention?

Someone will invariably say, “But how short is short? Does the Bible give any guidance on this? Or does some preacher decide what is modest?”

God Defines Nakedness

In Genesis 3:7, when Adam and Eve sinned and when they realized they were naked, they were ashamed. What was their response? “They sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings” (NKJV). Other translations say “aprons," "loin clothes," or "girdles.” The Hebrew word, chagowr, which is translated “girdle, belt, or loincloth,” helps us to see what they covered—their genitals.

Later we are told, “And the Lord God made for Adam and for Eve his wife garments of skins and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21 ESV). Other translations read: “tunics, coats, or clothing” instead of garments. Garments today run the gamut. What does the text say? “Kutteneth” is the Hebrew word, which in Strong’s Commentary is translated: "coat, robe, or tunic.” Notice the contrast between “loincloth” and “coat or robe.” God provided a better covering than a girdle or loincloth that covered their nakedness. From the beginning, after sin entered the world, God made a standard for man’s clothing.

Centuries later, when God gave His law to Moses on Mt. Sinai, He gave strict commands to the priests, “Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it" (Exodus 20:26 NKJV). God gave instructions to clothe their nakedness. Exodus 28:42-43 gets even more specific about how the priests should cover their nakedness. "And you shall make for them linen trousers to cover their nakedness; they shall reach from the waist to the thighs.” These linen trousers were underwear, worn under their tunic. Lest you think seeing up a man’s pants is not a big deal, continue reading Exodus 28:43, "They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they come into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister in the holy place, that they do not incur iniquity and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and his descendants after him.” Serving God in a way that would reveal their nakedness was sin. Sin that could lead to their death.

Just let this sink in for a minute. The seriousness of revealing, or even allowing a man's genitals to be seen, was such that God would punish it with death. I think it’s pretty clear that showing your nakedness is not a minor infraction in God’s eyes.

God’s prophet Isaiah used some blunt words to make clear God’s definition of nakedness. In Isaiah 47:1-3, the prophet uses the picture of a prostitute to show the degrading fall of the once great Babylonian Empire. Notice: “Take the millstones and grind meal. Remove your veil, take off the skirt, uncover the thigh, pass through the rivers. Your nakedness shall be uncovered, Yes, your shame will be seen; I will take vengeance, and I will not arbitrate with a man.” Nakedness is equated to "take off the skirt, uncover the thigh." There is no question what the thigh is: “the limb extending from the hip to the knee” Do your shorts or swim trunks cover your thighs? If not, your “shame shall be seen.”

“But long shorts make it hard for me to move,” some will say. Are there no shorts loose enough so they don’t hinder you? Neither proximity to water nor a basketball court can justify breaking God’s law.

Moving on, Adam made a loincloth or girdle to cover his nakedness. Instead, God, not satisfied with such immodest dress, made him a tunic—clothing that typically covered from the knees to the neckline. I don’t know about you, but when I’m shirtless, it’s almost a sense of freedom. But the clothing God made for the first man covered his chest. Let’s face it, if God didn’t want Adam running around without a shirt, why do we think it’s ok for us? Society has a double standard—men can be shirtless but women can’t, but God does not agree. ”But it’s too hot to wear a shirt when I’m working out or working in the yard, etc.” "By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made” (Genesis 3:19 NLT). So, I limit my bare chest to the company of my wife. Again, bodies of water, sports fields, or working in the yard do not make it okay before God not to wear a shirt, or to wear a shirt with open sides.

I like slim jeans—I’ve always had skinny legs, so they fit better. You’re probably thinking, “What’s the problem with slim or skinny jeans?” My answer: there’s nothing wrong with them. Sometimes, though, we can be careless with any pants we wear. You can find any picture you want on the internet except the one that illustrates my next point. It shows a man whose blue jeans are about as far down as they can be—almost past his hips, as tight as they can be. The caption says, “I still wear the same size pants I’ve always worn, just a lot lower.” As we mature, most of us have to get pants with bigger waists or push ‘em down.

As we reach that age, we don’t exercise as much. So we put on a little extra weight, and our pants get “stretched” some. Pants that used to fit well now are too tight. Without us realizing it, our “junk” and our bottom are now on display. Modesty is not drawing attention to yourself, but jeans that are too tight do exactly the opposite. If you notice people looking at your crotch or commenting on your rear end, it’s time to swallow your pride and get another size (maybe two) larger.

If you have stayed with me thus far, I thank you. If you don’t agree, I beg you to rethink it from a biblical perspective. Put aside what:

1. you’ve always worn,
2. what everybody else is wearing,
3. what makes me look sexy.

There is a connection between immodesty and lust. Let God guide you in all things, including your dress.