“Sins’ Shame”

(part 2)


“But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
Genesis 3:9-11

As Adam and Eve stood before the Lord, the first thing God did was address their disobedience. God had given them specific direction to “not” eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The shame they were experiencing was the result of the sin that now exposed them. However, you cannot deal with the shame if you have not yet first dealt with the sin. God takes time in Genesis 3:14-20 to reprove Adam, Eve and the serpent, but once He had addressed their sinful behavior, He then addressed their shame:

“The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.”

Genesis 3:21

God would not allow them to remain exposed! Some of you need encouraged today regarding the shame that you still bear. You have allowed God to deal with your sin, but have not allowed Him to cover your shame. You have confessed your sins, repented and received His forgiveness, but are being eaten alive by shame. Funny thing about shame, it seems to linger around long after the sin has been atoned for. And sadly enough I think that it is our fault as a body of believers.

In Genesis 9 we read the story of Noah. Noah had come out of the ark, after the flood, and began the task of rebuilding:

“Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. When he had drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered (exposed) inside his tent.”

Genesis 9:21 (parenthesis mine)

The hard truth of the matter is that Noah got drunk and ends up passed out lying “exposed” in his tent. Scripture documents the event, however, it does not defend Noah’s behavior. Noah’s sin and exposure are his own doing and that should be rightly noted.

Then Noah’s son, Ham, enters the tent and sees his father’s nakedness. Ham leaves the tent and immediately tells his brothers’ what he has seen. Upon hearing this, Shem and Japheth take a garment and lay it across their shoulders. They turned their faces and walked backwards into the tent and covered their father’s nakedness. People, today, are reluctant to confess their sins and are terrified of being exposed because they do not know if who they are telling is a Ham or a Shem.

Ham immediately rushed out and told the first two people he saw!
He was more concerned about telling what he had seen and heard than he was concerned about his father’s shame. Shem and Japheth, on the contrary, demonstrated the utmost respect. Knowing their father’s situation, they chose not to ignore or focus on their father’s sinfulness. His sin had already been exposed. Rather they chose to address his shame.

We are cursed today in the body of Christ with too many Hams and not enough Shems and Japheths. Noah was exposed because of his own sinfulness, however Ham’s lack of concern for His father’s shame brought greater reproach.

We must never confuse “concealing sin” with “covering shame”. Concealing sin does not bring healing instead it fosters division, disunity, and destruction. Covering shame means that the sin has been exposed…now we must restore.


Pastor Scott Burr
http://faithandworshipseries.blogspot.com