The Good Ole' Days

The Good Ole’ Days

Selected Passages

I don’t know about you – but I would sure like to go back to the good ole days. When a coke was a coke & it only cost 25 cents. When a car was made from metal – not fiberglass or plastic. When a person word was their bond. When issues in life were much more black & white --- not much grey area. (How many would like that? Tell u what – tell me something about the good ole days that you would like to go back to.)

Grandpa was always going on about the good old days, and the lower cost of living, in particular. "When I was a kid, my mom could send me to the store, and I’d get a salami, two pints of milk, 6 oranges, 2 loaves o’ bread, pack of baseball cards, and some new blue jeans... all for a dollar!!"

Then Grandpa said sadly, "You can’t DO that anymore..... they got those video cameras pointing at you everywhere you look."

Now, it is true -- there are a lot of great things about the good ole days. But let’s not go to far back. You see, there are some things back in the good ole days, at least what the Jews would call good ole days, that I really do not want to go back to. There are some things from the good ole days that I think would be a little bit of a shock to our very forgiving system of the 21st century. The guy that was the MVP of the super bowl this year was arrested for disorderly conduct and domestic violence — (one writer said he was beating on his wife) --- this was in the middle of the season, but now he is mvp, and everything’s a-ok.

But there was a time in the “good ole days” that life was different.

Let’s just see if we want to go back to the good ole days of the Old Testament.

1. In the good ole days – the priest were instructed concerning their head and beard. Leviticus 19:27

Now – is this not intresting? Most preachers that I have sat under in ministry never had any facial hair. Some were bald – so shaving the sides of their head was not an issue. But in the old testament God was very concerned that the priest not only towed the line concerning the big issues in life but God wanted them to keep the edges of their beards from being disfigured and he did not want them to shave the sides of their heads. Now, there was a reason for what they were instructed to do. One commentator said “Those that worshipped the “hosts” of heaven in honor of them, cut their hair so as that their heads might resemble the celestial globe; but as the custom was foolish in itself, it was being done in respect to their false gods – it was idolatrous.” Matthew Henry, page 522. So, what was the point of the priest not shaving their heads in this manner? The world had said it was the cool thing to do so God said if you are going to be separated to me…you must not do this. Now, let’s go the new testament. What does it say about beards? Does the Bible condemn them? No. What does the Bible say about a mans hair in the new testament? It says – if it is long, it is a shame. I Corinthians 11: 14 -- Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor-shame to him?

What does it say about women?

1Co 11:15 -

But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering.

Now—the good ole days.

2. In the good ole days – there was a ritual after child birth. Leviticus 12:1-8

Now – what was this all about? Two things: 1. the purification of the mother and the purification of the child.

The purification of the mother, according to Wesley, he notes “Not for any filthiness which was either in the conception, or in bringing forth, but to signify the universal and deep pollution of man’s nature, even from the birth, and from the conception.” Now this seven day period for the boys, and 2 weeks of purification for the girls would not work for most mothers or mother in laws today. “I’m going to see that boy – whatever it takes—let me in there to see that boy- or girl!” However, verse 4 says she shall not touch any hallowed thing and cannot go to church for thirty three days. These days, they get you out of the hospital in 24 hours --- insurance has paid their last penny, see you later. So, purification for the mother was important in the old testament, but purification for the child was important as well. Did you notice verse 6 … whether the lady had a boy or girl she was to bring a sin offering to the tabernacle. She was offering to the Lord a burnt offering for her purification. Diaper bag, bottle, sin offering. A lamb, two turtle doves, or two pigeons. These were the good ole days. But friends – we are not under the curse of the law any longer. We are under grace. Mother – in – laws can be in the delivery room if they want to be.