I am an amateur spinner. I have learned to make yarn from the raw wool straight off of a sheep's back. Since learning to spin I have developed a new understanding of this verse.
Wool is the "hair" off of a sheep. It is different than true hair in that wool is kinky and stretchy. Other animals produce a wool-like hair, but very few produce actual wool. Their hair is slipperier and much more difficult to work with.
Beware of fiber calling itself wool that comes from any other source than sheep.
Angora, (rabbit hair) for example, is often called wool, but because of its lack of kink and slippery shaft it is weak and frustrating to work with. I can easily spin wool for twenty minutes or more without fatigue. Five minutes of Angora makes my hands and arms ache. As careful as you have to be when laundering wool, you must be doubly careful with angora. It sheds and will eventually lose enough fibers to be just plain worn out.
Beware of religion that comes from any source other than the Bible. It may sound more pleasant sometimes, but it will not be as easy of a burden to bear and not nearly as strong and dependable.
When you twist a few strands of wool fiber together they hold onto one another and form a strong thread.
One wool fiber by itself is fragile.
Many together can be strong enough to have to use scissors to break.
Most yarn is made by first spinning the fiber together into one thread and then twisting together three or four threads. This is called "plied" yarn, (i.e. 3-ply, 4-ply).
Did you know that if you tie Christians together they are stronger? One Christian alone is fragile and weak, but many Christians working together are an unbeatable army. The Bible says:
“And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12
“For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrew 10:25
We need each other. Without one another we will break under the pressure of the world, but together we are strong.
All wool is graded in two ways; by the diameter of the hair shaft and the amount of Merino blood in the producing sheep. The Merino is the breed that produces the softest wool; thus "half-blood wool" is from a sheep that is half Merino and is softer and shorter than "quarter blood wool." I have some Merino wool. It is even pleasant enough to rub against your cheek.
How soft are you to God? How pleasant to be around? Are you stiff and scratchy? God desires a people that are as soft as Merino fleece in the heart.
On the other hand, a Cotswold fleece is very course and scratchy but tough and strong and long, a pleasure to work with because it won't keep breaking on you. It is used in beautiful wall hangings and rugs because it is easier to work with and will stand up to the wear and tear of such use better than any other wool.
Is your faith that tough? Can God work with you anyway He pleases without you snapping under the strain? Do you know in your heart and head that He is in control and the finished product of “you” will be a joy to behold and an asset to His house?
We should have warm hearts, durable faith and the ability to let evil evaporate out of our souls. God values us even more.
My husband bought some flax so I could spin it. It was some of the coarsest ugliest stuff I have ever seen.
But do you know an interesting thing about flax? The more it is used, worn and laundered the softer and prettier it becomes. Some of the highest quality materials you can have, historically, are linen.
You know, sometimes I think God is really putting me through "the wringer," (the part of an old washing machine that forces the water out of the garment.) And guess what- He is. By working me so, He is making me softer and more beautiful in His eyes. Oh, to be like an heirloom linen tablecloth that has been used and laundered thousands of times; soft and pliable and beautiful.
God doesn't want us to combine with the world either. As His sheep we are special and unique.
Oh, He doesn't want us to remove ourselves from society. But He does want us to think differently. He wants us to put Him first in all things, and others second. Certainly not what the world teaches, "Love thyself above all things and use them, (your neighbors) to your advantage." That’s the world’s way.
Wool is the "hair" off of a sheep. It is different than true hair in that wool is kinky and stretchy. Other animals produce a wool-like hair, but very few produce actual wool. Their hair is slipperier and much more difficult to work with.
Beware of fiber calling itself wool that comes from any other source than sheep.
Angora, (rabbit hair) for example, is often called wool, but because of its lack of kink and slippery shaft it is weak and frustrating to work with. I can easily spin wool for twenty minutes or more without fatigue. Five minutes of Angora makes my hands and arms ache. As careful as you have to be when laundering wool, you must be doubly careful with angora. It sheds and will eventually lose enough fibers to be just plain worn out.
Beware of religion that comes from any source other than the Bible. It may sound more pleasant sometimes, but it will not be as easy of a burden to bear and not nearly as strong and dependable.
When you twist a few strands of wool fiber together they hold onto one another and form a strong thread.
One wool fiber by itself is fragile.
Many together can be strong enough to have to use scissors to break.
Most yarn is made by first spinning the fiber together into one thread and then twisting together three or four threads. This is called "plied" yarn, (i.e. 3-ply, 4-ply).
Did you know that if you tie Christians together they are stronger? One Christian alone is fragile and weak, but many Christians working together are an unbeatable army. The Bible says:
“And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12
“For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrew 10:25
We need each other. Without one another we will break under the pressure of the world, but together we are strong.
Not all wools are the same.
Some are short in fibers, only one and a half inches long. Other wool is as long as fifteen inches. The longer wool is a good deal courser than the shorter wool, but much easier to spin. The short wool is soft enough to use to make baby clothes, but the longest wool is only good for rugs.All wool is graded in two ways; by the diameter of the hair shaft and the amount of Merino blood in the producing sheep. The Merino is the breed that produces the softest wool; thus "half-blood wool" is from a sheep that is half Merino and is softer and shorter than "quarter blood wool." I have some Merino wool. It is even pleasant enough to rub against your cheek.
How soft are you to God? How pleasant to be around? Are you stiff and scratchy? God desires a people that are as soft as Merino fleece in the heart.
On the other hand, a Cotswold fleece is very course and scratchy but tough and strong and long, a pleasure to work with because it won't keep breaking on you. It is used in beautiful wall hangings and rugs because it is easier to work with and will stand up to the wear and tear of such use better than any other wool.
Is your faith that tough? Can God work with you anyway He pleases without you snapping under the strain? Do you know in your heart and head that He is in control and the finished product of “you” will be a joy to behold and an asset to His house?
Wool is warm and durable.
It breaths allowing moisture to evaporate while still keeping its wearer warm. High quality wool has been much valued over the centuries.We should have warm hearts, durable faith and the ability to let evil evaporate out of our souls. God values us even more.
Flax is a plant fiber.
Unlike short fibered cotton, flax has a fiber that is often twelve or more inches long. It is very strong. Flax is the thread used to make linen.My husband bought some flax so I could spin it. It was some of the coarsest ugliest stuff I have ever seen.
But do you know an interesting thing about flax? The more it is used, worn and laundered the softer and prettier it becomes. Some of the highest quality materials you can have, historically, are linen.
You know, sometimes I think God is really putting me through "the wringer," (the part of an old washing machine that forces the water out of the garment.) And guess what- He is. By working me so, He is making me softer and more beautiful in His eyes. Oh, to be like an heirloom linen tablecloth that has been used and laundered thousands of times; soft and pliable and beautiful.
God told Israel not to mix wool and linen together;
Linsey-woolsey as the American colonists called it. Wool is from a living animal, a potential sacrifice to God, while flax is a mere earthy plant.God doesn't want us to combine with the world either. As His sheep we are special and unique.
Oh, He doesn't want us to remove ourselves from society. But He does want us to think differently. He wants us to put Him first in all things, and others second. Certainly not what the world teaches, "Love thyself above all things and use them, (your neighbors) to your advantage." That’s the world’s way.
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