Hairy Business

Laser-hair removal, body waxing, hair removal cream all speak to the socially constructed needs of the day. All is done in the quest for beauty. We celebrate hairlessness. Go to the beach (ill-advised, but if you must) and there you will see human bodies with zero body hair. Hair on the arms, legs, back or between the eyebrows is seen as unwanted and in need of remedy. We expect our savvy technological advancements to make our human bodies more impressive than the decaying flesh it is found out to be.

Strange enough in Scripture, hair is not seen the way it is today. Given the climate is that of the Middle East, there are many hairy men (and women). This is seen as a travesty for our modern sensibilities but in the Hebrew Bible, this is used as a description of God using hair as a way of promulgating salvation. Consider the character of Esau. The much maligned elder brother who is tricked out of his birthright and firstborn blessing by the younger brother Jacob. Esau’s name means hairy and it is an allusion to how Jacob deceives his father Isaac into thinking it is Esau and thereby gain the firstborn blessing. Isaac is unsure it is Esau and asks him to come closer. Upon smelling his garments and feeling his arms he is assured it is indeed Esau. Then he blesses him with the firstborn blessing. Hair plays a strong role in Jacob’s conniving strategy (read Genesis 27).

Think then of Samson, who is assigned the Nazirite vow by the angel of the Lord before he is conceived. Samson will grow locks of hair that are reminiscent of a Rastafarian (see picture above). His hair is where his strength is said to be and he does great harm to the Philistines throughout Judges 14-16. The climax of the story comes when Samson is implored by Delilah where his strength lies. After three previous tries, finally Samson spills the secret. His locks are cut off and Samson is like any other man. Hair is part of the entanglement of the story.

Hair then is something that plays into the drama of salvation playing out in the earth. Remember that when Jesus was thinking of ways to encourage the Galilean flock He called on them (and us) to know that the Father knows the very number of hairs we have on our head (and our body). Hairy business indeed.  

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