What Is It About Nakedness...?

After the flood, Noah began to cultivate the ground, and he planted a vineyard. One day he drank some wine he had made, and he became drunk and lay naked inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and went outside and told his brothers. Then Shem and Japheth took a robe, held it over their shoulders, and backed into the tent to cover their father. As they did this, they looked the other way so they would not see him naked. [Genesis 9.20-23]

I want to start off by saying (as a disclaimer) that there is much more about this story that we don't know than that we do know. That said, was it an accident that Ham saw Noah naked? 

If we consider in context that Shem and Japheth made every effort not to see their father naked, we can, contextually speaking, conclude that Ham was not so prudent. It is not unclear then, from the context, that Ham's indiscretion was more than accidental.

Unfortunately for us today, nakedness (nudity) has become far too commonplace. One must consider that Noah and his sons were, as time goes, not too far from Adam and Eve. No doubt they were well aware of Adam and Eve's sin and were keenly aware of the role of nakedness in that story. For Noah and his family, nakedness certainly meant more to them then than it does to us now. So important was their awareness of nakedness that Noah declared an open-ended curse upon Ham (and all his descendants) for his violation of it.

What was it about nakedness that caused all the stir in the first place?

Consider this:

The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. [Genesis 3.6-7]

Notice that Adam's and Eve's shame came before God came walking through the Garden. Prior to eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve were unaffected by the nakedness of each other. They were in fact man and wife, so why the shame toward each other after eating the fruit? Why did they not simply go on as before but then experience shame when God came along (since God was the one they had disobeyed)?

Something about the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil caused Adam and Eve individually, irrespective of gender, to feel personal shame about their nakedness. Why the shame toward each other? 

No doubt prior to eating the fruit, Adam and Eve were in every way pleased with each other. I can imagine when they looked at, and thought of, each other, there was only desire for one another in every way with no doubt whatsoever of reciprocal desire. However, once they disobeyed God, they proved themselves untrustworthy - a feeling that affects every relationship in human life. "If I unfaithfully ate that forbidden fruit, how can she (Eve) know I am faithful with her?" Or, "If I broke trust with God, how can I expect him (Adam) to trust me?" Shame.

Sin gives way to shame. And, it's not just shame before God, but before each other.

So, what does this have to do with Ham seeing Noah naked? It seems that Ham's attitude toward seeing his father naked was the problem. Ham is an example of a man attempting to overcome his shame and instead embrace his sin. It is no mistake therefore that what immediately follows Ham's story in Genesis are the genealogical records of Noah's sons. Ham's descendants, in particular, were largely the "...ites" that would eventually become enemies of Israel (see Genesis 7.6-20). What's more, is that Ham's descendants would include Sodom and Gomorrah, both known historically for gross sexual misconduct including homosexuality.

How desensitized are we today to nakedness? How have we, like Ham, attempted to overcome our shame and embraced our sinfulness?

Nakedness is not the problem. The problem lies entirely in the attitude that nakedness is no longer associated with shame that calls us to repentance.

Adam's and Eve's attempt to cover themselves with leaves was not enough. God had to sacrifice animals (shed blood) to even begin to deal with their sin. In time, and in order to settle the sin impasse once and for all, God sacrificed His own Son. He did not change the fact that humans are naked before Him (and there is shame associated with that), but He provided the Eternal Solution for man's sin and shame in Christ Jesus.

There is so much more to be considered in this discussion... Frankly, at the moment, my head is spinning in consideration of all the implications of nakedness and shame - and the sacrifice of Jesus.

Father, I know I have probably talked in circles here... But it has been good for me to consider at least some of the facts Your Word reveals about man's attitude toward disobedience. May I not be found in callous disregard for my "nakedness" before You and my fellow man when it comes to my need for redemption!