COVERING THE EXPOSED

What if a friend had one of their explicit pictures leaked on the internet? What if a friend was publicly exposed for doing something that was not honorable? What do we do? Do we join in with the mockers, or do we stand up for them? Noah was a powerful man of God, but he did something that was out of character and was exposed. What happened, and what lessons can we gather from this story? Let’s take a look at Genesis 9:20-23 (KJV),

²⁰ And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:

²¹ And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

²² And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

²³ And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.

Noah was found in a vulnerable moment of exposure. He was drunk, which resulted in him being naked and in open shame. Noah’s son did not have the sense to cover his own father. He wanted to take out his “cell phone” and take a picture to upload on his social media. He wanted to call a friend first and give them the latest tea. However, the other two sons stood up for Noah and covered him. Standing up for someone does not mean we agree with their actions, but it shows loyalty despite the failure. Remember, the goal is repentance and restoration. 

We should never use other’s downfalls as an opportunity to build up ourselves. We should never seek to kick a man while he is already down. If we are not picking them up, there is no reason to be around them. We should never draw attention to the shame of others. A person’s exposure is not the time for prideful, self-righteous boasting of how ‘holy” and “sanctified” we are, but a time of humble repentance so we would not fall into the enemy’s trap. 1 Corinthians 11:12 (KJV) says,

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

While we think we are so high and mighty, we should actually be looking within our own lives to see the areas where we are slipping away from God’s word and standard of living. A time for us to check our own hearts, connections, and motives. The minute we think we have arrived, we fool ourselves and give a great way for the enemy to trip us up. We should pray like David and say, “Search ME, O God!” Now, I do believe that we should cry aloud and spare not. There are moments when we must address what has been done publicly so that others may fear (1 Timothy 5:20). If a person claims to be a believer and has a consistent record of living a contrary life, we must mark them. Souls are on the line; our love for a person should never outweigh our responsibility to cover and protect the sheep. To remain silent is to be a partaker, and God will hold us accountable for that.

There are always lessons in exposure. We are not to glory in them but learn from them. How can we avoid the same trap? How can we grow from the person’s own experience? We do not have to walk the same path as others. Some may say that experience is the best teacher, but I beg to differ. Why should I subject myself to a situation knowing what damage it caused to and for others? We should learn and grow from others’ experiences, not walk on the same path.

What would we want others to do for us if God took the sheets off when we were bound in sin? We should not act like we were always saved and God never delivered us from anything. God saved us from our mess, and He can save them too. His grace can reach them just as much as it reaches us. God uses exposure as an example, not entertainment. We must understand the grace of God covers, NOT humiliates. By the same token, the grace of God does NOT excuse sin but empowers us to live a life free from the power of sin (read Romans 6). The same grace and mercy God extends to us daily, we should extend to others. Now, truth is not the absence of love. In fact, love is telling someone the truth. Often, we can become hyper-graced, and we neglect the soul issue. We must not forget what Jesus told the woman caught in the act of adultery, “Go and sin no more.” Jesus covered this woman in her most vulnerable state but never neglected to give her the truth.

Again, covering someone’s exposure is not a sign of condoning but a sign of love and grace. Undoubtedly, the person will have to face the consequences of their actions, but should we add to their feelings of worthlessness and shame? We should support the ones exposed as they journey to complete deliverance and restoration. We can tell when a person wants to change. Some people attempt to justify their sin. Others see nothing wrong with it. We cannot restore a person who does not see they are broken. Some enjoy what they are doing and have lost the conviction of the Holy Ghost in their lives. It is a sad state to be in. For those brought to godly sorrow, we must cover them in love and forgiveness, not condemnation. Condemnation is not telling someone the truth of God’s word. The unrepentant person does not need anybody to condemn them because they have brought condemnation on themselves through their rejection of truth.

God is not willing for any to perish, but all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). We can fix each other’s crown without letting the world know it was crooked (I saw this quote online). We are all on this faith journey together. Sometimes, we fall and miss the mark, but God’s grace is sufficient to cause us to rise above our falls. A fully surrendered life will bring us to a place of maturity where sin or the weight of the world trips us up. God can keep us from falling (Jude 1:24). So, let’s pick him up the next time we see our brother fall and pick her up the next time we see our sister fall. We know the standard of God and what we believe, and though some choose to go a different path, as long as they are alive, they can make it right.