Day 18: Naked and Afraid

Read: Genesis 3:1-24

Today we will travel almost as far back as we can to the fall of man. As we look at Adam and Eve, let’s not be too critical or hasty to judge them. If any of us were in their place, we would have ended up ruining it at some point. Maybe not over a piece of fruit, but definitely something.

We don’t have to wonder or doubt if God saw Adam and Eve. Scripture tells us he walked with them so we can be certain he saw all the events of chapter three unfold. Let’s take it in segments and see what happens in the cycle of sinful decisions.

  1. Satan plants doubt. Note verse one. Did God REALLY say….?
  2. We add to what God said. In verse three, Eve told the serpent God said, “you must not touch it.” He did not. See what he really said in Genesis 2:17.
  3. Shame enters. In verse seven, “they realized they were naked…so they made coverings.”
  4. Hiding and cover-up enters. In verse eight, they hid from the Lord. As if that were possible.
  5. Fear enters. In verse nine, “I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked.”
  6. Blame enters. In verses 12-13 we see the sequence. Adam blamed Eve who in turn blamed the serpent. God didn’t accept their blame-game.
  7. Consequences enter. See verses 16-19, 23.

I want to specifically point out that even in their sin, God did not abandon Adam and Eve or stop caring for them. In verse 21, he made garments of skin to clothe them. Their covering required sacrifice, a theme we see throughout scripture, culminating in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to pay for our sins.

Don’t let the question in verse 9 trouble you. “Where are you?” God knew exactly where they were. He wanted them to respond to him. They had broken their relationship with him. Sin does not escape God’s vision. He sees it all. He cannot dwell with sin, but he can certainly see it.

This cycle of sin is not exclusive to Adam and Eve. It’s a cycle that happens to all of us and God is always aware. Can you see yourself in the midst of the cycle right now? Don’t miss this next sentence. If we are in Christ, we do not have to sin. It’s a choice. With the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we can say no. But for all the times we say yes, there is a covering for us. Jesus died for every sin we commit. However, as we grow more like Christ, we should not want to continue to sin just because there is forgiveness (see Romans 6:14-16).

Yet you also need to remember, sin comes with consequences. Forgiveness restores the relationship but doesn’t necessarily remove the consequence. In his mercy, sometimes God chooses to release us from the consequence but most times, he does not. Those scars remind us of the great cost of salvation, the need for a Savior, and the seriousness of sin. God doesn’t take it lightly, and neither should we.

Prayer: God, I see myself in the cycle of sin. Thank you for your sacrifice on the cross to cover my sin and for the gift of the Holy Spirit to say no to sin. Help me to see my sin as seriously as you do and to learn to say no to the sin that entices me.