When we think about sadness and despair, we think about weeping, depression, and even suicide. Although all of these are expressions of sadness, there is another that I believe holds special significance. Baldness. Isaiah 15:2{b} relates to those from Moab who have turned from the Lord that “on their heads will be baldness, and every beard cut off.” Think about that for a moment. Have you ever been so sad and upset at your situation that you would shave all of your hair off? It may be easier for a man to do than a woman, but that would take some extreme despondency! If we’re honest, even people who commit suicide don’t shave their heads first as a rule. A shaved head isn’t something you just "bounce back from”, it takes a while to get your hair back to the state it was in prior to the shaving. So what, in essence were the people hoping to accomplish by having no hair on their heads? God does not hear a bald person’s prayer sooner than one who has hair and God certainly doesn’t need their hair. Therefore the only explanation is humility. To shave your head because of extreme regret at your departing from the instruction of God is one of the most humbling things you can do. Like I stated above, even when the moment has passed, you still have to live with your hair growing back over a period of months. This is not a quick “I repent Lord”, no it’s a deep, grief stricken reaction to one’s own torment at disobeying God. Praise God because of Jesus we can receive forgiveness and move on without coming up with extreme actions to “prove” to God that we are sorry for our sin! All we have to do is allow the Holy Spirit to provoke us to apologize and receive our forgiveness and our feet are clean once again. So the next time you miss the mark, apologize to God and then spend some time thinking about how willing you are to shave your head and praise God that He does not require you to!!
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