Does Nature Itself Teach Us About Men's Hair?
Have you ever wondered what the Bible actually says about men having long hair? If you've read 1 Corinthians 11:14, you might be confused about what it means when Paul says "Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?"
This isn't just about following arbitrary rules - it's about understanding God's natural order and the principle of distinction He established from the beginning.
The Natural Argument Paul Makes
In First Corinthians 11:14, the Apostle Paul makes what he calls a "nature argument." He's not talking about Mother Nature or some pagan concept, but rather the natural order that God established for humanity.
"Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?" - 1 Corinthians 11:14
Paul is pointing to something practical here. Think about it - if you're going into battle, you don't want your hair catching on something. If you're working in the yard with a chainsaw, long hair becomes a safety hazard. There's something that just doesn't seem natural about a man having long hair, no matter how many ways you try to talk about it.
But here's the most important context: this passage is primarily about headship, not hair. Jesus Christ is the head, and Paul is laying out God's authoritative order. The hair length is simply one visible way this principle is demonstrated.
Understanding the Nazarite Vow - Was Jesus a Nazarite?
This is where many people get confused. They'll say, "Well, Jesus had long hair because He was a Nazarite!" But that's not accurate.
Jesus was a Nazarene (from Nazareth), not a Nazarite. There's a big difference.
The Nazarite vow, found in Numbers 6, had three specific requirements:
No wine or strong drink
No razor upon the head (letting hair grow long)
No contact with dead bodies
Here's how we know Jesus wasn't a Nazarite:
"And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come." - Luke 22:17-18
Jesus was around "the fruit of the vine" at the Last Supper. If He were under a Nazarite vow, this would have violated it.
Additionally, in Luke 7:12-15, Jesus touched a dead body when He raised the widow's son from the dead. A true Nazarite couldn't come near any dead body.
The Purpose Behind the Nazarite Vow
The Nazarite vow wasn't about looking cool or being spiritual. It was actually a shaming vow - designed to make someone look different and even socially outcast.
Imagine not being able to eat grapes, raisins, or anything related to vineyards in a culture where these were abundant. People would think you were weird! That was the point - you were so separated unto the Lord that everyone would know you were different.
"All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow." - Numbers 6:5
The principle for us today? If you can't withstand somebody calling you names or making fun of you for living for God, if you can't handle the workplace mockery when you don't laugh at dirty jokes - you're missing the point of Christian separation.
Samson's Example - When Strength Becomes Weakness
Samson is the perfect example of what happens when we compromise God's standards. He was raised under the Nazarite vow but broke every part of it:
He went to vineyards (where he shouldn't have been)
He touched dead bodies (taking honey from a lion's carcass)
Eventually, his hair was cut
"But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house." - Judges 16:2
What destroyed Samson? His eyes - what he looked at led to his downfall. The application is clear: if something is causing you to sin, remove it from your life completely.
Absalom's Pride and Downfall
Then there's Absalom, whose pride in his beautiful hair literally killed him:
"But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight." - 2 Samuel 14:25-26
Absalom's hair became his snare:
"And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away." - 2 Samuel 18:9
Don't let your pride - whether it's about hair or anything else - become the thing that destroys you.
The Real Heart Issue
Look, getting the right haircut isn't going to save you. Dressing right isn't going to save you. These are external things that reflect internal realities, but they're not the main issue.
The main issue is your relationship with Jesus Christ. There is someone who became ashamed for us - Jesus Christ. There is someone who hung on a tree for us - Jesus Christ.
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:2
"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." - Galatians 3:13
Practical Application for Today
So what's the takeaway? God doesn't give us inches and millimeters - He simply says "long versus short" and calls it a shame for a man to have long hair. There's an inborn sense that should tell you this principle.
This doesn't mean we stand at the church door with measuring sticks, trying to figure out who's in the kingdom and who's in the world. That's not the point.
The point is distinction. If I look at a man, I should know he's a man by his appearance. If I look at a woman, I should know she's a woman by her appearance. It used to be simple - now we're in terrifyingly confusing times where this basic distinction has been lost.
But we don't take these lesser things and use them to beat people over the head. We don't make them the hobby horse we ride every Sunday. We regard these passages, we teach on them, but we keep them in proper perspective.
The Gospel Above All
If you haven't trusted Jesus Christ and His work of hanging and dying on the cross of Calvary, you are as lost as the worst criminal on this earth. If you were to die tonight, God would be holy and righteous and just to cast you into hell forever.
Don't allow the pride of your good works - don't allow the pride of whatever it is that you think will merit you favor with God - to end up being the thing that condemns you forever.
Please come to Christ if you haven't already. That's the most important message of all.
The Bottom Line
The Bible does teach that it's a shame for a man to have long hair. This isn't about legalism - it's about recognizing God's natural order and the principle of distinction He established. But more importantly, it's about having a heart that's willing to be different for God, even when the world mocks you for it.
Are you willing to stand for biblical principles even when they're unpopular? Are you more concerned about fitting in with the world or pleasing God? These are the real questions this passage raises.
🎧 📖 Want to hear the complete exposition of this passage? This blog post only scratches the surface of the rich verse-by-verse Bible teaching found in the full sermon. For deeper insights into expository preaching on 1 Corinthians 11, including more about head coverings, biblical authority, and practical Christian living, I encourage you to listen to the entire message. There's so much more biblical truth packed into this expository preaching that will strengthen your understanding of God's Word!