Who Told You That You Were Naked?

The Journey Ahead: The Rest of the Questions

If you’ve read my book, Questions God Asks, you know that I focused on ten foundational Questions God Asks in Scripture. I see those ten questions as much of the "bedrock" of our spiritual architecture, but these aren't the only questions... God doesn't stop asking. Across the canon of Scripture, from the thunderous inquiries of the Prophets to the provocative parables of Jesus, there are over 600 other questions God poses to the human heart.

This blog will address the rest. While the book laid the foundation, this space will be an ongoing exploration of those "other 600" questions that challenge our ways of living and invite us back into a rhythm of surrendered dependence. We’re starting back at the beginning, but we won't stay there.

The Second Question: Identifying the Source of the Internal Script

In the first chapter of the book, we explored the first question God ever asked: “Where are you?” We saw that God wasn’t asking for Adam’s GPS coordinates; He was inviting Adam to acknowledge his internal spiritual displacement. But it’s the second question that really peels back the layers of the human psyche.

After Adam admits he was hiding because he was naked and afraid, God responds with a question that bypasses the "what" and goes straight for the "who":

"Who told you that you were naked?" (Genesis 3:11)

The Architecture of the Internal Script

Think about the last time you felt a sudden, sharp pang of inadequacy. When you felt like you just didn't measure up personally, or that your life was limited in comparison to others. Maybe it was while scrolling through social media, or perhaps after a work meeting where you felt your contribution was overlooked. Regardless of what the specific triggers are, many of us live our daily lives with an almost intuitive whisper that echoes somewhere in the recesses of our brains, but never too far away: "You are not enough. You will never be enough."

The Yada of the Accuser

When Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they gained the yada (Hebrew for "experiential knowledge") of evil. But with that knowledge came a new narrator.

Before the fall, Adam and Eve were "naked and unashamed." Their nakedness was a sign of total transparency and dependence. But the moment they stepped out from under God’s authority, that same nakedness was reinterpreted. Their actions didn't just change their circumstances in relation to sin; it opened the opportunity for the enemy to move in and change their interpretation of themselves.

When God asks, "Who told you?", He is performing a sort of spiritual "audit" on Adam’s mind. He is asking: “Who have you been listening to? Whose voice have you allowed to define your condition? Who gave you the vocabulary of shame?”

The Garage of My Own Soul

I shared this story in the book, but for those who have not read it, I told a story when I was young (under 10 years of age) of physically attacking my brother because he had angered me. I remember standing in that garage, looking at my brother in pain. I knew I had done something wrong. That was my conscience talking. But shortly after the conscience spoke, another voice chimed in. It’s the voice that doesn't just say, "You did something bad," but whispers, "You ARE bad."

God’s question to Adam and Eve suggests that shame is a learned language.

As I have spent a lot of time thinking, writing, and podcasting on the nature of dependence on God vs. going our own way, I've realized that independence is the ultimate fig leaf. We try to "fix" our shame by being self-sufficient, but that very independence is what keeps us in the bushes and separated from the only One who can help us.

One voice leads to Conviction (sends us running back to God); the other leads to Condemnation (which keeps us hiding in the bushes).

When you look with this perspective its not difficult to see almost everywhere. We walk around with "fig leaves" made of career success, fitness, family, personal image maintenance, or theological intellectualism (my case!), all because we are hearing a voice telling us that we are "naked", and if we don't cover up, we will be outed for the frauds we believe ourselves to be.

The Practice of De-Briefing

If you are going to live a life of surrendered dependence, you have to become an expert at identifying the "Who."

The next time you feel the urge to hide, to "hustle" for your worth, or that you are not worthy to approach God just as you are, I want you to pause and let this question linger:

Who told you that?

• Who told you that your past defines your capacity for the future?

• Who told you that God is "disappointed" and wants distance from you and your struggle?

• Who told you that you have to fix yourself before you can come out of the trees?

  
  

If the voice leads to hiding, it isn’t the voice of the Father. He is still walking in the cool of the day. He knows you’re naked. He just wants to know why you’re listening to the one who’s trying to keep you from the Robe and the Ring.

Go Deeper into the Questions

If this study resonated with you, there are several ways to continue the journey

• Read the book: Explore the more of the Questions God Asks

• Listen to the Podcast: Join the conversation on The Independence Podcast where we discuss the theology of dependence. Listen on Spotify/Apple Podcasts.

• Share Your Story: What "script" has God helped you identify lately? Leave a comment below or reach out via the contact page.

  
  
  
  

Reflection Question: What is one "script" about your identity that you’ve been believing lately? If you traced that voice back to its source, would it sound like a Loving Creator or an Accusing Enemy?

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