Part (a) Noah drunk too much wine and became drunk. This led to him stripping off his clothes and lying in a drunken stupor. Whether Noah was in the wrong to lie naked in his own tent may be missing the point here – though he did put himself in a position where any of his sons could walk in on him, which is what happened. The main problem here is that Noah became heavily intoxicated which we are told in Galatians 5:19-21 is an act of the flesh – that is to say a sin. The main thing about this incident in relation to Deedat’s comment is that the Bible is only relating the events and not getting into the subject of neither Noah’s drunken state or his nakedness. The story is about the disrespect that Ham showed his father and the respect that his brothers Japheth and Shem showed. There are lessons that we can learn from studying this passage but in no way is the Bible encouraging any of this behaviour.

 

Part (b) The background to this story is Saul was wanting to destroy David because he had become jealous of him and feared him and his esteem with the people. When Saul heard that David had fled to the prophet Samuel he sent some men after him to capture him . In the end he sent three separate amounts of men but on each occasion the men when they drew near to Samuel and saw the prophets from the School of Prophets they began prophesying themselves because the Holy Spirit fell upon them. In the end Saul went himself and the same thing happened to him when he saw the school of the prophets and he also began to prophecy after the Spirit came upon him as well. The Holy Spirit caused Saul to strip off. The language used in the Hebrew may simply mean that he strips off his royal garments but even if it was stripped naked the symbolism remains the same. King Saul had fallen from his high position with God and was in a bad place. By causing him to become naked the Holy Spirit was exposing what he had become before God. It is both humbling and humiliating to be naked and God was showing us that this is what king Saul had become before him. We all stand naked before God because he sees our true nature, nothing is hidden from him. When someone realises his true condition before God Jesus Christ gives us new garments that are white and pure. Now this may be literal or it may be symbolic but it represents the fact that we are given a new righteousness that is from God that we can not acquire for ourselves. Saul having his nakedness before God exposed was not the only thing happening here. The men that Saul had sent previously and Saul himself had come with the intention of taking David prisoner. On each occasion the Holy Spirit had stepped in and prevented this from happening so in other words it was one of the ways the Holy Spirit on this occasion could protect David from being arrested. In no way is this passage meant to give the message that it's okay to go around naked.

 

Part (c) Here we find Deedat being dishonest again with his selection of verses. It does not say he became naked. It says “Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might,” (2 Samuel 6:14). Michal was very angry with King David because he had humbled himself before the Lord, or more importantly before the common people. She was obviously concerned about her own status before the people. It says this “And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.” (verse 16b). A better translation than the one Deedat uses says “When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” (2 Samuel 6:20). So not naked.

 

Part (d) This is certainly an unusual way that God speaks through his servant Isaiah. I am sure Isaiah didn’t enjoy the experience, but faithful servant that he is, he did as he was commanded. Islam may have a problem with naked flesh but the true God doesn’t need their permission or advice on how he chooses to speak his message. His ways are not our ways.