After Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, disobey God, they became aware (their eyes were opened) of their folly and they realized that they were exposed and unclothed. So they make a vain attempt to sew fig leaves together and made themselves the first aprons (clothes) to cover their shame. Then they hear 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. (Genesis 3:6-8)
When this account is viewed cursorily, one tends to miss out certain key aspects of the consequences of sin and some characteristics of God. First, sin brings with it nakedness and shame when exposed. Can you even fathom telling your closest friend or family member, all of the sins that you have committed or are still committing? It creates a shameful situation, doesn’t it? When we disobey God, we are naked before him for there can be no secret (hidden) sins (Psalm 90:8). Second, in their effort to cover their shame that resulted from their willful disobedience, Adam and his wife attempted to cover their sinful state, with their own human efforts – sewing themselves the first aprons from fig leaves. But when they hear the Lord God walking in the garden, they hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God, implying that their efforts to cover their sin was insufficient (an epic FAILure) to cover their sinful state of shame. Third, we see that in the cool of the day, God came to visit man as a Father seeking his lost son, and his voice was heard.
Points to ponder:
First, when we sin we are naked before God – in a state of sinful shame that needs to be covered. Since all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23), we are all exposed before God. Second, no human effort can cover sin. In fact, the very attempt of man to achieve salvation on his or her own efforts is cursed. Remember, how Jesus cursed the fig tree which had no fruit but just leaves (Matthew 21:19; Mark 11:13-14) – leaves that could be sewn to make aprons to cover sin (Genesis 3:7). The remission of sin takes the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22; Matthew 26:28) and it takes a sacrifice to cover the shame of sin. God had to shed blood to cover man with a hide that could hide God’s wrath from man (Genesis 3:21).It takes the blood of Jesus alone to cover our sinful state. Third, no amount of sin can keep God away from us. His beckoning call as an eager father seeking his lost son, is ever present and his voice heard, asking us to repent, irrespective of our sinfulness. If we believe in Jesus Christ, whom God the Father gave out of his love for us, to be THE SACRIFICE to cover our sin and shame, we have no reason to hid ourselves from the presence of the Lord God. If we don’t believe, then we have absolutely no covering whatsoever, in heaven or earth or in it, to protect us from God’s holy judgment and wrath. Let us believe and not have the need to sew aprons, to hide ourselves from the presence of a loving God, I beseech you.
Genesis 3:6-8 (KJV)
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
8 And they heard the voice 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 amongst the trees of the garden.
