“What are you writing about today?” Lynne asked as she paused at the door to my study. “Warp and woof,” I replied. She had a puzzled look on her face, so I read her a verse:
“If the disease is greenish or reddish in the garment, or in the skin or in the warp or the woof or in any article made of skin, it is a case of leprous disease, and it shall be shown to the priest.” (Leviticus 13:49, ESV)
“Good luck with that,” she said over her shoulder as she walked away.
I have this thing about repetition in Scripture. In his book Disciple-Making Culture, my pastor and friend Brandon Guindon writes, “Repetition is the mother of all learning,” so I’m challenged about what to learn from these terms “warp” and “woof.” The same two words are repeated in verses 48, 51, 52, 53, 56, 57, 58, and 59. The context in Leviticus 13 is the plague of leprosy, which moves from the person to garments that are worn.
The Hebrew word translated “woof” is ereb, defined as “mixture” (Young’s Concordance). The Hebrew word translated “warp” is shethi, defined as “web, woven stuff” (Young’s). What we’re talking about here is clothing. The Ryrie Study Bible footnote for this passage states that the leprosy was “probably some kind of mildew.” We need to be paying better attention to the Old Testament.
In polite society, clothing is not optional. Man has been trying to cover his nakedness before God ever since the Garden of Eden. Some of us do a better job than others. I was a Marine, and you probably are not going to see one of us on the cover of GQ magazine. Man is always going to feel naked before God if he seeks to cover himself with his own garments of self-righteousness.
Isaiah 64:6 tells us, “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” The KJV translates that as “filthy rags,” which, according to Leviticus 13:52, will be “burnt in the fire.”
So, what’s the solution? We need to put on the garment that is provided to those who receive salvation through Jesus Christ. For those who have received King Jesus are called the Bride of Christ, and Revelation 19:8 tells us “it was granted her [the Bride] to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure — for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.” When God looks at us, He sees His Son, the Righteous One, who is clothed in white, bright as the sun.
I’m not saying there is anything wrong with the clothing we wear, but our earthly garments are subject to moths and mildew. When it comes to my eternal wardrobe, I’m opting to be clothed in white, which is the righteousness of King Jesus imparted to His saints.
So, what’s it going to be? The warp and woof of self-righteousness, which is destined for the burn pit, or the white linen garment of righteousness? It is time to choose.
What say ye, Man of Valor?
Semper Fidelis!
