Patterns and Fashions

The word “pattern” appears in your King James Bible 14 times in 13 verses, ranging from Exodus to Hebrews. It is closely associated with the word “fashion” as found in Exodus 26:30, but first appears in Genesis 6:15 and lastly appears in James 1:11. These words aren’t always used or defined similarly but do frequently as in the case of Exodus 25:9 & 26:30.

The world recognizes the connection between these two words when considering that the “fashion of this world” is based off of the “patterns of this world.” Clothing requires a pattern to follow and the fashion follows the pattern.

In much the same way, spiritually, God has given us a pattern to follow (the Word of God and the word of God), and the fashion is our appearance (1 Thess. 5:22) or behavior that others see, which reflects the pattern we follow.

Paul was a pattern “to them which should hereafter believe…”(1 Timothy 1:16) and writes in Titus 2:7 that, “In all things shewing thyself (fashion) a pattern of good works…” He then goes on to list the pattern of good works that we are to fashion so, “that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.” (verse 8.)

Everything is based off of a pattern. According to Hebrews 8:5 and Acts 7:44 God gave Moses a pattern to follow for the building of the tabernacle. And that pattern was based on the pattern of the universe and New Jerusalem. The earthly tabernacle was the “fashion” of the heavenly tabernacle, but the earthly tabernacle vanished away just as one day the heavenly will vanish away until God makes all things new in eternity.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 7:31 that the “fashion of this world passeth away” and Jesus Christ is said to have come to earth “in fashion as a man” (Philippians 2:8). One day all of the fashions of the world and of man will pass away and be replaced with the glorified nature and presence of GOD.

Until then we are to pattern our lives after the pattern of God’s words so that the fashion the world sees, which is contrary to them, they may be ashamed and say, “We never saw it on this fashion.” Mark 2:12.