WEARING THE WRONG CLOTHES
GENESIS 2:15-17,25-3:6-10,21
There was a little cartoon of a couple leaving church one Sunday. They had made their way around the preacher. But in this particular church, the preacher was out in the front and the couple was going around him. The man’s wife was about a half-step in front of him. He was going out with his head bowed, dejected. he was kind of towering over him. After they got out of earshot of the preacher, she turns to the man in the cartoon and said, "Harold, don’t you understand? Don’t look so dejected! That sermon was for everybody there, not just you!"
Well, when you look at Genesis 3, you recognize that the message is for everybody. It speaks to all of us, for it speaks of sin.
Romans 5:12 says, Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
This is the Chapter that Paul was talking about that showed how sin entered into the world through Adam and Eve.
We have a saying, an apple a day will keep the Doctor away. This wasn’t true in Adam’s case, for this apple or fruit made him sick.
In this chapter, it talks about clothing for the first time. Anytime we see something in the Bible for the first time, it is important. Thus let us study the story about these garments and gleam the spiritual message.
I-NOTICE THEIR CONDITION BEFORE THEIR SIN:
A-We See They Were Innocent:
Genesis 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
The Bible says that they had no outward clothes on. One might say, they would have fit right in our modern society which not only say take it, but they do take it off.
Several years ago, a Russian was visiting our country. He was asked, what was one thing that stood out in America more than anything else? He replied, the picture of a naked woman.
According to The Law Officer magazine, “since the mini-skirt was introduced by London designer Mary Quant in 1964, incidents of rape have increased by 68 percent in the United States and by 90 percent in England.” The rise in mini-skirts has caused a corresponding rise in rape and incident assault cases.
Today some defend nudity by saying, Adam and Eve were naked, so it make it all right.
But it is not alright, for they lived in a place where there was no sin, plus they had on some clothing. You say what do you mean”
Psalm 104:2 says, Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
Psalm 8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
These verses tell us that God was clothed in light and glory, and when he made man, he clothed him in His glory.
B-We See They Were Instructed: 2:15-17
Genesis 2:15-17 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. [16] And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: [17] But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
We see their instruction was two-fold. First, they had a service to do. This was a perfect environment , yet God had a job for them to do.
He has a service for you and I today, if we are yielded to Him. But some are not.
A lot of people are like a wheel barrow—not good unless pushed.
Some are like canoes—they have to be paddled.
Some are like kites—If you don’t keep them on a string they fly away.
Some are like footballs—you can’t tell which way they’ll bounce next.
Some are like balloons—full of wind and ready to blow up.
Some are like trailers—they have to be pulled.
But Some are like a good watch—open face, pure gold, quietly busy and full of good works.
But also in verses 16 and 17, they were instructed not to eat of the tree of God and evil.
When God tells us something, we need to believe Him and trust Him for knowing best.
But verse 6, tells us after Eve’s being tempted by the serpent did eat of the fruit and also gave it to Adam to eat also.
Temptation can really play havoc with our lives. There was a humorous "Cathy" cartoon strip sometime back. Cathy is struggling with her diet. See if this progression is familiar:
Frame 1: I will take a drive, but won’t go near the grocery store.
Frame 2: I will drive by the grocery store, but will not go in.
Frame 3: I will go in the grocery store, but will not walk down the aisle where the candy is on sale.
Frame 4: I will look at the candy, but not pick it up.
Frame 5: I will pick it up, but not buy it.
Frame 6: I will buy it, but not open it.
Frame 7: Open it, but not smell it.
Frame 8: Smell it, but not taste it.
Frame 9: Taste it, but not eat it.
Frame 10: Eat, eat, eat, eat, eat!
II-NOTICE THEIR CONSEQUENCES AFTER THEIR SIN:
A-This Sin Made Them Sinners:
Genesis 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
They got what the devil promised them. Their eyes were opened to good and evil. But he didn’t tell them all of the story, didn’t tell them they wouldn’t have the power to overcome this evil, nor the consequences of this evil or sin.
We don’t know what kind of fruit it was that they ate, but you can be sure of one thing, it was the most expensive fruit every eaten.
S.D. Gordon in “Quiet Talks about Jesus” writes: "That was a costly meal. That first bite must have been a big one. Its taste is still in the mouth of the human race. If that fruit were an apple it must have been a crab apple. There has been a bad case of indigestion ever since."
R.G. Lee put it this way: “The devil always offers high wages, but he always pays off in counterfeit money. Sin always promises nectar, but it gives gall. Sin always promises sleep, but it gives nightmares. Sin always promises rest, but it gives weariness. You can eat the devils corn, but he will choke you on the cob."
Sometimes I think that Adam and Eve must have thought like Lou Holtz, the coach at the University of Arkansas, did after he’d made a decision that had cost them the game with the University of Texas. They asked Coach Holtz, who is a very forthright man, "If you had that decision to make over again, would you do it?" This was his honest answer: "If I had the decision to make over again, predicated on the facts as I knew them when I called the play, I would do it again. But predicated on the results of what happened, I wouldn’t do it."
I don’t know if Adam and Eve Could have done it again. I would hope that they wouldn’t. But we cannot change history, they did it….Jim Henry
B-This Sin Made Them Shamed: 3:8
Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
When Peter denied the Lord, Luke says when the Lord looked upon him, he ran and wept. Why did he do that, because sin had shamed him into hiding.
One might say, why is it in our day, there is no shame for sin? If one would look back in the garden and see it was the presence of the Lord that made them ashamed.
Thus, the reason our society has no shame for sin is that they have no awareness of the presence of the Lord in their lives.
C-This Sin Made Them Scared: 3:9-10
Genesis 3:9-10 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? [10] And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
Sin made a coward out of them, they were afraid to face God.
Why were they afraid? They knew that had to face God’s punishment for their sin.
Why do many people fear death? Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
A Scottish lawyer was a wicked man. Once he hired a horse and, either through accident or ill-usage, killed the animal. Naturally the owner insisted on being paid its value, together with some compensation for the loss of its use. The man of law acknowledged his liability, and said he was perfectly willing to pay, but at the moment he was a little straightened for ready cash. Would the hirer of the animal accept a promissory note? “Certainly,” he said. Whereupon the lawyer further said that he must be allowed a long date. “You can fix your own time,” said the creditor. The wicked man then drew the note, making it payable at the Day of Judgment. Eventually the creditor took the matter to court, and there, in defense, the lawyer asked the judge to look at the note. He did so, and then replied: “The promissory note is perfectly good sir and as this is day of judgment, I decree that you pay tomorrow.”
D-This Sin Made Them Senseless: 3:7b
and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Adam and Eve tried to cover their sin. They made garments out of fig leaves. Ever since sin entered the world, man has been trying to cover his sin. Man has made his own garments of religion, rules, regulations, and righteousness. But the Lord has never accepted man-made garments. The best that man can offer God is not enough.
Rick, fresh out of accounting school, went to a interview for a good paying job. The company boss asked various questions about him and his education, but then asked him, "What is three times seven?" "22," Rick replied. After he left, he double-checked it on his calculator (he *knew* he should have taken it to the interview!) and realized he wouldn’t get the job. About two weeks later, he got a letter that said he was hired for the job! He was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but was still very curious. The next day, he went in and asked why he got the job, even though he got such a simple question wrong. The boss shrugged and said, "Well, you were the closest."
Well close doesn’t count in salvation, either you trust God and go to Heaven, are trust in your own works and go to hell.
III-NOTICE THEIR COVERING FOR THEIR SIN:
A-Notice The Provider Of This Covering:
Genesis 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
God took the righteousness of Jesus and clothed us, You and I who had no hope are now acceptable unto God.
When the prodigal son got home, the father did some things for him. One of the things he did was to give a new robe; this would cover his scars of a sinful life.
In the parable of the wedding, the man was kicked out because he did not have the proper wedding garment.
If you are going to be saved, you must have the proper garment, the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
You have heard the children’s rhyme Humpty Dumpty:
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the kings horses and all the kings men,
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.
Someone has given us these words:
Jesus Christ came to our wall;
Jesus Christ died for our fall;
He slew Queen death and He crushed King sin
And through Grace He can put us together again.
B-Notice The Price Of This Covering: 21B
Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
God rejected their man-made garments of fig leaves and verse 21, tells us that God clothed them in coats of skins. God was laying down a principle and giving them a picture. The principle was that man could not do anything to save himself. Man was the sinner. God was the Saviour. The picture was in the coats of skins. Skins meant that an animal had died and blood had been shed. God was stating that the fig leaves of our righteousness was not sufficient. Salvation could only come by the shedding of blood.
In the New Testament there are 290 references to the love of God, 290 times when God had declared His love for man. But in the same chapters and the same verses there are more than 1,300 references to the atonement, 1300 assurances that salvation can be had through the blood of Christ.
Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
A minister was once talking to a Sunday School and asked the boys if there was anything that God could not see. One little fellow answered:
“Yes, sir.”
“Are you sure, my boy?”
“Yes, sir, I am sure.”
“Well, what is it that God cannot see?”
“He cannot see my sins when they are covered by the blood of Jesus.”
C-Notice The Purpose Of This Covering:
So men might stand before God in Heaven.
Man is doing a lot of walking but one thing is for sure, man is walking toward the time he will either be received of God or rejected of Him for all eternity.
Dwight L. Moody said: “I was down in Texas some time ago, and happened to pick up a newspaper, and in it they called me “Old Moody.” Honestly, I had never been called old before. I went to my hotel, and looked in the looking glass. I can’t conceive of getting old. I have a life that is never going to end. Death may change my position but not my condition, not my standing with Jesus Christ.
“Old! I wish you all felt as young as I do here tonight. Why, I am only sixty-two years old! If you meet me ten million years hence, then I will be young. Read that ninety-first Psalm, ‘With long life will I satisfy him.’ That doesn’t mean seventy years. Would that satisfy you?
“Did you ever see a man or woman of seventy satisfied? Don’t they want to live longer? You know that seventy wouldn’t satisfy you. Would eighty? Would ninety? Would one hundred?
“If Adam had lived to be a million years old, and then had to die, he wouldn’t be satisfied. ‘With long life will I satisfy him’—life without end! Don’t call me old. I am only sixty-two. I have only begun to live.”
CONCLUSION-An evangelist could not convince a lady that all the good things she did would not avail in God’s sight. Being very wealthy, she gave a supper to some poor people, and also provided clothes for them. An inspiration struck the evangelist, and he said to her: “If one of the guests thanked you very much for the clothes, but said: ‘I must make some small return,’ and rolled up his old clothes in a parcel and asked you to accept them in return, would you be pleased?”
At once she said, “No.” Then it dawned on her how useless were all her efforts to make herself better, and she accepted the Lord as her Savior and King.
