Daughter of Zion cover your heads...
It was, as I can recall, two years before the work of grace was done in me, that the LORD performed a mighty act of love towards my lost and sinful soul. It was early evening, I had just come from bathing, and whilst dressing, I just started to feel extremely tired, a strong urge to sleep overcame me, I climbed into my bed and fell into a deep slumber instantly. I right a way noticed,that although in deep sleep, I was still very much physically aware of my surroundings. I started to hear an indescribable , harsh and extremely loud noise approaching me. The sound was unnerving, I tried to wake myself, but I was rendered powerless , and the slumber held fast. Just as the this sound seemingly reached my bed , with clear motives to harm me, my Faithful LORD intervened for me. My mouth was opened, and My LORD spoke these words through me.
"ISAIAH 4 verse 5"
I immediately heard a sound of deep growning, a grown uttered out of fear. The harsh noise suddenly departed, I woke up shaking, dumbfounded as to what had just happened. All I remembered very clearly was " Isaiah 4 verse 5" I never knew before then that there was a book in the Bible titled "Isaiah", . I wasn't too clued up with the Bible ,especially not the old testament, I immediately got off the bed in search of a Bible, in order to gain some insight as to what had just happened. I looked up the book of Isaiah from the index of the Holy Bible, and to my complete amazement I found that such a book exsisted. And the verse reads as follows:
Isaiah 4:5 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a covering.
And further more in verse 6 reads:
And there will be a tabernacle for a shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain.
I was astounded , all I knew at that stage was that I had been protected in way I could have never imagined. Since that day fort I gained an interest in reading the Prophets, this devine act of love drew me to the Word of God. At that stage of my life, I was unconverted, living completely recklessly and shamefully, blinded by sin and convinced my life was acceptable. God started a work of conviction in my heart, I started to examine my life and my sinfulness became more evident as the knowledge of God's presence grew in me. This event lead myself and my husband to question our lifestyle, we at that stage were still unmarried, and living in sin. Our marriage occurred within a year and a half after I had received this revelation from God, but it was only two years into our marriage, when things were at the it's worse in almost every area of our life, that the LORD led us back to His Word, and by His love and mercy , we found grace in His sight. And it was truly only God's grace that saved us both. So much personal changes that occurred in our lives, I am today, the woman I never would've imagined I could be. God is mighty in all His works, may He be praised eternally . Amen.
I've been experiencing spiritual attacks for quite a while, during my sleeping times, these must have started for me just after High School.I saw my dreams of terror as mere nightmares, it was only after my conversion in Christ that I started to understand what these actually were, but I had no idea why it was still happening after my conversion in Christ. The spiritual attacks grew worse, helplessness overcame me most of the time, this drove me to a state of deep depression. During these times of spiritual oppression, I sought the face of God, pleading for deliverance , the oppression continued, God by His Word comforted me daily.I knew that God allowed the oppression to continue for a greater purpose. And by this I've been greatly humbled, I've learnt that self reliance is futile, my dependence on God grew immensely, my trust in His Word became a vital part of my exsistance. I held fast to the Words of God, that declares " I will never leave you nor will I forsake you"
Myself and my husband had to make hard changes to our personal life, as God , through His grace started to reveal hurtful truths to us. Our choices had to be made in trust of the greater Will of God , and no longer could our choices be otherwise guided. A note to the reader : In this testimony, I will not be including in-dept details with regards to what happened during the times of my spiritual attacks. All that I will mention is that I had undergone deep humiliation, indecend acts done to me during my sleep drove me to feel unworthy of being a wife and mother, negativity was sown deep within me, that sometimes led me to question whether or not I was a child of God . The hair on my head was one of the parts of my physical body, under the greatest attack, my crown of glory was being destroyed. It is only by the great mercy of God that I have any hair left today. For no other reason do I share this testimony and revelation other than to Glorify the Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob , the only One who knew my soul in adversity.May the mighty Name of Jesus Christ be magnified eternally. Amen.
On the morning of 2nd November 2013, I awoke feeling deeply depressed after another night of sleeplessness, and deep spiritual humiliation. I took to prayer, and once more made my supplication before God, asking for insight as to why this was still happening. After my prayer, I promised myself not to focus on what happened, but to fervently seek the face of the LORD, until He answered me. Later that afternoon, whilst paging through the Word of God, when I reached 1Corinthians 11, I was compelled by the Spirit to read the chapter carefully.
1Corinthians 11 : 2-16
Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man.9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. 12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God. 13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. 16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
This was not the first time during the short period of my conversion in Christ, that this chapter was somehow highlighted to me, compelling me to do research as to the opion other belivers in Christ hold concerning the ordinance of head coverings for women. My conclusion was based on, partially that of the research I had conducted, and partially due to verse 16. In noting verse 16, I concluded previously that head coverings for women was a custom observed in those days, by the Church of Corinth. That the observance of this ordinance is left to own discretion. Most of my prior research on the views held by other Christians concering this , concluded in the same manner.
This time around , by carefully reading through 1Corinthians 11: 3-10 , a few verses stood out for me, as they never did before, verse 9-10 reads as follows :
Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
In the beginning, at the time that God created the first man Adam, God, as it is written, sought a comparable helper for Adam. Eve was created by God, from one of Adam's ribs, Eve was literally part of Adam, as her being was created from an actual bone removed from his body.
See Genesis 2: 21-24 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.# 23And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Marriage was one of God's first institutions, the prophet Malachi 2:11 reads as follows :
11Judah has dealt treacherously, And an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, For Judah has profaned The Lord’s holy institution which He loves: He has married the daughter of a foreign god.
The mentioned verse, describes God's love of marriage, Malachi 2:15 gives the reason why God initially instituted marriage, the verse reads as follows :
15 But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.
Further written in the Gospel Mark10:6-9 is as follows :
6 But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ 7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
By reviewing the above scriptures , they thus agree with what Paul writes in 1Corinthians 11:9, which states that the woman was created for the man, and the glory of man is the woman. Paul also states in verse 15, that long hair is given to the woman's as a glory to her, and her long hair functions as a covering. A question came to me , why does a woman need a covering for her physical head ? Scripture gives a clear answer as to why this is necessary.
1Corinthians 11:9-10 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
Genesis 6:1-2 reads as follows: Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.
God created the woman as a comparable helper for the man only. God placed the woman under the authority of the man, see scripture below:
Genesis 3:16 To the woman He said:“I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;In pain you shall bring forth children;Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.”
Man's authority over woman and the woman's submission to man, were ordinances that was commanded by God, to not only be observed by Adam and Eve, but to be observed by all men and women even untill the end of age. These ordinances was transgressed during the period just before "The great flood" occurred, women were taken in marriage by other created brings " The sons of God". Yet God's institution of marriage was solely intended for the man formed from the dust of the ground, and the woman whom was formed from the rib of man. The fact that the scripture states the sons of God saw the daughters of men,could it be because they had no sign of authority on their heads, indicating submission to God's ordinances, and the presence of rulership over them?
Paul in his first letter to the Church of the Corinth grants insight as to why a sign of authority or a sign of rulership is necessary on the head of a woman. It reads as follows :
1Corinthians 11 : 10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
In relating these two scriptures, a clearer understanding is formed, in that the woman of the Church of Christ is called upon to be found and seen under the subjection of man and of Christ, by being fully submissive to the ordinance that God instituted from the beginning of the age. This applies to both the married and the unmarried women in Christ. When the woman of the Church cover their heads, not only with their naturally grown hair, but by wearing an extra covering ,they express obedience towards the Will if God, and confirm that they are ruled over by the Sovereign God, not only in the sight of God and men , but in the sight of all the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, these includes the angels.
Ephesians 6:12 reads as follows :
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
The first substantial evidence found in scripture to prove that women of Israel in the days of Moses wore head coverings reads as follows :
Numbers 5:18 Then the priest shall stand the woman before the Lord, uncover the woman’s head, and put the offering for remembering in her hands, which is the grain offering of jealousy. And the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse.
In the above mentioned scripture, the priest has to first remove the sign of authority from the woman's head before proceeding to judge whether or not she is guilty.
It's been almost six years ago , since the evening of God's devine intervention of protection over me. That evening , the Lord not only manifested His presence, but He demonstrated and proved to me the power that one verse of His eternal Word holds. After years of contemplating on the scripture verse" Isaiah 4 verse 5", it is at this stage of my life, that my Lord and Savior has appointed for me to discover the significance of the verse, and the relavance that it holds in my life.
Isaiah 3:16 up to Isaiah 4:6 →This section of prophecy is mainly themed around Four main themes pertaining to and directed toward the daughters of Zion, the set apart woman that belong to the Body of Christ.
The Four themes involve the following: ① The sin and rebellion of the daughters of Zion. ② God's judgement and punishment on the disobedient daughters of Zion ③ The realisation of disobedience, and the repentance that the daughters of Zion will seek ④ God's mercy and restoration of His set apart people, the LORD'S manifestation of His devine protection over the lives of all His people.
The scripture reads as follows :
ISAIAH 3:16-26 16
Moreover the Lord says: “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, And walk with outstretched necks And wanton eyes, Walking and mincing as they go, Making a jingling with their feet, 17 Therefore the Lord will strike with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, And the Lord will uncover their secret parts.” 18 In that day the Lord will take away the finery: The jingling anklets, the scarves, and the crescents; 19 The pendants, the bracelets, and the veils; 20 The headdresses, the leg ornaments, and the headbands;The perfume boxes, the charms, 21 and the rings;The nose jewels, 22 the festal apparel, and the mantles;The outer garments, the purses, 23 and the mirrors;The fine linen, the turbans, and the robes. 24 And so it shall be: Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench;Instead of a sash, a rope;Instead of well-set hair, baldness; Instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth;And branding instead of beauty. 25Your men shall fall by the sword, And your mighty in the war. 26Her gates shall lament and mourn, And she being desolate shall sit on the ground.
By reviewing Isaiah 3:16 - 26 The first two mentioned themes that's the most prevalent is sin and God's judgment thereof, in connection to the rebellion of the daughters of Zion. The type of women described in verse 16 - 17, is one that is filled with pride, a description of "an outstretched neck" and "mincing feet" are used to illustrate the pomp found in the daughters of Zion. Its interesting to note in verse 17 that the first judgement God intends to bring on the women that the scripture describes, is the on the crown of their heads. And of all the outward adornings mentioned, five forms of head coverings are found listed. Verse 24-25 further describes how God intends to punish the pride of His daughters by allowing them to be humiliated in order to bring them to a state of awareness and realisation of the truth. We live this day in a world of the modern ordinances, and " liberated women". The institution of marriage is no longer respected, nor is it deemed a necessity amongst many. Women are encouraged to be independent, and they are highly commended when they become successful in their state of independence. Indecent, immodest dress is considered fashion, an outspoken woman is considered one of high confidence , an extrovert . Many children are born out of wedlock, fornication and adultery are no longer judged as severly as before. The world has profaned the ordinances and the institutions of God, the harsh truth is this, most of the Church of Christ is in direct agreement with this. Much more could be said on the subject , but that is not the intention of this article, for there is none of us who have not sinned, and fallen short of the glory of the LORD. The main focus is that of expressing that the ordinances of God are eternal, and no ordinace that God has instituted is without purpose, and for the good of all He has created, especially those who are called to live a set apart life in Christ. God's thought's are by far higher than the thoughts of men, and as it is written, the foolishness of God is wiser than men..1Corint1:25. I have by the grace granted to me by God , discovered that what seemed to me to be insignificant and un essential, turns out to be the most significant and essential part of the life I live before God.
1 Corinth 11:6 For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered.
Isaiah 3 : 17 Therefore the Lord will strike with a scab The crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, And the Lord will uncover their secret parts.”
I've always kept my hair short , I remember shaving all off a year after completing my final year of high school. The concept of short hair seemed the best to me at that stage, in terms of management thereof. I decided to start growing my hair again a year before I got married. Why I'm mentioning this , is due to the fact that I started having terrible dreams of torment, round about the same time, but I never imagined that the length of my hair,could be related to what I was starting to experience during my sleep.
By taking a closer look at Isaiah 3 : 17 and comparing it to what Paul writes in 1Corinthians 11 : 6 ① Both verses pertain to the head of a woman ② In both verses make reference to an exposed scalp by the removal of hair ③ Both verses relates an exposed scalp to shame.
Could the exposure of the " secret parts" as mentioned In Isaiah, be referring to an exposed head of a woman ? My interpretation of an exposed head, is not only is defined by one with short or shaven hair, but mainly a unveiled head, regardless of hair length.
Genesis 6 : 2→ makes reference to the sons of God seeing the daugthers of men, if an uncovered or unveiled head signifies indecent exposure, making a reference to Isaiah 3 : 17, this could explain why the sons of God could have taken wives amongst the daughters of men, because the possibility exist that the women in those days were not veiling thier heads. If this is true , the women by disobeying the ordinance of submission to the man, was brought under the submission of other beings to be ruled over by them instead.
Shortly after my marriage to my husband, about 4 years ago, my hair came under immense attack. I would notice an unusual ammount of hair fall. Naturally I thought I was lacking certain vitamins, Istarted to increase my intake of vegetables, I bought a vitamin supplement, I started to exercise vigorously, in hopes that my hair will stop falling out. Frustration dawned on me when I noticed nothing was working, I felt extremely helpless almost to the point of cutting my hair short, as it was before the wedding. My husband was against the idea of me cutting my hair. My hair started thinning, and the scalp became sorely visible. One evening I had a terrible dream, that something was pulling at my hair, many similar dreams followed, I realised then , why my hair was falling out, my hair was a target of spiritual attacks. I couldn't understand why this was still happening, I was converted to Christ, and in constant prayers, yet instead of improving the attacks towards me worsened, my heart was failing me at this stage, I was deeply depressed, yet in this state my heart sought after God only, because I understood Him to be my only source of help. I examined my life, searching for reasons that could justify why this was still happening, I questioned my service in Christ, and my walk before God. More humiliating things started to happen, I started having dreams of participating in indecent acts with men unknown to me, sometimes I couldn't make out who or what was violating me. I noticed that these happened more frequently after my prayers and devotion times, I continued to hope in the righteousness of God, despite all. For me this was worse than the attacks on my hair, I was a married woman in Christ, devoted to both my service in Christ and my duties as a wife and mother. These continued , and I pleaded with God to make known to me my sin , my prayer was this: "My hope is of You Lord, save me from my transgressions. " God is ever faithful, there in none more Holy and righteous than Him. I now will refer back to Isaiah Chaper 4:1-6, in conclusion of what the Lord revealed to me.
Isaiah 4 : 1-6
1 And in that day seven woman will take hold of one man saying " We will eat our own food and wear our own apparrel; Only let us be called by your name to take away our reproach." 2 In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious and the earth shal be excellent and appealing for those of Israel who have escaped. 3 And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy- everyone recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 When the LORD has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgement and by the spirit of burning, 5 then the LORD will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above all her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. 6 And there will be a tabernacle for a shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain.
A time will come in this current age, when the daughters of Zion will realise their transgression against the ordinance that God instituted from the beginning of ages. A time when those God has called in Christ, and those He will yet call will understand what they never understood before, that in obedience and submission their reproaches will flee from them. Their graces that has been stripped from them will be restrored. All the standards that we have been taught by observing the practices of the world has to depart from us, in order for us to be transfomed by the Perfect Will of God. The children of The Most High are called to be completely separate from the world, to live and walk according to The Spirit, and thus to be distinguished as the true child of God, not only before God and men, even before the unseen authorities in the heavenly realms. " May your obedience become known to all"
Numbers 23:9
For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
I've started to cover my glory, in order to shine forth His Glory, " not unto us LORD, not unto us, but unto You O LORD be all the glory! Amen" And now I can truly say along with the Psalmist David: " I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD make me dwell in safety." It is only when we are able to die to self and live for Christ, that we can truly abide under the shelter of the Most High. As Paul writes in His letter to the Church of Galatia: " I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. " I thank the LORD, for the great work He has done in me and for me, and in this testimony I will now say , " LORD COME AND TAKE YOUR GLORY"
Daughters of Zion cover your heads, so that you can be covered by His Glory..
Isaiah 4 : 5 then the LORD will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above all her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering.
Amen.
