Articles
Poor, Blind and Naked: From the Garden of Eden to the Assembly of Laodicea-Part 1
Barbara L. Klika, MSW, Undershepherd, Life Coach
February 2023
Revised for Wisconsin Christian Newspaper
…declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
Isaiah 46:10 ESV
There is a parallel that I haven’t really heard acknowledged between the story that began at first in the Garden of Eden and will end in that same garden. The condition of the people involved is said to be the same…poor, blind, and naked. Yet the first people KNEW it and the last people will NOT know their own predicament. This impacts how we choose to live today!
Genesis 2:25
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Genesis 3:7-8
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
Revelation 3:17 ESV (assembly of Laodicea. The last of seven-- Laodicea means “justice of the people”)
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
2 Corinthians 5: 1-7
…For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked…
NOTE: I have only printed “blind” and “naked” search information here, to show the connection between blindness and hiding, but point out that “poor” doesn’t always have to do with material things, but generally refers to a lacking in the spirit: “Poor in spirit.” When this refers to a lack, it seems to refer to one who is focused on physical things, material things--the natural man for whom spiritual things are foolishness. Yet, “blessed are those who are poor in spirit” does not mean that the natural man is blessed in his ignorance of spiritual things; but rather may be more accurately translated as “humble” in spirit.
If we are poor or afflicted in spirit, we probably know that we have need.
If we are arrogant, and refuse to listen, we will probably not realize it.
There are four Old Testament (Hebrew) words for "blind" including the verb H5786 “To blind” and H5956, “hide, blind, dissemblers, hidden, secret, secret thing.”
New Testament (Greek) for "blind" most simply put is G5186 Tuphloo “to blind” and two others. Tuphloo includes “to burn, smoke” and Vine’s Expository Dictionary for NT adds that it is used “metaphorically of the dulling of the intellect.” The other two words can refer simply to one who cannot see, but Vine’s also notes that it can be used as “a covering or hardening like a callus.” Also noted is the metaphorical use of “a dulled spiritual perception.”
(See additional study in articles in What Shepherds Need to Know series https://www.set-apart-ministries.org/shepherdsneedtoknow.html for the Introduction and Shepherds Need to Know about the Biblical Meaning of Restraint and Nakedness part 1. )
The Garden was created to be delightful to the sight/eyes. Mankind—Adam and Eve-- were naked and not ashamed, created in His image. They could see YHWH; the spirit of the living God walking and talking with them in the midst of the garden. He created all things to be the perfect place for them to be with Him. He could be in their midst—penetrating their lives with His Presence as they responded and accepted His surrounding of them in that protected place. Everything provided for them made them rich!
According to the paleo Hebrew (AHLB) meaning of the Hebrew words for “Male” and “Female” the man’s function includes a sense of penetration, forward motion that, at its best, is protective. The woman’s calling includes a sense of encompassing, a surrounding that, at its best, in my opinion, is protective. Together, men and women provide a picture of the fullness of Elohim. When one is penetrated, one cannot help but surround! Their relationships were rich!
There is a beautiful metaphorical picture here, too. As Messiah accepted the penetration of the spear, a picture of our sin, because of His encompassing love for us, so are we penetrated in our being by His Presence, choosing to accept and respond…or not. We were created to have the riches of the entire creation at our disposal, to walk and see in His light, in need of no other covering but Him.
Deception entered in as YHWH knew it must. I believe that division is necessary in order to provide witness. There must be a difference in order for there to be a witness to which one is correct.
Opposition and contention were also necessary to allow mankind to individuate from the Creator, in order to be genuinely able to ultimately return by their free will in complete voluntary submission to Him. Opposition between men also leads to the necessity to clearly define what they stand for.
1Corinthians 11:19 ESV
For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you.
In Gan Eden, Satan implied they were really already blind, and in accepting that assessment they became blind…to the things of YHWH and instead, opened to the things of the world. Chava/Eve did not encompass the man--surround, protect and defend, and Adam did not initiate intervention to protect; neither carried out their function as YHWH designed.
- By stepping away from obedience and confidence in Him, they stepped out from His covering.
- They lost the ability to best comprehend His ways/vision.
- They became poor--evicted from the Garden; no longer walking in the spirit of their first love within His total provision.
- His Shekinah presence of light had been with them, the “habitation of heaven,” but when it faded, they became aware they were naked.
- The mortal nature of their physical bodies became evident.
Today, our own efforts in coverings will not be successful either. Just as YHWH put their fig leaf efforts aside and HE made coverings for Adam and Chava/Eve so has He provided covering for us in Messiah Yeshua. I am not the first to wonder if these self-made coverings came from the leaves of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, though there is no clear etymology for the word “fig.”(TWOT)
To further assess the spiritual nature of what was lost, we can consider the seven elements of the Spirit of God that hovered over Creation (Genesis 1:2) and rests on Messiah Yeshua/Jesus/The Branch and thus on His followers. They are listed in Isaiah 11. These spirits are also thematically connected with each of the first seven days of creation and the seven assemblies listed in Revelation. Later, we will also examine the connections with the seven things that our Abba hates. (Proverbs 6:16-19)
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— (Central Source of the Holy Spirit/Ruach haKodesh-1)
the Spirit of wisdom/chokmah (2) and of understanding/binah,(3)
the Spirit of counsel/etzah (4) and of might/gevurah, (5)
the Spirit of the knowledge/da’at (6) and fear/Yirat (7) of the Lord—
and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
Isaiah 11:1-3
They lost the working of the Spirit of wisdom/Chokmah, the first day ability to separate light from darkness, make right decisions by sight, which is from YHWH. They lost the working of the Spirit of Understanding/Binah, the second day ability to separate, categorize and correctly build on wisdom in order to make right choices. They lost the working of the Spirit of Counsel/Etzah, the third day ability to use wisdom and understanding to come to wise counsel and actions. They lost the very physical presence of the Holy Spirit/Ruach and could now only hear His voice, rather than see Him. They lost the working of the Spirit of Power/G’vurah, the fifth day ability to move in His power in that protected special place as they cared for it. They lost the working of the Spirit of Knowledge/Da’at, the sixth day ability to remain in intimate knowledge and relationship with YHWH as they walked in the physical world. They lost the working of the Spirit of Fear/Yirat, the seventh day ability to rest and be refreshed in their relationship with Him.
Yet for all that, though they deserved immediate death physically and spiritually, YHWH preserved them and covered them; and allowed them—us, through the generations--time to learn and grow and mature.
The Exodus story parallels this one and Paul confirmed that it applies to us today:
1Corinthians 10:11
Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
The children of Israel came into the Spirit of Wisdom of YHWH by obedience to His commands, through Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam’s leadership, ultimately staying in the House under the protective blood of the lamb on the doorposts, keeping the Passover/Pesach. They were able to move in the Spirit of Understanding/Binah and separate themselves from that which was ungodly, as they left Egypt with their Unleavened Bread. They accepted the Spirit of Etzah and wise counsel through Moshe and Aharon as they walked through the waters and became a sort of First Fruits of all that was to come in uncountable descendants. They celebrated under the leadership of Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam in the Presence of the Ruach as they were delivered through water from death. They came to the Mountain of YHWH and through Moshe’s intercession, they witnessed His Fire and presence, at Shavuot (the precedent for Pentecost.) YHWH was in the midst of them, penetrating the assembly with His Presence.
They received the wisdom, understanding and counsel but did not in some ways fully accept the authority or government of the Ruach. YHWH makes these things available to all, yet only those who honestly receive them while also under the authority of the Ruach and who agree to be set apart will be able to fully enter in and walk righteously in them. They were afraid of seeing and hearing Him, and delegated Moshe to do so, saying they would do all that he told them. In practice, they did not do so.
They should have been ready to walk in the Spirit of Power and carry the good news to the Promised Land but instead, elected to step out from under the covering. Moshe was horrified to see that Aharon had made them naked--uncovered--by his participation in the golden calf incident.
Exodus 32:25
And when Moses saw that the people [were] naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto [their] shame among their enemies:
They could have walked in the Spirit of intimate knowledge and relationship with YHWH directly to the Promised Land, but in their fear, they thought they couldn’t survive without food they knew, and thought they were brought out only to be put to death. They thought they couldn’t live without quail and were given it in abundance to the point of illness. They thought YHWH’s intent was to kill them, so they did have to walk until their deaths in the wilderness while their children were trained up to be taken in.
Perhaps YHWH, in the end, can give us only what we expect?
Next Time: Part 2: Poor, Blind and Naked in Laodicea: the New Testament Parallel and Admonition
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