Why Is Noah Always Naked?

When my first-born daughter, Emma, was a toddler, someone had given her a plush, fabric book about Noah's Ark. The book came complete with a six-inch, sewn Ark and three-inch, sewn and stuffed animals, and Noah. They all had a spot of velcro on them, so you could stick them on the pages of the book, when called for, in the story. Noah was dressed in a blue robe, a cloth with a band on his head, and he had a whitish-grey beard. You could stuff them all inside the Ark, it was cute; Emma loved it.

One day I found Noah laying on the floor among the toys, but missing his blue robe. I kind of laughed to myself, remembering the story of Noah, in his tent, after the flood (when he had imbibed in one too many grape-pepsies from his vineyard, and passed out, disrobed). I decided the Noah doll should not stay that way, and so found his robe and tried to put it on him. Not easy. Not easy at all. Probably why he wasn't re-dressed by the child that disrobed him. I wrestled with this ridiculous thing for longer than I care to admit, but finally, he was decent again. I felt very satisfied in having persevered and done the right thing, despite the challenge of it. Noah was now acceptable again.

Flash forward a few years and child number two (another baby girl, Anna) comes along and also discovers the delight of this fabric book set. A few months ago I noticed Noah made it onto the bathroom floor, and again, no robe. This, of course, was not right, so I set about to fix it. Again I struggled and wrestled until after, like, forever, Noah was successfully clothed. Feeling very satisfied with the reward of my labors and finally being done with such tediousness, I carried on with my day.

A couple of months go by and guess what? Noah. Again. On the floor. No robe. Now I'm thinking, what is this? In a rush, I try to robe him again, but I really didn't have time... or patience, so I gave up and tossed him, half dressed, into the toy bin. Another couple months go by and Noah has found his way back to the bathroom floor, completely robeless once again. This time, with a little laugh under my breath, I wondered, why is Noah always naked? I left Noah where he was and carried on with life. For weeks, Noah lay on the floor. I stopped noticing his nakedness. I accepted his presence on the bathroom floor. I did move him back to the toys now and again, but he always made it back to the bathroom. I no longer tried to dress him. I just accepted him the way he was now.

Every now and then, when I would see him again, with a little laugh under my breath, I wondered, yet again, why is Noah always naked? I was kind of joking, but my spiritual antennae was beginning to pick up on something now, like there was something significant in all this. I asked God if He was trying to tell me something, but again I left Noah where he was and carried on with life.

The other day, after noticing naked Noah still on the floor, I talked about it to Emma, my eldest (now 8). I asked her why Noah was always naked. She said that Anna (age 2 and a half) undresses him, and that she tried to dress him for her, but Anna protested loudly, so she left him undressed. Emma's theory was that Anna didn't like Noah's robe, it wasn't her style. No doubt she'd prefer a tutu of some sort, but whatever it was, Noah's blue robe just wasn't cutting it for Anna.

This morning, as Noah greeted me in his usual birthday suit, I started getting pieces of insight about this scenario. I began to remember the Bible story (Genesis 9: 20-27) and how there is much significance in the piece about how Noah's sons respond to his nakedness. Nowhere does it say that God judged Noah for getting drunk on the fruit of his vineyard and passing out naked in his tent (it does say in Gen. 7:1 that Noah was a righteous man in his generation, in God's eyes). However, the son that sees his father's nakedness and goes to tell his brothers brings a curse on himself and his descendants. The brothers whom he told, decide to go into the tent backwards, with a robe stretched between them, their faces averted, so that they didn't gaze on their father's nakedness, and cover him. This resulted in bringing a blessing on themselves and their descendants.

There are people, both in the World and in the Church who seem to think that pointing out other's areas of nakedness is ok. They fail to see the plank in their own eye. They don't deal with their own issues that cause them to “gaze” at others and commit sins that are a hundred times worse than being found naked. What is in your heart? It is a worse sin not to cover each other's nakedness, than to be found naked. It is so much worse, that you are treading the dangerous territory of bringing down a curse on yourself and your descendants. Repent. Quickly. We are not called to expose nakedness... “Love covers a multitude of sins...”, but to love:

Proverbs 17:9 He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends.

1 Peter 4:8 Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others].

God is not an accuser, He is Love. Satan is an accuser. Do not be tempted to accuse, to uncover, and to expose one another. If you're struggling with a situation, seek God's wisdom for your life. Perhaps you are uncomfortable, because of what resides inside you, seek healing. Perhaps you are to move into a new thing and the discomfort is a signal to move. Go to God looking at yourself, not pointing your finger at another. You will find what you need in His presence.

God will forgive the foolishness of our youth as we repent; in regards to spiritual things, don't remain a foolish youth.

Grow up. Be gracious. Do unto others as you would have them do to you. When you blow it, we all do at times, repent. Apologize. And grow. And be blessed.

1 Corinthians 13:7-9

Amplified Bible (AMP)

7 Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

8 Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. As for prophecy ([a]the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), it will be fulfilled and pass away; as for tongues, they will be destroyed and cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away [it will lose its value and be superseded by truth].

9 For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (our teaching) is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect).

Noah was like we all are, buck naked at times. His sons are an example to us in how we can choose to respond to that nakedness in each other.

Noah will always be naked.

We all have skin showing.

How will you respond?