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Things Written Aforetime - Deut 22:5


Things "written aforetime" were written for our "learning" and our "admonition," Rom 15:4; I Cor
10:11. In Deuteronomy 22:5, Amplified Version, "The woman shall not wear that which pertains to
a man neither shall a man put on a woman's garment for all that so do are an abomination to the
Lord your God." Revised Standard Version, "A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a
man nor shall a man put on a woman's garment for whoever does these things is an abomination
to the Lord your God." I pointed out the fact that there was a similarity in clothing. I hasten also to
point out to you the fact that there was something that was exclusively a woman's clothing and
something that was exclusively a man's clothing, and God said they shall not interchange those
things. In other words, God said I want you to be able to visibly tell the male from the female We
should appear to be the sex we are by the way we DRESS!

You talk about a strong prohibition...He handed one down to Israel! "The woman shall not wear
that which pertains to a man neither shall a man put on a woman's garment for all that do so are
an ABOMINATION TO THE LORD YOUR GOD." Why such a strong prohibition? I think it is based
upon an ancient principle of separation that God has required of His people in every age of time.
Israel was not to be like those around them, and their daily activities were to constantly remind
them that they were not the same as other people. There was to be no unisex situation. There
was to be no exchanging of garments. It was a strike at transvestism, and again may I repeat,
every authority I considered still said the strike was against homosexuality. Homosexuality is sin.
Even though it may exist in this day and an attempt has been made to elevate that practice to a
degree of respectability, it is sin in God's sight. To wear the clothing of the opposite sex labels
one and places a stigma upon him that God said He doesn't want His people to have.

By donning certain apparel, a woman may appear as an Amazon (a tall strong masculine woman,
Webster's Dictionary). And a man may don certain apparel which makes him appear effeminate.
Effeminate means "soft, soft touch, as use of raiment." Notice what Paul says in I Cor 6:9, "Know
ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived"....and I want
you to listen to the company this is found in...."neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers,
nor effeminate (male prostitutes NIV), nor abusers of themselves with mankind (homosexual
offenders, NIV) shall inherit -the kingdom of God." God absolutely insists we not practice or allow
such.

Let me point out to you that in Deut. 22:5, this matter of exchanging clothing was an
ABOMINATION in God's sight. The word abomination simply means "an object of great disgust." I
can think of a lot of words, but when I say I am disgusted, that is pretty strong. God said He is
disgusted with that kind of thing. It is highly detestable in God's sight. He promises that those who
work ABOMINATION shall be forbidden entrance into the holy city.

I realize what I quoted to you from Deuteronomy 22 is in the Old Testament. But I want to raise
this one question: As we progress from the Patriarchal to the Mosaic to the Christian age, has
God ever lowered a standard? He has raised many of them, but has God ever made something
that was absolutely disgusting and highly destable in one age a matter of indifference in another
age? The-answer is a strong resounding NO! My conclusion would be that men should be very
much afraid of putting on a woman's clothes. I don't mean just afraid of the laws of the land, I
mean of God! I would also suspect that a woman should be very much afraid of putting on a
man's clothes.