New Page 0

They were naked, God put an animal skins on them (Gen. 3:21 [picture of salvation]). Satan has been trying to undress them ever since. :zman:

"No longer did Adam and Eve enjoy the fellowship with God for which they had been created. Rather they “hid themselves,” and then even made excuses for avoiding God’s presence.

However, the fact that they did feel shame at what they had done showed that there was hope for their salvation. When sinners feel no guilt or shame, there is no remedy but judgment and condemnation. Scripture says they feared when they heard the “voice of the Lord God.” The Word of God is given to men for guidance and comfort, but it also can be used to bring conviction of sin (Romans 3:20; 2 Timothy 3:16).

God was “walking in the garden in the cool of the day.” The more or less offhand way in which this is stated indicates that this was a normal event, perhaps a daily appointment time at which the Lord met with them for communion and fellowship. This is no crude anthropomorphism, but a repeated, or even continual, theophany, in which the Word of God, Christ preincarnate, clothed Himself in human form in order to communicate with those whom He had created in His own image.

How long this period of fellowship between God and man had lasted, we have no way of knowing. It was at least long enough for the Satanic rebellion and expulsion to have taken place in heaven. However, it was not long enough for Adam and Eve to have begotten children. It was probably a few weeks, though it is not possible to be certain.

On this occasion, however, instead of encountering Adam waiting expectantly for the daily time of fellowship, Adam was hiding among the trees, hoping to avoid seeing the Lord God altogether. But when God called to him, Adam realized he could not do this; so he replied with the weak excuse that he was hiding because of his nakedness.

This had never been a problem before, but there is no doubt that Adam was now acutely conscious of being naked in God’s presence. The fig leaf girdles were of no avail, either; and he knew it. Flagrant sin had entered Adam’s body and would contaminate all future generations.

It may be noted incidentally that the shame of nudity is no artificial inhibition introduced by the conventions of civilization, as certain anthropologists and self-serving sophisticates have urged. It has its source in this primeval awareness of sin, and is only discarded when the moral conscience has been so hardened as to lose all sensitivity to sin.

It is noteworthy also that clothing is worn in heaven. The “armies … in heaven” are seen as “clothed in fine linen, white and clean” (Revelation 19:14), and the glorified Son of Man is pictured to John as “clothed with a garment down to the foot” (Revelation 1:13). Except for the brief period of Edenic innocence, nakedness before anyone other than one’s own husband or wife is, in the Bible, considered shameful (note Genesis 9:23; Exodus 32:25; Revelation 3:18; etc.).

When Adam mentioned his nakedness he was in effect exposing his sinful disobedience, since he would not have been conscious of being naked had he not sinned. God therefore immediately pointed this out to him by asking him the direct question as to whether he had eaten of the one forbidden tree, thus giving him an opportunity to confess his sin and ask forgiveness. Whether the punishment would have been lessened in some way had Adam confessed in repentance we have no way of knowing. In view of God’s nature of love and mercy, though, it does seem likely. The fact is, he did not confess.

So rapidly had sin pervaded the hearts of both Adam and Eve that, when God began to question them, Adam blamed his wife and Eve blamed the serpent, neither being willing to acknowledge personal guilt. In fact, Adam, by implication, cast the blame on God Himself, emphasizing that it was all because of “the woman whom thou gavest to be with me.” Instead of praising God for His goodness, he blamed Him for his troubles! How foolish and wicked—and how much like ourselves!

God’s questions, of course, were not to obtain information, but rather to encourage Adam and Eve to acknowledge and repent of their sin. Though they were sorry they had been discovered and were no doubt fearful of the consequences, there is no indication of true repentance, but rather merely an attempt to justify themselves. Accordingly, there was no course of action for the Lord except to initiate punishment—but a punishment which would be corrective and redemptive as well as punitive."

Morris, H. M. (1976). The Genesis record : A scientific and devotional commentary on the book of beginnings. Includes indexes. (115). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.