Mixing Wool and Linen
I’ve known people who make fun of some of the laws in the Old Covenant (the Law of Moses). “Isn’t it silly to sacrifice animals,” they say, “why do such a gruesome thing?” If Bible literate, you know the answer. These sacrifices were for sin, demonstrating the seriousness of acting against God. They were symbolic and prophetic of the perfect sacrifice for sin when Jesus died on the cross. In this article, let’s look at another one the critics think is silly. Deuteronomy 22:11 says, “Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.”
Why would God make a law like that? What is so bad about mixing these two clothing materials?
Exploring the subject, what we find is that both the priestly garments of those who served in the tabernacle, later the temple, and the tabernacle itself, were a combination of wool and linen. Exodus 28:5 says, “These are the garments that they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve as priests. They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns (wool), and fine twined linen.” Earlier, in Exodus 26, we see, “You shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns.”
Because this combination of material was used for the tabernacle where God resided, and for the priestly garments who served in the tabernacle, it was prohibited for others to dress in this way. This wasn’t the only example of prohibited mixtures. For example, only the priests could blend together aromatic spices to make the combination used for anointing oil (Exodus 30:33). The distinctive fragrance was to mark whatever, or whoever, it anointed as holy, set apart for God’s purposes. It would have been used by Samuel when anointing a king, such as David.
You might compare this to laws we have today. You probably realize that it’s illegal to dress up in a police uniform and wear a badge, impersonating an officer. Police are in a unique role, they can stop a car, break down a door when authorized for a search, or handcuff a person being charged with a crime, things no one else should do, so the uniform and badge must be treated as unique to them. The priests were in a unique role for Israel, their “uniform” needed to be treated as unique also, noticeably different from what others wore. So, back to Deut. 22:11, the command to not wear clothes of wool and linen was not so odd.
Here’s an interesting twist though. Did you know that when Israelites (non-priests) were told to wear tassels on the corners of their garments (Numbers 15), these tassels had ingredients Deut. 22 had forbidden for their clothing? Some have been found from the first century that had the mixture of wool and linen (JPS Torah Commentary). Why this exception?
The reason is because it sent a message. Yes, the priests had a unique function, but God’s goal was for all Israel to be a “nation of priests” representing the One True God to the onlooking world. These tassels were to remind them of that. The sons of Aaron had authority to carry out the duties of the tabernacle, but all of the nation was to spread the Word of God and be examples to the non-Israelites surrounding them.
The apostle Peter had interesting words to say to Christians. “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9). Do we need to wear wool and linen as a reminder?
Question: Jesus died once for all (Rom. 6:10); what does that make our role as Christian priests?
Why would God make a law like that? What is so bad about mixing these two clothing materials?
Exploring the subject, what we find is that both the priestly garments of those who served in the tabernacle, later the temple, and the tabernacle itself, were a combination of wool and linen. Exodus 28:5 says, “These are the garments that they shall make: a breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve as priests. They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns (wool), and fine twined linen.” Earlier, in Exodus 26, we see, “You shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns.”
Because this combination of material was used for the tabernacle where God resided, and for the priestly garments who served in the tabernacle, it was prohibited for others to dress in this way. This wasn’t the only example of prohibited mixtures. For example, only the priests could blend together aromatic spices to make the combination used for anointing oil (Exodus 30:33). The distinctive fragrance was to mark whatever, or whoever, it anointed as holy, set apart for God’s purposes. It would have been used by Samuel when anointing a king, such as David.
You might compare this to laws we have today. You probably realize that it’s illegal to dress up in a police uniform and wear a badge, impersonating an officer. Police are in a unique role, they can stop a car, break down a door when authorized for a search, or handcuff a person being charged with a crime, things no one else should do, so the uniform and badge must be treated as unique to them. The priests were in a unique role for Israel, their “uniform” needed to be treated as unique also, noticeably different from what others wore. So, back to Deut. 22:11, the command to not wear clothes of wool and linen was not so odd.
Here’s an interesting twist though. Did you know that when Israelites (non-priests) were told to wear tassels on the corners of their garments (Numbers 15), these tassels had ingredients Deut. 22 had forbidden for their clothing? Some have been found from the first century that had the mixture of wool and linen (JPS Torah Commentary). Why this exception?
The reason is because it sent a message. Yes, the priests had a unique function, but God’s goal was for all Israel to be a “nation of priests” representing the One True God to the onlooking world. These tassels were to remind them of that. The sons of Aaron had authority to carry out the duties of the tabernacle, but all of the nation was to spread the Word of God and be examples to the non-Israelites surrounding them.
The apostle Peter had interesting words to say to Christians. “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (I Peter 2:9). Do we need to wear wool and linen as a reminder?
Question: Jesus died once for all (Rom. 6:10); what does that make our role as Christian priests?
Posted in Waking Up Eutychus