I am thankful to be among those who received some new clothes for Christmas. Although I got no socks or underwear, I was fortunate to add some new shirts and pants to my wardrobe. After washing and ironing, they will be ready for wear this weekend.
One of the things we now take for granted is colorfastness. Because of modern dying methods, we no longer worry much about our clothing losing its colors in the washing machine or inadvertently dying whatever was washed with it. Although an occasional piece slips in from time to time, that is now the exception rather than the rule, thanks to advanced textile processes.
But imagine a piece of fabric holding its color for over 3,000 years. Archaeologists in southern Israel recently discovered wool fibers from around 1000BC that still had a purplish tint. The wool had been dyed with a substance from Mediterranean sea snails. The method used to produce this highly prized color was very secretive which enabled purple colored clothing to command the highest prices which could only be afforded by royalty and the very wealthy.
Due to its dating and its location near the copper mines of ancient Timna, it’s very possible this cloth was manufactured and imported during the reign of King David or his son, Solomon. It’s an incredible discovery and the fact that these fibers still bear their color after 3,000 years is a testament to the ingenuity, intelligence, and skill of the ancient textile workers.
The amazing ability of this wool to hold its color for thirty centuries can instruct us in our spiritual lives. Dying fabric involves deep chemical bonds on molecular and even atomic levels. Those dyes that are the most colorfast form the strongest of these bonds and can endure over many years, even millennia, as this wool proves. Modern processes have standardized much of this yielding Christmas gifts that keep their colors until they’re worn out or, more commonly, “styled out.”
So too, true conversion to Jesus Christ happens on the most basic and deepest level of our being. Our very hearts, natures, and souls are forever changed when we truly respond to the Gospel and receive Jesus as our Savior. His Holy Spirit takes up residence in our lives and permanently bonds with our spirit. It behooves us then to hold our color as fervently and as persistently as did this 3,000 year old cloth.
But it’s not easy. This world is a very dirty place. It is characterized by sin that stains and mars our fabric. Some of these stains seem permanent and won’t budge even with the strongest detergents. Thankfully, Jesus’ blood does erase even the most stubborn of stains if we will repent and turn from our sin.
The better strategy, however, is to avoid pigpens to begin with. Although we can’t escape every evil influence, we can choose what programs and movies we watch, what songs we listen to, what apps we download, and who our closest friends are. We can intentionally decide not to frequent establishments that encourage or foster sinful behavior such as drunkenness, lust, greed or pride. Peers exert enormous pressures that either stain deeply or cause our true colors of Christian conviction and obedience to run and wash out.
One other danger we must be aware of is fading. Over time, colors can be compromised by repeated washing or prolonged exposure to sunlight. In a similar fashion, our commitment to Jesus can also diminish due to apathy or indifference. We must keep our colors steadfast and immovable by spending time daily in God’s Word and in prayer!
Ultimately, when Christians are washed in the blood of the Lamb, we become not crimson or purple, but rather white as snow. As we consider the exciting discovery of this ancient purple fabric from David’s day, may its colorfastness motivate our own loyalty to the greater King who came in David’s line: Jesus Christ. Blessings, George