WHO TOLD YOU THAT YOU WERE NAKED?
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Did You Eat From That Tree?
I, in my finite mind, always equated nakedness with the lack of clothes. It's amazing how much we take for granted, until our own reasoning is challenged. I had read the story of Adam and Eve many times, and it never dawned on me to question why they were so shook up behind realizing their nakedness. After all, they had always been naked. So I went over the account again, and there it was.
God, right after the fall of Adam, asked Adam two questions, one of which he never answered. I've often heard men and women preach and teach on the second question, and how Adam passed the buck to the woman, and how she passed it to the serpent. But, to my recollection, I have never heard anyone preach or teach on the first question.
The two questions that burned in Adams mind are found in the third chapter of Genesis; He said, " Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" I kind of equated that first question with the lack of clothing. Wrong! They lacked material clothing from the very beginning, that kind of nakedness was not a sudden new found awareness. Therefore, when Adam said, " I heard the sound of thee in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked: and I hid myself", he was not talking about material clothing. Notice that in verse seven (7) they had already provided themselves with aprons made from sewn fig leaves. So when Adam said he was afraid because he was naked, he already had a type of covering. So, if he was not referring to material clothing, or physical nakedness, what was he referring to?
We know when God created Adam he was a perfect immortal being, clothed in God's own righteousness. When Adam fell, or sinned, he was changed from immortal to mortal, and Gods' righteousness was withdrawn from him. Adam was now spiritually naked, as well as spiritually dead.
God, through his written word, tells us that we need to be clothed (spiritually). God, inspiring John to write to the Church at Laodicea said this, "therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may be rich, and white garments to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen, ...." Revelation 3:18.
Adam never answered that first question because he didn't have to. No one had to tell him he was naked, he knew.
We know too. When we do things that go against our better judgement, against our conscious, against all conventional wisdom, no one have to tell us, we know.
The Bible says, " let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure - for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints", Revelation 19:7, 8 RSV.
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Thank you IAunn. I appreciate you for reading it, and I'm glad you find it thought provoking.
Thanks for referring me to your hub. Quite provoking.
Thank you for visiting Sophisticated Paperboy.
My understanding of what it means be 'naked' in this biblical sense, is to be *without* knowledge. In order to be one with knowledge, we must have truth, as well as personal experience with opposition, to confirm that which is true.
When Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden, they were filled with truth and light. They were created of truth and light. Until opposition entered the Garden and they were placed in a position to now choose -- whether or not they would keep the commandment that God had given them in the Garden, they had no knowledge of evil.
God has ALL knowledge.
Good thoughts,
tDMg
Thank you for your comments LdsNana-AskMormon. I am a little perplexed at part of your comment though. It sounds like you're saying that 'Naked', in the verse in question, implies being without knowledge of evil. If that is what you're saying, then Adam was without knowledge of evil before and after he transgressed, since he spoke of his nakedness after.
Hello Wehzo,
Yes he does discuss his nakedness with God. He was being made to account for his choice and that which caused him to realize this lack of knowledge. In his choice, Adam chose Satan over God. In making this choice, Adam now felt the consequences that come to those who lose the Spirit or light. When He heard the voice of God, this was a contrast that Adam had not felt before... this nakedness or knowledge of being without the Spirit.
And also having to feel the discomfort of being chastised by God... all of this new knowledge now clothes Adam and Eve, with the ability to choose better in their future.
In these verses, being naked is spoken of in the past tense...
Gen. 3:
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they *knew* that they *were* naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
10 And he said, I *heard* thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I *was* naked; and I hid myself.
11 And he said, Who told thee that thou *wast* naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
21 Unto Adam also and to his wife *did the LORD God make coats of skins*, and clothed them.
(this has reference to the sacrifice of animals, taught in the OT, which is in similitude of Jesus Christ as an offering for our sins. The atonement of Jesus Christ, symbolically covers our sins... He was the lamb that was offered on our behalf. The skin of animal offering represents the atonement. Those who accept Jesus Christ have knowledge of their need for Him, and thus become covered)
22 ¶ And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is *become as one of us,* to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
Also, isn't it interesting that God cursed the ground, for Adam's sake? You can often take the words 'without knowledge' and apply this understanding to most verses where you find the word 'naked', and see how well this application works for a better understanding...
I hope this helps explain my understanding of to be without knowledge a bit better.
tDMg
I always got it in the traditional sense. Like a loss of childhood. A child will romp about naked, without knowing he was that. Then adults tell him that's wrong and he's aware of his nakedness, and learns to feel shame.
For me, now, returning to innocence is returning to Eden, and I'm trying to do that.
I can't kill my memories or make my body younger,
but I can learnt o think like i was, when I didn't have knowledge and logic and science and I blindly believed in God.
Looking at it that way, I can agree with you since I equate spirituality with being nearer to God
and being nearer to God with being naked as a child in His presence,
without shame, without my layers of wordly knowledge.
Your hub is spiritually provocative! :)
I appreciate the contributions that you all make to this discussion, and they all have merit. What LdsNana-AskMormon bring to the discussion is a worthy perspective, and yes, as Kenny pointed out, this hub is provocative. I think that is a good thing. Thank you all, and have a Blessed New Year.
Very provocative and when I get more time i'm coming back to it.
Thank you NightFlower, I appreciate your comments very much.
May I suggest that the nakedness Adam and Eve experienced was their new found knowledge of their "self". They became self aware and self-absorbed. They became selfish. They noticed the difference in their genitals and were embarrassed. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover their genitals. They then viewed good and evil from their own self perspective, looking upon the outward appearance of their bodies. What was good for Adam was not necessarily good for Eve and vice-versa. Selfishness is the root of all sin. It is the seed of the satanic serpent that was imparted into their DNA. Selfish-mindedness is the same as carnal-mindedness that Romans 8:6 says is death. After they ate from the forbidden tree, Adam and Eve were still alive physically but they were dead mentally (It was impossible for them to die spiritually) having their own self perspective being separated from God' s knowledge and perspective. As living souls they still had God' s spirit in them that gave them physical life. When they finally died physically many hundreds of years later, their spirits returned to God and their bodies returned to the dust of the earth from whence they were made.
Good perspective David Thompson. Thank you for your gracious comment and contribution to this hub.
God Bless
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Iðunn says:
2 years ago
excellent hub. I hadn't thought of it that way before but it makes sense. your hubs are always thought-provoking.