Message
Genesis 3:1-13
Why Are You Naked - The Fall Effect
Let’s go right back to the beginning – to creation – and remind ourselves of some outcomes of God’s creative work.
On the first day – “God saw that the light was good” (Genesis 1:3).
That which was created on the second, third, fourth and fifth days – “God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:10, 12, 17, 21).
Then, as part of God’s creative acts on the sixth day,
God said, “Let us make mankind in our image … So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:26-27
What happens at the end of the day when God sits back and assesses that day?
“… it was VERY good” (Genesis 1:31)
As the creation days unfold God watch everything come into being – and we get a daily glimpse of God’s emotions.
This is good. This is good. This is good.
God’s plans are being perfectly enacted and His goals are being fully achieved. Then mankind comes into the picture. And the goals, and accomplishments, and the fulfilment of God’s purposes goes up another notch.
From good … to very good.
There is nothing that God is second guessing, or regretting, or wanting to revise.
In that environment, at the end of the sixth day,
Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Genesis 2:25
No shame nakedness.
What would that even be like?
A husband and a wife in a life-long marriage relationship can perhaps say they have experienced “no-shame” nakedness.
But in that same context has it not also been said
“… I’m not in the shape I used to be.”
“… maybe keep the light off.”
Those comments come because someone is not content with their body shape, comparative … well comparative to a body image that few people seem to attain.
And even if there is absolutely no-shame nakedness between a husband and wife – you still make sure the door is locked.
Maybe you could say that people who are in the pornography industry – is that “no-shame nakedness?”
It isn’t, is it.
It is shameless nakedness.
The proliferation of the pornography industry is the result of being exploited to such an extent that one has become totally desensitised and numb to the purposes of God’s plans.
No shame nakedness.
Do you know the only people who experience this today?
Toddlers.
They can play naked in public with no shame.
They don’t question why everyone else has clothes on.
They don’t have any concerns about their body shape.
It is a little celebration of innocence isn’t it.
But even if you actually do let your toddler go naked in public – even then as a parent you are watching. Because your child’s celebration of naked innocence could be the picture of perversion for someone else.
And at some point, as your toddler grows, the day comes when Mister growing-up makes it very clear that Mummy is no longer welcome in the bathroom.
How un-gardenlike our world is. The complete opposite to the time when Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
The opposition transformation is described in Genesis 3:1-13. Let’s turn to the passage and read it.
Let me show you something that is happening in the Hebrew text that you can’t see in English.
Adam and his wife were both naked (arumim), and they felt no shame.
Now the serpent was more crafty (arum) than any of the wild animals
It is called a “word-play”. Using words with a similar sound to identify an underlying motive. The no-shame nakedness … arumim … of Adam and Eve being confronted by the craftiness … arum … of the serpent. A confrontation that is craftily designed to plant a seed of doubt about the “goodness” of God and to questions God’s assessment that everything Adam and Eve know is “very good”.
Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden?”
Genesis 3:1
How can God be a “good God” if you can’t have access to everything?
How can creation be “very good” if there are restrictions and limitations?
A seed of doubt is planted.
This is Eve’s response.
God did say, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.”
Genesis 3:3
Is that what God said? Let’s fact-check Eve.
And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Genesis 2:16-17
God doesn’t say anything about not touching the tree.
Sit in the shade.
Admire the texture of the leaves.
Touch the fruit.
Just don’t eat it.
One tree, out of all the trees … don’t eat the fruit from the tree.
You see how the temptation works.
You can’t eat it … that is what God said.
You can’t even touch it … well God didn’t say that be that is what I think He meant.
God can’t be that good – giving limitations and restrictions. What is God hiding anyway. It can’t be that bad!
How many times have we rationalised our sinful decisions with that phrase – it can’t be that bad.
How bad can a small lie be? Lives have been ruined because of small lies.
What is a little outburst of anger every now and then? People are in prison for murder because of a little anger outburst.
Rationalised sin causes brokenness
… emotional brokenness.
… physical brokenness.
… relationship brokenness.
… eternal brokenness.
That is what rationalised sin … including the sin that “can’t be that bad” … that is what rationalised sin has done.
Does eating a piece of fruit and wanting to gain wisdom seem that bad?
Not to Eve who ate. And not to Adam – who was with her mutely standing by and watching all this unfold – and who also ate.
So they give in to temptation. Then this happens.
The eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Genesis 3:7
That is their first response!
No-shame nakedness has immediately been replaced by shame-filled nakedness.
Remember there is still only the two of them … they are a married couple. There is no-one else to look upon them. There are no others … like a whole group … and everyone suddenly realises they are naked.
Just two.
Then God investigates what is happening.
Who told you that you were naked? (Genesis 3:11)
Well … who did tell them?
Not the serpent.
“Thanks for taking a bite of the fruit and helping me introduce sin in the world and totally mess up creation and your relationship with God. By the way – you’re both naked.”
That doesn’t happen.
Who told you that you were naked?
No-one did. They just that a change had occurred which shook them to the very foundation of their being and they had to cover themselves and hide.
They hide their bodies from each other – an act they have never done before.
They both hide from God – another act they have never done before.
Listen to the way Adam explains his actions;
I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid. (Genesis 3:10).
Not … I was afraid because I disobeyed the one restriction you gave us.
Not … I was afraid because I realise I have sinned against you.
Not … I was afraid because there is a brokenness between us and you God.
I … we … are afraid because we are naked.
I … we … are afraid because
I’m hiding because I am full of shame.
I’m hiding because I feel vulnerable and exposed.
I’m hiding because I’m having thoughts I have never experienced before.
I’m hiding because of the strength of the shame that we both feel towards each other.
I didn’t think it was that bad … it was just one bite … but it is that bad and so much worse.
After we took the bite and we looked at one another we knew everything had changed … as evil and sin entered the world we realised we were naked. the thought of being before you in this way God just cause me great fear. And all I could think to do is hide.
Now we are desperately – almost absurdly – trying to cover that shame, and vulnerability. Trying to hide the sinful thoughts and the depraved emotions … with fig leaf clothing. But that is not clothing that gives an answer – it is just a useless cover-up.
Then we heard you walking in the Garden so we are desperately – almost absurdly – trying to hide from you God. Trying to hide our shame, and vulnerability, and sinful thoughts, and the depraved emotions from the One who recently put all of creation into place.
Picture that moment.
Adam and Eve hiding in the garden.
Shame. Vulnerability. Minds swirling with newly discovered depravity and sin. Their realization of their nakedness completely capturing the dynamic of the situation … this is the opposite of very good … this is very bad.
Picture that moment.
Did God know where they were hiding? Absolutely.
Do you see what God doesn’t do? God doesn’t go to the hiding spot and say, “I found you, you have been caught.”
God instead says “Where are you?”
God gives an invitation, an opportunity, a chance to step forward.
Where are you?
In our world today where shame-filled nakedness permeates.
Where lust and exploitation is rampart.
Where relationship depravity is legislated.
And where child innocence is objectified.
God keeps asking, “Where are you?”
In our world today.
Where how you look is given much greater value than who you are.
Where the so called “wrong body shape” causes anxiety and depression.
Where the body is glorified and even worshipped.
God keeps asking, “Where are you?”
In our world.
Where we are continually aware of our shame, guilt, vulnerability.
Where we regularly wrestle with sinful thoughts, and depraved emotions.
Where the realisation that we are naked causes so much fear.
In that world God keeps asking the question. “Where are you?”
In this world our only hope is to come out of hiding – even in our fear-filled nakedness – and take up the invitation God gives.
That is what Adam and Eve do … naked and afraid … but also fully aware that they have no other hope then to come before God.
How does God fulfill that hope?
Firstly, God promises an eternal salvation solution.
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring[a] and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Genesis 3:15
That is the first promise of God that Jesus will come. God deals with their inward shame, and vulnerability and fear. God deals with all the issues that come with the realisation of nakedness.
Secondly, God deals with the practicalities of their nakedness.
The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
Genesis 3:21
God’s provides a much better solution to the absurd idea of making clothes from leaves. God always has the solutions. That is how it was, right at the beginning when shame-filled nakedness became the normal way of the world. God continues to provide exactly in the same way.
When temptation, and lust, and depravity, and objectification, and exploitation, and brokenness, and fear, and lack of value, and false-worship, and sinful thoughts, and depraved emotions, and shame, and guilt, and vulnerability and sin.
When we realise again we are naked and hiding. God still gives the invitation, “Where are you?” and then gives his son to deal with our nakedness.
For, in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Galatians 3:26-27
God deals with all the issues that come with the realisation of nakedness.
God also deals with the practicalities.
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ … But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:31, 33
God provides everything. So why are you naked when you have such provisions?
Prayer
