Naked and Ashamed
And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. Genesis 2:25 NASB
Not ashamed – But it didn’t last, did it? A few verses later Adam says, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10). The statement seems like a non sequitur. We expect Adam to hide because he sinned, not because he is naked. He has always been naked. But we don’t expect God to reply the way He does. “Who told you that you were naked?” That is just as confusing. No one told Adam he was naked. And why doesn’t God ask about Adam’s sin? Who cares if Adam is naked? Isn’t sin the real issue?
Adam used to be free. There was a time when naked was normal. Then he experienced disobedience and shame became him. The glory of transparence with God evaporated. bosha replaced arom.[1] Sin clothed him and he sought to hide from his own failure. From that moment on, Adam’s life was a history of covering.
The Hebrew verb bosh is used in five distinct ways. “The primary meaning of this root is ‘to fall into disgrace, normally through failure, either of self or of an object of trust.’” [2] While the other uses of bosh involve confusion, embarrassment, delay and lack of trust, the one most associated with our English expression of shame describes “a feeling of guilt from having done what is wrong.”[3] Does that fit the first use of the word in this Genesis passage? Is Adam expressing guilt from having done something wrong? Adam never acknowledges his disobedience. He doesn’t repent or confess. In fact, his statement is entirely internally focused. He is afraid because he is naked! But his nakedness is entirely normal. He has never been afraid of being naked. Something has changed in his own consciousness, not in his external circumstance. And his declaration is consumed with that change, not with the disobedience of God’s commandment.
The Paleo-Hebrew might help. Bosh is Bet-Vav-Shin. House-secure-consuming and destroying. Adam was placed in the Garden to steward it (avad). Disobedience alters his perception. Now he abuses it. How does this happen? To “work” the Garden is to focus my energies on my God-given task. It is to be fulfilled in the doing of what delights Him. But Adam has discovered fear, the fear that he is no longer serving the earth but rather serving himself, and in that discovery comes the awareness of shame. He was designed to be the regent of God in the world. He has become the occurrence of introspection. His world is no longer God’s world. Now it is himself. He is naked. His awareness has shifted from God’s intent to Adam’s desire. He is the house secured by his own consuming and destroying. Shame is not guilt from doing wrong. Shame is the awareness that my agenda is no longer God’s delight. My house is not His home.
I am naked because I look at myself, not because I have no clothes. I am naked because I have exposed my own desire to the light—and discovered it is not God’s intention. I fear being naked because it confronts and condemns my self-preoccupation. I do not hide from God. I hide from the person I have become. I cover up what reminds me that I am no longer a steward of the Garden. I have replaced the Garden with a mirror.
Once I was naked and not ashamed. Once I was a steward in the Garden of God’s delight, doing what I was designed to do, gloriously unaware of myself in the ecstasy of fulfilling my purpose. Now I am self-aware. Now my consciousness begins with me. I am the center of my universe. And I am afraid. I no longer know why I am here, what I should do, how I am to be in this world not of my own making. I could repent and return to the role God gave. Or I can make a world that covers me. I can clothe myself with pretending.
Which will it be?
Topical Index: naked, shame, bosh, Genesis 3:10, Genesis 2:25
[1] bosha – shame, arom – naked
[2] Oswalt, J. N. (1999). 222 בּוֹשׁ. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (97). Chicago: Moody Press.
[3] Ibid.
I hide my eyes from the mirror of His Word, because it reveals to me how far I am from the goal of creating order from this chaos. I hide from the eyes of my Lover because they reveal to me how far I am from the delight of losing myself in that love. I hide from others because we have unanimously decreed public nudity a shame of the highest order. I hide most of all from the self awareness that I HAVE CREATED because hidden in that curse is the horrible mirror of my own inability to secure even my own self from that chaos.
Righteousness does not change the clothes; it just changes the focus. Naked was I created, and to nakedness must I return. That nakedness has always been. Only I have been missing. It begins in the mirror of the Word; then in my prayers that must be out of unfeigned lips. Then it broadens to the mirror of myself. Then, I can look those around me in the eye, and smile at them, because reflected in their eyes I do NOT see my self consciousness any more: through His eyes I see Him looking back at me reflected in theirs, and when I see Him, I see them, and then I see myself. For the first time. With His eyes, in the eyes of others, I then can see my own. Through yours. Thank you.
Tremendous insight (both of you). It strikes a cord with me as well: the farther I walk this way the more self-unconscious moments I experience. They are moments of peace and freedom.
I love this WOD! It has to be one of my favorites. My question is this. How do we know what that work that each of us has been given on this earth? For those of us who feel they have lived floating with the wind and have not found contentment in any one place for long. Is this sin too? Any insights to this from anyone here would be most appriciated.
Thank you!
You start by reading the book John and I wrote, Living in Your Zone
Ok will you bring one to VA Beach or should I order it from your website?
I would be interested in a copy of that book as well. I’m due in 8 weeks with a baby so I can’t be in VA beach. I’m holding out hope that you’ll come to the Carolinas at some point! 😀 Let me know where/how I can order the book. 🙂
Hi Cheryl,
The disciples asked Jesus the same question. In Jn 6:28 they said to Him,
‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
Vs 29 “Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you
believe in Him whom He sent.”
And belief is not just cognitive, but physical, active, doing.
“…the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” (1 John 2:6 NASB)
Absolutely!
Thank you for that reminder. I need that often in my life.
Is there a place in life though, where you find that thing you were made to do and it gives you the knowing that you are fulfilling the works He planned for you specifically? Is that old theology I have not lost? Is that me being self focused and not seeking His will and seeking my own satisfaction? Thank you for your insights!
Cheryl
Cheryl,
It’s not just finding “that thing” you were made to do.
It’s finding Him in all you do.
Trust Him and He will direct your paths. He made you
uniquely you and He’ll find ways to use you uniquely . . .
always.
And if in His plan for you there is a “thing”, you’ll be
the first to know!
Thank you for your response!
yes so true, thank you Rich.
When will you be in Virginia Beach? How do I sign up to go?
All you have to do is show up. I will be there in February. Look on the calendar on the web site for all the details.
This is very interesting. Scientists can’t explain why we have self-awareness. I don’t think you are saying that self-awareness is a negative, but self-focus is. Of course our ability to self-evaluate is also skewed.
Guilt and shame is at least, being aware of our mistakes and wrongdoings; it is not recognizing/acknowledging our mistakes and wrongdoings but continuing to believe we have done no wrong that is detrimental to our spiritual well-being, with no seeking for forgiveness for the one wronged, to then turn back to YHWH’s righteous ways seeking forgiveness from Him.
“From that moment on, Adam’s life was a history of covering.” So too are ours. We have become very good at that, forgetting that ABBA is aware of what is going on, and one day, we shall have to give account. Thus, guilt and shame is working in our favour.
~ To Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them ~ (Genesis 3.21)
~ And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love [atoning Love] will cover a multitude of sins.” ~
God did provide for those who sinned a “covering” of animal skins, and God is Love.
~ And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed ~
One more “not ashamed,” remembered. This “not ashamed” came about centuries after the Garden of Eden story..
From Rabbi Sha’ul:
~ For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek ~ (Romans 1.16)
What is this “gospel” (good news) Paul is speaking of here? Full atonement.. Can it be? Hallelujah!- What a Savior!
And now it’s time to reconsider the “gospel.” The good news is not simply forgiveness and atonement. That, by the way, was offered long before the coming of the Messiah. The good news is about the Kingdom, as Yeshua himself says in the conversation with Pilate. Perhaps reading Daniel Gruber’s book on this will help. And, by the way, I will have more copies of Daniel’s book available as soon as I am back in the USA.
They felt no shame in being naked (‘exposed’ to sin) because they knew not that they were naked (they possessed no knowledge of sin). They lived in the presence of God (heaven and Earth was much closer then) and were clean and pure in every thought and deed because they were perfect just as God made them. To preserve this state God warned them not to eat fruit from the tree (the tree = body of knowledge), this particular tree the devil showed them was the tree of sinful knowledge and understanding. The very act of gaining awareness/knowledge of sin (consuming fruit) was enough to remove them from the perfection that God has bestowed them. In a sense it is the story of every child, leaving innocence and becoming aware of themselves as young adults. No longer seeking the protection of parents or compatible with their parents beliefs and rules. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BEING SELF CONSCIOUS or literal nakedness. I think it was God’s plan all along but had to be carried out in respect to the gift of Free Will.We are here to take back more light than we bring.
I appreciate your fervor about this, but nothing in the text supports your allegorical interpretation (e.g. naked has something to do with sin). There is no “devil” in the mix here. Stick with the text, not your later interpretation from thousands of years of Christian theology. Remember, this wasn’t written to you. Also, there is no mention of God’s “perfection” in this story and no sense that this is about leaving the innocence of childhood, or the protection of parents. You have added considerably to the text.
I think you should delete my post, I have a feeling 2018 is going to be a difficult year for you boys.
Why do you say that?
HI Craig, Have you started or finished reading Chandlers The God of Jesus yet? I would be interested in hearing your review of it if you have.
Also wondering if you are keeping up with Artificial Intelligence as well. It has been a busy year in that field.
George,
The above commenter is a different ‘Craig’. You’ll know me by my ever-changing gravatar/profile pic.
I have very limited resources, so I won’t be picking up Chandler’s work, given, in part, that he doesn’t address John 17:5 and 17:24. I can’t say for sure whether or not this is the case, of course, but I don’t wish to read someone who is essentially writing to confirm his/her own biases.
Regarding AI, I can’t say that I’ve been keeping up with it; however, I did read how it is being used to further the technology for driverless vehicles.
Thanks “Craig”. I can assure you that this read is beyond your description of motives if I can be so presumptious to say. Chandler has many references of support from Trinitarians I can assure you. You might read the reviews on Amazon. I did before I bought the book. Always do and I make sure to read the negative ones too!
I am happy to read any author on anything as long as he can make a case for his perspective. I dont think a forensic analysis of any subject can be done any other way and be credible. Especially in 500+ pages with 1500+ references which creates a more expensive book. I know.
Can I suggest an addition like the initial of your surname to differentiate you two? I will suggest the same to the other “Craig” when I get a chance.