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NASB | Isaiah 64:6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Isaiah 64:6 For we all have become like one who is [ceremonially] unclean [like a leper], And all our deeds of righteousness are like filthy rags; We all wither and decay like a leaf, And our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing], like the wind, takes us away [carrying us far from God's favor, toward destruction]. [Lev 13:45, 46] |
Bible Question:
Delicate Question....Isa 64:6 From my study,the "filthy rags" described in this passage meant menstrual cloths. I was so hurt when reading this passage- that God would use a natural function that He gave women to describe something so horribly disgusting to Him....If anyone can shed light on this, please do so because as I originally saw it, you could also then gleam that God sees our menstrual cloths (used to cope with a normal bodily function that HE gave us) as disgustingly vile to Him. I've prayed and asked the Holy Spirit for some inspiration..IF it was truly His beloved voice, and not some random thought my brain pieced together I got this: 1) Eve didn't menstruate (blood brings forth life) until AFTER the fall and that childbearing was her punishmentfor her sin so it is a monthly reminder of the initial sin that separated us from God. 2)Also because to the Jews in that day, any bodily function involving any form of secretion was considered "unclean" (not sure what that means, but obviously not acceptable). All other fluids and elimination, or whatever you wish to call them as well as whatever materials that were used to cleanse the body (leaves??) were immediately disposed of, but cloth was not in abundance so the rags had to be cleaned and saved from month to month for additional use. Can anyone who has studied this passage tell me if I'm on track with what I believe was the Holy Spirit's guidance?? If I am not, please enlighten me. Thank you! |
Bible Answer: starfire: John Calvin is on record as saying that God talks to us in baby talk. By that the great reformer meant that the mighty truths of the transcendent God are cast in human terms that human beings can relate to and thus better understand. This is true of the passage in Isaiah 64:6. We therefore have absolutely no reason to repudiate God for this vivid illustration in His word or draw from it any hint whatever that God is being in any way disrespectful of women or condemning or finding abhorrent woman's natural function of menstruation. The point of the similie is that the waste material during the monthly cycle is just that, waste material, and therefore as worthless as man's righteousness is in God's eyes. The prophet used the imagery of menstrual cloths to picture uncleanness, which is true of the best behavior (righteousness) of unbelievers (see Philippians 3:5-8). The imagery of the simile is vivid; it is something we can identify with and understand; and being plain and vivid, it is something that we can remember easily. It is, as Calvin said, a fine example of God's "baby talk." --Hank |