Modesty

We live in a society in which modesty is despised. In fact you can easily conclude that voyeurism (watching some else in sexual activity) is becoming the norm. There is little privacy left. When i was a child there were no prying eyes. The neighbors and the government kept to themselves. Our right of privacy was secure. However, today our right of privacy is under assault from all angles. If the powers of this world have their way there will be no privacy left as prying eyes and ears will be monitoring everything we do and say. This is not the way of the Lord, Yeshua! He values our privacy both physically and spiritually.

Privacy and modesty go hand in hand. We can choose to dress modestly or not. However, we do not always have the option of privacy. We can choose to live a private life or not, but the spirit behind our society wants to snoop on us. Just count the number of cameras in your local city. Or count the number of people watching the TV shows that have most of the actors in various stages of nakedness. What about the beaches? The world is not on a covering up trend but a take it off trend. Then we have the TSA and their whole body stripping radar and their strip searches all in the name of safety of course. I'll leave a discussion of privacy for another article.

Why is the naked human body so interesting? SEX! If we were asexual creatures there would be no interest in nakedness. So sexual immorality is the driving factor behind the nudity trend. The two play into each other. The more skin that is exposed, the more sexually aroused the men are and the more they touch the women to arouse them and the more skin that is revealed. It's a vicious circle of nakedness that leads to lust that leads to lasciviousness (a preoccupation with sex) that leads to immorality, all of which, Yahweh calls sin. Our relationships amongst believers are not to be about sexuality but about righteousness and promoting righteousness in each other. The only place for sexuality in a relationship between believers is in marriage and then it only plays a minor role. My wife and i have a healthy, satisfying sex life but we spend less that 1% of our time involved sexually. If the marriage is build upon sex then the curse as a result of lasciviousness will destroy the relationship and the marriage long before the couple grows old together. This is one of the main reasons for the high divorce rate IN THE CHURCH today, over 50%!! A normal, healthy marriage is built upon selfless love for one another. The divorce rate in the Church and in the world is the same...there is no difference??! The only conclusion that you can draw is that the Church is NOT loving (agape) one another. IF WE WERE THEN OUR MARRIAGES WOULD LAST A LIFETIME. By the way you cannot truly love (agape) without putting to death the flesh and walking in righteousness.

The nature of the flesh; the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life are just the opposite of love. These three areas are Worldly and as believers, we are commanded by the Lord to put them to death, daily. The lust of the eye is simply wanting whatever we see. The lust of the flesh is wanting all of our appetites fulfilled whenever we want, to excess. If we are not married then our appetite for reproduction is not to be fulfilled (we are to remain innocent) until we are married. It is not to be awakened until our honeymoon. The pride of life is that, we take pride in the fact that we exist. It is the: "make way for me" or "look at me" heart attitude. These are all about Self, the enemy of Spirit of God. The world is all about Self. I typed "self" into a search engine and came up with 3,774,932,828 entries. I typed in "selfless" and came up with 41,307,535 entries. That's 1 "selfless" entry for every 100 "self" entries. The world offers us all kinds of self help materials (but little self denial advice): self-satisfaction, self-esteem, do-it-your-self, have it your way, self-fulfillment, self-improvement, self-made minds, self-defense, self-made men, self-educated, self-realization, self-reliance, self-directed, self-hypnosis, self-service, self-government, self-expression, self-healing, indulge your self, etc. the list goes on and on. Is there any doubt that we live in a self-centered world. The Kingdom of God is all about the LOVE of Yahweh which is, by definition, selfless. These two Kingdoms are completely opposite and at war against each other. Satan wants to destroy everything of Yahweh and Yahweh will, in the end, destroy everything of Satan, including his captives and followers unless they believe and turn their backs on him and give themselves to Yeshua to follow and obey Him.

Our response to the Lord's commands concerning modesty and privacy is a result of our heart. We will either line up with His commands or our old desires. If we find ourselves getting upset with His commands then there is sin in our hearts that wants to express it's self by rebelling against Him. If we are a new believer then we have been living in sin for our whole lives and we believe that it is fine to live that way. We have been told by other non-believers what is acceptable in dress, attitude and privacy. However, the Lord's standards are far above the World's. He knows how we were designed since He designed us, so He has set the standards so that we will not sin or tempt others to sin, so that we will be protected from sin, it's effects and Satan while we are on Earth. The World's standards are set by Lucifer and are designed to cause us to sin and fall. He wants to cause as much sin and death as possible. The primary lie that Satan uses to get us to follow his standards is that we have the right to make our own choices, which is true. He tells us that no one can tell us what to do, especially the Lord. Of course Satan does not bother to tell us that we, by our own nature, are doing what he, Satan, tells us to do. Satan is the epitome of SELF. If we choose the World's way we will end in death, eternally. Only Yeshua and His ways will lead us to eternal Life.

The bottom line on privacy and modesty is the question of what does the Lord want us to be "secretive" about. So the question is what are the Lord's ways? How does He view privacy and modesty? Modesty is actually a part of privacy. Privacy, is that, not everyone needs to know everything about ourselves and our relationships. There are certain aspects of ourselves and our relationships that are not to be revealed to everyone. There are some that are only to be revealed to our mates and there are some that are not to be revealed to anyone. Yeshua, as an example, often hid some of the truths of the Kingdom of God from people through the use of parables. He also told His disciples to pray in secret and the Father who hears in secret would answer openly. When Hezekiah exposed the riches that the Lord had given Israel, he opened Israel up to a curse that resulted in the Babylonian kings stealing it all. Our relationship with the Lord is a private relationship. Even our giving is to be done in private so that the Lord sees but men will not. The right hand is not to know what the left hand is doing.

The area of modesty applies primarily to our bodies, but also applies to our thoughts and speech. Our sexuality is Holy as far as the Lord is concerned, as is our bodies. Once we are born again, our bodies are His since He has paid the price for our sins. Everything we are and own belongs to Him. In actuality He created us in the first place so we are His from the beginning, however, Satan has laid claim to us because of sin. To understand holiness we need to understand what Holy means. Holy simply means; that which the Lord declares to be Holy has been set apart exclusively for His use according to His instructions. When we are born again the Lord declares us to be Holy, that is set apart for His use. Our bodies become His Holy temples. There is a word used in the Scriptures that can describe our condition if we fail to maintain our holiness, that is, defiled. Defiled means, that which is Holy has been made dirty, unclean, corrupted or unholy. If we were to use something that the Lord had declared Holy for some purpose other than what the Lord indicates then we have defiled that thing.

An example would be a meat saw. Suppose that a butcher had a meat saw that was designed to cut through bone and meat for the preparation of beef for sale or eating. Now suppose that some plumber came along and used that saw to cut a sewer pipe in two. The saw was holy but now is unclean. You would not want to use that saw on anything that was to be eaten (or holy). So the butcher would want to know that the saw was unclean so that he could clean it for use. (Some people would just to throw it away.) This is the same idea for our bodies and ourselves. Our bodies are made Holy at conversion. If we carry out sinful acts after this then we have defiled our bodies, according to the Old Covenant. Those sinful acts range from showing our nakedness, which is shameful or wicked, to engaging in fornication which brings about a curse, to committing adultery which bring the death sentence upon us and a curse to our children for 4 generations. If we have committed such acts after our born again experience, then we must turn away from those acts and ask forgiveness of the Lord and the person who we caused to sin and ask Him to change our hearts. {1 Corinthians 3:16,17, 1 Thessalonians 5:22} The Lord will forgive us (to the degree we forgive others) and cleanse us to make us Holy again. If we have given our virginity away as a result of sin, we have lost it forever. We are marked for the rest of our lives and according to the Old Covenant, are unmarriageable, for the children of Israel were commanded to only marry women of their own race and nation who were virgins. In the New Covenant we are told again that virgins are sinless when they marry, implying that non-virgins have sin issues to resolve. { 1 Corinthians 7:28 But and if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.}

Of course the question arises; what are the consequences of exposing your nakedness, or committing fornication or adultery (or piercings and tattoos as well, see references). One could argue the case that smoking, drinking, eating certain foods and taking drugs are also defiling our bodies. Some argue that the Old Covenant is no longer in force and therefore the Old Covenant laws are no longer applicable. Yeshua came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. { Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 18 For verily I say unto you, until heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, until all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.} The idea here of Yeshua fulfilling the Law is that the sin problem is actually a heart problem not just a action (body) problem. Under the Old Covenant doing the actions were thought to be the sin. This was a wrong understanding. Yeshua came and explained that sin dwells in the heart and that is what defiles us, not the action. The actions are just the expression of the sin that dwells within. {Matthew 15:8 This people draws close to me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 11 Not that which goes into the mouth defiles a man; but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man. 15:17 Do not you yet understand, that whatsoever enters in at the mouth goes into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashed hands defiles not a man.} So in reality, our bodies are defiled even if we do not do something wrong but it is in our hearts to desire it and we speak of it. Our speech, the words and even the meaning (double talk), are an indication of the condition of our heart. If we have immodesty in our hearts then it will come out of our mouth in some form and defile our bodies. This is the source of disease. Sin in our heart, leads to sinful speech from our mouths which defiles our bodies (which usually leads us to act upon the desire). When our bodies are defiled it leads to the breakdown of our bodies health causing disease which will ends in our body's death. {1 Corinthians 3:16,17) Know you not, that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  But if any man violate the temple of God, him shall God destroy.  For the temple of God is holy, which you are.} We may be able to stop our actions and maybe even our speech but that does not stop the result, it just makes us hypocrites, holding sin in our hearts while acting righteous outwardly. The Freudian slip as it is called is when we have tried to control our tongue but our heart manages to speak anyway. The real problem is the condition of our heart. If we have lust in our heart then it will ultimately show up in our speech and dress. The sin in our hearts leads to death. However, righteousness in our hearts leads to Life. We need a new heart!!

Immodesty is a form of sexual immorality in the heart. Immodesty often is accompanied by fornication and/or adultery. Many young women today dress like hookers. It is an indication of the desires their hearts. If this is their lifestyle then they are hookers (in the heart) even though they may not be hookers physically. Young men who are ruled by the lust of the eye toward women are adulterers or fornicators (in their heart if not physically). As far as Yeshua is concerned adultery, murder, etc of the heart is no different than actually committing adultery, or murder. Both are punishable by death and bring the curse of death upon you. We have many young men and women in our society today who have the curse of death upon them and their relationships with the opposite sex. This is why their relationships are so short and disappear as quickly as they start. It is death at work. It is not that they have not found the right person or "fallen in love" as much as it is the curse rests upon them. Even if there is some length to the relationship (by finding someone they are compatible with) there still is a life and death struggle going on. Death often wins. Maybe not initially but later in the form of divorce. Life can only win if the curse has been broken and the couple have committed themselves and their relationship to the Lord. Otherwise they have no good resources except their own strength. As born again and spirit filled believers, we have the Lord to mature and purify our hearts and to protect our marriages and children.

Often the motive of the heart for immodesty in women is the desire for acceptance by a men. She is looking for a man who will protect and provide for her. She is essentially using her body as bait. In fact it is a sin which results in a curse to look to men for protection or provision. {Jeremiah 17:5 Thus says the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusts in man, and make flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the LORD.} The Lord's answer is to be her protector and to provide for her needs in His time. When a woman uses her sexuality as bait she attracts the men who are primarily interested in using her body. They care not about her well being and are not at all interested in her righteousness. Some women who dress this way are genuinely ignorant and wonder why they always end up dating the kind of guys at are after their body.

Some have the motive of just loving the attention, which is pride, or self exaltation. Of course the same is true of men. They are motivated by conquest and carving another notch on their bed post, pride. Men too can be motivated by acceptance which goes back to looking for a wife to take care of him. These are all appetite driven. Our appetites are to be fulfilled by the hand of the Lord not the arm of the Flesh. An example is the Lord's prayer; {Give us this day our daily bread...}. Here we see Yeshua was looking to Father to fulfill His appetite for food. He did not pray, give me a woman who will feed me.

Someone with a modest heart will dress modestly. I have been blessed with a wife who truly has a modest heart. I cannot remember the last time i saw her in public in a swimsuit, a pair of shorts or a revealing top. She also understands the temptation of men to lust and is very protective of the young men in our circle. We both tend to be offended by the dress habits of the young people who claim to be believers. They are causing their brethren to sin and sinning themselves. A man with a pure heart will not even be looking or strutting! A woman with a pure heart will be wearing modest clothing which covers her body without giving it a second thought. A man or woman with an impure heart will be offended if someone even suggests that they are dressing or acting immodestly.

Summary of Modesty

This is a summary of the Scriptural study below. If you have questions pertaining to this summary please review the study. The two main issues involving modesty are; desecrating our bodies that the Lord has made holy, and tempting our brothers to sin. Both are involved in the question of nakedness. Conventional wisdom defines nakedness as exposing one's genitals and/ or breasts (if female). The Lord's definition of nakedness includes exposing the loins down to the knees. The Levites were not allows to expose even the ankles. Since men, in particular, are visually stimulated, women's dress, or lack thereof, can get their attention very quickly. If a woman is exposing her nakedness then it is usually for the purpose of attracting or enticing men. Unless that man is her husband, in private, it is sin. She is defiling her body and enticing men to lust. If a man or woman exposes their nakedness (legs from the knee up to the waist) and/ or her breasts, including cleavage, to a relative it is more than just sin, its called wickedness (see references below). If this is the case then they have open themselves up to a curse. Since women are not naturally visually stimulated, men's dress is not as big a problem, however, the Lord still applies the same rules about the knee to waist to men. Women are stimulated by touch; both physical and emotional. This is how men tempt women. {1 Corinthians 7:1) It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.} Much of the touching that goes on today, especially in the schools, was what we called foreplay when my wife and i were first married in 1970. A hug (or even a soft touch) that last more than 10 seconds triggers the release of oxytocin in the brain of a woman that is the main euphoric chemical released during sexual intercourse. Another way men tempt women is my exposing their muscles. This appeals to a women's need for protection and provision. Dressing skimpily to show off a man's muscles appeals to men's pride and women's lust of the flesh.

References:

The Scriptures refer to these concepts. Here are a few:

Clothing:

GEN 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (before the Fall)

GEN 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

GEN 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

The Genesis passage is interesting in that we see that man's answer to his nakedness is to cover the loins (genitals) but the Yahweh's answer is to cover the body. We still see that today especially on the beach. Men and woman like to cover only the essentials and consider themselves covered, except the Lord has a different command about nakedness.

Deuteronomy 22:5)  A woman shall not be clothed with man's apparel, neither shall a man use woman's apparel: for he that does these things is abominable before God.

Here we see that Yahweh forbid men and women from wearing each others clothes. Now the question arises as to what constitutes men and women's clothes. Until 50 years ago it was simple, men wore pants and women wore dresses. This was the Biblical standard.

Nakedness:

These texts define nakedness and the consequences of nakedness.

Exodus 28:39) And you shall embroider the coat of fine linen, and you shall make the mitre of fine linen, and you shall make the girdle of needlework. 40 And for Aaron's sons you shall make coats, and you shall make for them girdles, and bonnets shall you make for them, for glory and for beauty. 41 And you shall put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shall anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office. 42 And you shall make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach: 43 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

Exodus 20:22) And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus you shall say unto the children of Israel, you have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. 23 You shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall you make unto you gods of gold. 24 An altar of earth you shall make unto me, and shall sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, your sheep, and your oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. 25 And if you wilt make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone: for if you lift up you tool upon it, you have polluted it. 26 Neither shall you go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.

Isaiah 47:2-3) Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man. (Reading the entire 47th chapter puts this in context.)

Here was a women who wanted to cross a river. God wanted to disgrace the woman, so He commanded her to walk across the river, then, to lift up her skirt so her thigh would show. And God said that when her thigh was exposed, she would be naked and her shame would be revealed. We read that she was told to uncover the locks, to make bare the leg, uncover the thigh and "thy nakedness shall be uncovered."

Leviticus 18:6) None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD. 7 The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shall you not uncover: she is thy mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness. 8 The nakedness of thy father's wife shall you not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness. 9 The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness you shall not uncover. 10 The nakedness of thy son's daughter, or of thy daughter's daughter, even their nakedness you shall not uncover: for theirs is your own nakedness. 11 The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, you shall not uncover her nakedness. 12 you shall not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman. 13 you shall not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister: for she is thy mother's near kinswoman. 14 you shall not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother, you shall not approach to his wife: she is your aunt. 15 you shall not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son's wife; you shall not uncover her nakedness. 16 you shall not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness. 17 you shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shall you take her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness.

These passages give us the definition of nakedness, that is the exposing of the leg from the thigh to the hip. The Leviticus passages indicate that it is wickedness to see (or uncover) your relatives nakedness, including your father and uncles. So it says that seeing you father or uncle and all female relatives from anywhere above the knees to the hips is wicked. Wickedness does not mean being put to death but does requires repentance to remove the curse of wickedness. Uncovering nakedness also includes adultery.

Leviticus 18:18) Neither shall you take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time. 19 Also you shall not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness. 11 And the man that lies with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. 12 And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.

Leviticus 20:17) And if a man shall take his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister's nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity. 18 And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he hath discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people. 19 And you shall not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister, nor of thy father's sister: for he uncovers his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity. 20 And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.

If you commit fornication or adultery with your relatives you are to be put to death. This is also applies to marriage within the immediate family. If you were to marry your aunt you were to be put to death.

Leviticus 20:21) And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.

In this case if a brother dies and another brother marries his widow then it is unholy and they will have no children.

His instructions on modesty ranged from the priests wearing robes that covered their ankles to praying alone in your prayer closet. Matthew 6:6) ESV But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Much of the Lord's working with men was in privacy often in the wilderness alone. Yeshua often went to the wilderness to pray alone. He even sent the disciples to do the same.

Matthew 6:1) Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2) Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3) But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4) so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Modesty:

Galatians 5:22-23) But the fruit of the Spirit is, charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity.

1 Timothy  2, 9) In like manner women also in decent apparel: adorning themselves with modesty and sobriety, not with plaited hair or gold, or pearls or costly attire.

1 Thessalonians 5:22) From all appearance of evil refrain yourselves.  And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you in all things; that your whole spirit, and soul, and body, may be preserved blameless in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1Timothy 2:9) In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel but, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array. (Sobriety is a word that basically means with moderation.)

Body:

1 Corinthians 3:16,17) Know you not, that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?  But if any man violate the temple of God, him shall God destroy.  For the temple of God is holy, which you are.

Romans 12;1,2)  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercy of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God, your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world; but be reformed in the newness of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and the acceptable, and the perfect will of God.

Ecclesiasticus 19:26-27) A man is known by his look, and a wise man, when you meet him, is known by his countenance. The attire of the body, and the laughter of the teeth, and the gait of the man, shows what he is.

Virginity:

DEU 22:13 If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her, 14 And give occasions of speech against her, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid: 15 Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate: 16 And the damsel's father shall say unto the elders, I gave my daughter unto this man to wife, and he hateth her; 17 And, lo, he hath given occasions of speech against her, saying, I found not thy daughter a maid; and yet these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city. 18 And the elders of that city shall take that man and chastise him; 19 And they shall amerce him in an hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days. 20 But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel: 21 Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: so shalt you put evil away from among you.

Cutting:

Deuteronomy 14:1 you are the children of the LORD your God: you shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead. 2 For you art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen you to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

Leviticus 19:28 You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

Matthew 5:27-28)  You have heard that it was said to the ancients, Thou shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that anyone who so much as looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his heart.