NAKED Truth

Literally from Genesis to Revelation, the Word of God is filled with accounts of people who were found unclothed or naked. Keeping in mind that every detail and description of scripture serves a purpose, let us take a look at the following occasions of nakedness in the Bible and learn from their examples:

Adam and Eve. “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed” (Genesis 2:25). Here we see a model for a godly marital relationship. Before sin entered the world, God created the first couple completely nude. Originally, they had nothing to hide from each other. There was no reason to be self-conscious about their bodies. They had no ulterior motives while being together. Neither one was trying to “get over” on the other. Vulnerable or “private” parts were regarded with the same attitude as any other parts. This is the way the Lord meant for all people to operate in their relationships with each other: openly, honestly and with appreciation for the beauty of each other. Most importantly, the Lord desires truth in the inward parts which removes the guilt and shame that come with sin and deception. From Adam and Eve, we learn that through faith and honest communication, a husband and wife can and should be completely transparent, or “naked”, with one another.

Noah. “Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent” (Genesis 9:20). Here we see a model for inward reflection. While in the privacy of his own dwelling, the man who found favor with God went on a binge. In his inebriation, Noah stripped himself of his inhibitions, symbolized by his nakedness. While scripture forbids us to engage in drunkenness, wherein is excess, we should find time and place for solitary introspection which allows us to uncover the complexities of who we are apart from roles we engage in public life. From Noah we learn that a private retreat can allow us to relax from stress, reflect upon our experiences and refine our character.

[Youtube]jL6vw5xI0Bg[/Youtube]

The Israelites. “Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (naked) for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies” (Exodus 32:25). Here we see a model for extravagant worship. While the man of God was upon Mt. Sinai receiving the 10 Commandments from the Lord, the Jews had abandoned themselves completely celebrating before a golden calf. God became angry with them, not because of how they were worshipping (which was naked), but because of what they were worshipping (which was an idol). Again, while Scripture forbids us from worshipping any other god than the Lord, when we do publicly worship the Lord it should be without thought of embarrassment or shame. Too often we fail to love Him with “all our heart, all our mind, all our soul, and all our strength.” From the ancient Israelites we learn that public worship should be done whole heartedly as unto the Lord, being unrestrained, real and “raw”.

Jonathan, son of King Saul. “And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt” (1 Samuel 18:4). Here we see a model for love and loyalty in friendship. The prince’s actions toward the shepherd from Bethlehem were a demonstration of pure love and commitment. Jonathan loved David as his own soul; he didn’t hold anything back from him – not even the clothes he was wearing. God wants us to develop intimate relationships with each other wherein we extend everything we have as a gift to those we care about. From Jonathan we learn that friendship is the fulfillment of the second greatest commandment, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Job. “And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord’” (Job 1:21). Here we see a model of total trust. Job was declared by God Himself to be “a perfect and upright man, one who feared God and shunned evil”. When his good fortune suddenly turned for the worst, Job declared his unwavering confidence in the goodness and wisdom of His Creator. By recalling that he came into the world with nothing and that at death he would leave the world with nothing, he was able to keep an eternal perspective on a temporary condition. From Job we learn that unwavering trust in God is maintained by seeing ourselves as “naked” apart from His presence alone. Christ is our sufficiency.

The Underworld. “Sheol (hell) is naked before Him, and destruction has no covering” (Job 26:6). Here we see a reminder of God’s eternal judgment. Through the words of Job God warns those who might forget that it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. He lets us know that even when the memories of the dead have been long forgotten and their corpses have rotted away in the grave, God still sees their souls and will bring them into account for the deeds done in their bodies. From the underworld we learn that we should live our lives as though everything is being recorded, because –good or evil, right or wrong- it is coming up again.

Isaiah. “At the same time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, ‘Go, and remove the sackcloth from your body, and take the sandals off your feet.’ And he did so, walking naked and barefoot” (Isaiah 20:2). Here we see a model of dramatic prophetic ministry. During the time of Isaiah the nations of Egypt and Ethiopia had become so wicked and perverse that God had determined to judge them severely by letting Assyria take them naked and bound into captivity. While we might find the idea of a naked preacher proclaiming the judgment of God bizarre or even comical, it is anything but funny. From Isaiah we learn that even today God will use people in radical ways and to extreme measures in order to get sinful nations of people to listen to and obey His warnings.

Mark. “Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body” (Mark 14:51). Here is a model of Christian discipleship. The young man mentioned here in Mark’s gospel is commonly believed to have been the author himself. While the betrayal of Jesus is the primary focus, Mark wanted us to notice he was following Jesus, too. More importantly, he calls our attention to the slight amount of clothing he was wearing. This linen cloth was so loose that when the soldiers tried to grab him, Mark was able to run away naked leaving his clothes behind. From Mark we see that figuratively we as believers are to wear the things of this world like a loose garment, such that at any given moment we will be ready to escape the lures of temptation and the snares of sin.

Simon Peter. “Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it) and plunged into the sea” (John 21:7). Here we see a model of Christian integrity in the workplace. Simon Peter’s nakedness while deep sea fishing is symbolic of the diligent, sacrificial, humble attitude with which the Lord wants us to perform our daily duties. Whether self-employed or hired by others, we are to work in such a way that at any given moment we will be prepared for Him to inspect our efforts. From Simon Peter we learn that like he laid aside his clothes, we are to lay aside the weight and the sin that so easily beset us and to run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of our faith.

[Youtube]V6DP5TPz81c[/Youtube]

All creatures. “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). Here we find a reminder that God sees and judges our motives as well as our actions. The author warns us that every man, woman, boy and girl is known by God regardless of what their relationship is with Him. Whether clean or unclean, holy or unholy, every one is clearly visible at all times to Him. He knows our thoughts and hears our unspoken mental conversations. From all creatures we learn that we whatever is done in the dark will be brought to the light.

The Church of Laodicea. “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ – and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17). From this admonition we learn that the way we view ourselves is not necessarily the way the Lord views us and that His view is what matters most. Like the congregation in ancient Asia Minor, the modern church as a whole has become full of pride and self-righteousness. Like them, many professing Christians today have no idea that when it comes to their standing with the Lord, they leave much to be desired. From the Church of Laodicea we learn that we need Jesus inside of us if we are going to truly be rich, clothed in white garments that the shame of our nakedness be not revealed, and made able to see.

The Lord Jesus Christ. “(He) rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself . . . poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded” (John 13:4-5). “And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take” (Mark 15:24). In both these accounts, we see our Lord demonstrating the naked Love and Truth of God. By His voluntary actions to serve the apostles and by His submission to being stripped by His captors, the Lord shows that God’s love for us is really real and amazingly obvious. Given His earlier demonstrations of power and authority, there is no way anyone could misunderstand that His sacrifices were evidence of His great love for us. From the Lord Jesus Christ we learn that as He washed our feet so we are to wash one another’s feet and that as He loved us so we ought to love one another.

In conclusion, now that we’ve looked at who’s naked, let’s get naked as discussed in this blog. May God bless you as you disrobe before the King.