The Christian Letter, Volume One: Chapter 14, Part 2 of 6
Drawings do not always portray the truth. Consider the drawings of Adam and Eve, and how before they sinned they are often shown with their nudity covered by well-placed fruit, hair, bushes, trees, or even light. Yet, when we see drawings of them after they had sinned, they have a bikini and shorts, made of leaves, for clothing, even after they had begotten sons and daughters. But is this right? And what is nakedness in the eyes of Yahoweh?
According to the Scriptures, Adam and Eve, once they sinned, knew they where naked, and thus sought to make clothes to cover their nakedness. “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.” (Genesis 3:7).
Their aprons, or girdle, would have covered their waist to mid thigh, Adam and Eve wore short shorts of fig leaves, and nothing on top. When Yahoweh called for Adam and Eve, they where afraid and so hid from Him, but why where they afraid? Hadn’t they been nude the whole time? Did they not already cover themselves with fig leaves? “And he said, ‘I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid myself.’” (Genesis 3:10). Adam had shorts on, but knew that he was naked.
The punishment for sin is death, but the toll of death had never befallen Adam or Eve. “Unto Adam also and to his wife did Yahoweh Elohim make coats of skins, and clothed them.” (Genesis 3:21).
How oft do we skip such tales, never allowing our hearts to know? The first animal that died … they caused him to die. This was their friend. This was one of whom they were to care for. One Adam named. Their friend, not only had to die before them, but upon their nakedness they wore the skin, the hide, of their companion whom they loved. The punishment of sin weighed more heavily on them than I dare say on any of us today. Sin has a toll … a horrifying toll.
Sin had to be covered. But what did Yahoweh cover? What does He see as nakedness?
“And you shall make for them linen trousers to cover their nakedness; they shall reach from the waist to the thighs.” (Exodus 28:42). The Hebrew word for coats is “Kuttonet,” which is also translated as “tunic.” It refers to a shirt-like garment that, historically, would hang down off the shoulders to past the knee enough that the knees would still be covered when sitting.
Yet, if this is how men and women are to be covered, this would mean shorts and swimsuits are nothing shy of nudity. It may sound strange to swim in clothing, but if you really stop to think about it: doesn’t it seem an awful lot stranger to swim in underwear, or a panty and bra? Seems bizarre that if a woman were to be seen wearing only her panties and bra that she would be embarrassed of her immodesty, yet when she wears the same thing that is designed to swim in, she does not feel ashamed at all. Yet, she would not wear it to church or to work due to embarrassment.
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2:15-16).
Men go to the beach in shorts, but why is it shorts are not considered nakedness, while just underwear would be? Is there much difference? I feel this has affected women the most, and has been hidden from men the most. Old photos show me some of the first swimming suits of less than a hundred years ago. They covered far more than the modest dress of today, and, at that time, Christians thought those swimsuits obscene. If this is the case, and today swimsuits are aptly called “string bikinis” … what will our granddaughters dress in? If dressed at all.
Ah, but this is an issue of modesty. What does He see as nakedness?
Neither David dancing in his underwear, nor Isaiah the prophet being in the nip, nor the nudity of Adam and Eve, was considered sinful. The Messiah took off His outer garments, and washed the feet of His disciples as a slave, and what nakedness does a man have who has given the shirt off his back? Do not become arrogant. “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” (John 7:24). Righteous judgment is longsuffering. However, what does He see as nakedness? What is the nakedness of Adam and Eve?
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I would that you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am going to vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘Rich I am, and I am made rich, and need none at all,’ and do not know that you are wretched, and pitiable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I advise you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, so that you become rich; and white garments, so that you become dressed, so that the shame of your nakedness might not be shown; and anoint your eyes with ointment, so that you see. As many as I love, I reprove and discipline. So be ardent and repent. See, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I shall come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I shall give to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.” (Revelations 315-22).
The man the Messiah spoke of here was, in modern terms, rich, inasmuch as he was able to see, and was completely dressed. The nakedness that he had was the nakedness of Adam and Eve, and that was separation from the purest of truths: We need the Almighty. This rich man felt like he did not need anything because he was rich, just like Eve, as well as Adam, felt as if they only had the riches of that fruit, they would no longer need the Almighty.
Adam and Eve were given coats, not to cover their nakedness of skin, but their nakedness of flesh, and the difference is not an English understanding, but a Spiritual understanding. The flesh is a term used for sinful behaviour, and they wore that sacrifice, just as we must put on the sacrificed Messiah. … This is the horror of sin: of thinking we are somehow clothed, covered, without Him.
No longer must we call out, “We are naked.” for to be clothed, even if in our birthday suit, we need to put on the Messiah, not just by accepting Him, but by needing Him completely. To be clothed like the Messiah is to look like the Messiah in every way, and while that includes the tzitzit, it also includes giving the shirt off your back, a turning of the cheek, wholesome speech, and a radical love of His footsteps—so radical that you will follow them no matter what anyone else says. Today, let us be clothed with the Messiah inside and out.
Be Blessed and be a Blessing.
Shalom
-Valentine Thalken Billingsley
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