Naked - A Theology Of

*Dedicated to my friends and those many, many others that have been abused, stripped naked by others in shame and honor and innocence. Dedicated to my friends and others who fight shame from their own sin and own making.

Beautiful

Naked.

And no shame. In the beginning. 
Beauty. 

Then

Sin, naked.

“And he said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself’” (Gen. 3:10).

But God clothed them.Covered.

Naked.

Noah in a vineyard, instead of a paradisiacal garden.

Second creation, second covenant and promise.

Second fall.

Sin naked again.

“Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father's nakedness” (Gen. 9:23).

And God sent Shem and Japheth to cover.

Naked.

Jerusalem, a pagan city, sin naked, possessed by Canaanites.

“I [the Lord] spread the corner of my garment over you [Jerusalem] and covered your nakedness” (Eze. 16:8).

And God clothed her. Claimed her as his holy city, his holy people.

Naked.

The poor in Israel, oppressed by God’s own people.

Victims, naked not of their own guilt.

“Is [a true fast] not to…when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?” (Isa. 58:7).

And God asked his people to be like him, in grace to cover.

Naked.

Jerusalem, in sin judgment, stripped of land and favor

For whoring after false gods, for injustice.

“therefore, behold… I will gather them [your lovers, the nations] against you from every side and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness….And I will give you into their hands….They shall strip you of your clothes and take your beautiful jewels and leave you naked and bare” (Eze. 16:37, 39).

Would God clothe—again?

Naked.

In another garden, in front of a troop of soldiers to carry away the Son of God.

Flee in fear and shame.

How quick we are

to run from HIM.

Naked.

“And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked” (Mk. 14:51-52).

But that same time, God clothed the fleeing, fearful, shamed.
How? 

Naked.

On the cross.

“And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ And they cast lots to divide his garments” (Lk. 23:34).

God himself. 
Naked. 
So
He 
Could
Clothe 
You. 

Naked.

The abused

Sex-slave and trafficked

Shamed

Sin exposed

Porn addicted

Drunken wretch

Marriage rape and domestic violence

Sin done to us

Sin committed by us

Naked. 

But God 
Clothed
You.

And victim shame
sin shame
no hold. 
Held, covered, clothed by God. 

“I counsel you to buy from me…white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen” (Rev. 3:18).

And now—

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall…nakedness…?” (Rom. 8:35).

And the angel said to those who were standing before him, ‘Remove the filthy garments from him.’ And to him he said, ‘Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments’” (Zech. 3:4).

Not only clothed, gloriously bedecked. Diamonds. Lavished. Love. 

God himself
Clothes us
Bearing our nakedness
His hands tenderly dress us
With fine linen 
"for the fine linen [the dress of the Bride] is the righteous deeds of the saints" (Rev. 19:8).

that he himself has granted us.
Feel his hands
washing
and clothing in fine linen, white, pure
and crowning
with fine jewels.

“to grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit” (Isa. 61:3).

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isa. 61:10).

“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev. 21:2).

“All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold. In many-colored robes she is led to the king” (Ps. 45:13-14).

This is our God, to all who see their nakedness.

Clothed.

Covered.

Adorned.
Beautiful.