For all of their created existence Adam and Eve had looked forward to the daily walk and time of fellowship with their Creator. But on this morning anticipation became anxiety, delight became dread, and the eye of guilt was opened for the first time. God and His created universe were now looked upon in a different way. There are three things in this passage which characterize the first day of guilt.
(1) The Conscious Loss of Righteousness
Verse 7 "And the eyes of them both were opened,and they knew that they were naked."
(A) Adam and Eve had thought to better their lives by yeilding to sin.
(B) (James 1:15)"Sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death."
(C) They lost their righteous covering. They were "naked." It was more than a natural nudity, they were morally naked. It was this moral nakedness that they now were conscious of.
(Rev. 3:17) speaks of the loss of righteousness as "nakedness".
(Is. 61:3) tells us that righteousness is as a tree planted by God.
The redeemed are spoken of as wearing white raiment.
There are two things noticeable about their loss of righteousness.
(a) They deeply felt it. It is far worse to be lacking of righteousnes and not feel it.
(b) They sought to hide it.
As the first Adam sought to hide his sin, so man continues this fruitless endeavor today. A mountain of stones could not stop the penetrating gaze of our God. A forest of trees could not cover the guilty soul.
Men try to hide their sin behind religious profession, ceremonies, and displays of morality.
Sin makes men flee from there dearest friend.
(2) A Fear of Meeting With God
(A) It was a totally UNNATURAL thing to do. The soul was made to live in close communion with God. Like Jonah, Adam sought to hide from God’s presence.
(B) It was a totally UNREASONABLE thing to do.
There is no place to escape the omnipresence of God.
Sin blinds the rational thinking of man.
(C) It was UNPRODUCTIVE thing to do.
God found Adam out. And so it is with man today, God’s voice and His searching eyes are inescapable.
(3) Their Miserable Excuse For Sinning.
(A) Sin often leads to self vindication. "And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I did eat."
We often times blame others to make ourselves appear to be in right sdtanding with God.
Adam blamed Eve, Eve blamed the serpent.
(Illustration.) A small boy was standing on a cat’s tail. His mother, upon hearing the screeching squall of the cat, called from an ajoining room: "Tommie, stop pulling that cat’s tail!"
Tommie replied,
"I’m not pulling the cat’s tail; I’m standing on it. He’s the one that’s doing the pulling."
Men still seek to hide their sin.
As Adams’eyes were opened and he saw that he was no longer as he once was. Without God, we too are laid bare before our Lord. But unlike Adam who was covered by the coats of skins.When we come to Christ and ask for forgiveness, we are clothed in His righteousness.
