The Fall of Man, Part Three

A Devotional Series from Genesis

Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)

3/20 Reading Portions: Exodus 31; John 10; Proverbs 7; Galatians 6

Genesis 3:7

Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

SHAME

Satan told a half-truth when he said, “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened” (Gen 3:5). Their eyes were indeed opened when they ate the forbidden fruit; however, their innocence was taken away, and the openness that they enjoyed, naked before one another, having no secrets, no ulterior motives, and no selfish desires, had given way to guilt and shame. And suffering a spiritual death immediately in their disobedience to God’s Word, they did not have the power to choose between good and evil, in and of themselves. If they chose good, apart from God’s grace, it was not truly good because it was couched in selfish desires and hidden motives. Their nakedness, their openness and honesty before one another had been shattered, and it was evident by the very first thing they did—sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. They hid themselves from one another. They attempted to cover the shame of their sin from one another by the efforts of their own hands—sewing fig leaves together to make aprons, loincloths.

Justification by the strength of our own means is the foundation of deceit. Stripped of openness and honesty, we hide our true created selves from one another. In today’s language, we put on a mask, pretending to be someone or something that we are not

But since Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves, as we grow in grace and are strengthened in faith, we can be open and honest with others. Not honesty for honesty’s sake, but a true and faithful demonstration of trusting in our sovereign Lord to bring about the situations and circumstances through our nakedness to conform us more to His image and likeness (Rom 8:28-29). Therein, is Messiah Jesus glorified. Hallelujah! What a Savior!