The first gift for Isaac’s new prospective wife: a gold nose ring.

“When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ringweighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels.” (Genesis 24:22, NIV)

Sounds positive here:

“And I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck. And I put a ring on your nose and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.” (Ezekiel 16:11-12)

My friend Edyth comments,

Customs, customs–not a command from God. The Bible presents people in all their sinfulness and strange customs.

My reply:

Too late, already encouraging my wife to exchange her finger-ring for a nose-ring!

In all seriousness, I love the raw grittiness of the Bible. 100% divinely inspired and 100% human.