Have you noticed that people in their right mind are embarrassed to be seen naked or with little clothing on? Drunk people and those under some mind altering drug, or perhaps a patient with mental challenges, might think it smart to parade with no or little clothing on, only to find themselves ashamed of what they did once in their right state of mind.
Christians ought to understand that proper clothing ought to be worn, because as we have seen over and over, irrespective what some women might say … the eye gate feeds the mind and then the heart where lust is developed. Yes, it’s all related back to the first sin in the Garden. You will recall our Lord saying:
Mt 5:28 “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart”
Without being harsh, the Lord Jesus knows the heart better than any woman or man. Please read:
Ge 3:20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. 21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
1) Naming the woman. You will recall that once God had made the woman from the man, we read:
Ge 2:23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”
Here the man called Adam (adham … without the article … ’ … before adham) named the female who was made from him … ‘woman’, the generic name for the female, according to ‘adham … the generic name for man. Now Adam (real name for the man) names the woman:
Ge 3:20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.
The name Eve means “Life”. From Eve shall come all the living, referring to all human beings. Relate this backwards to:
Ge 2:7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Here we have another reminder that the human race comes from one set of parents and that human beings are created distinctly different to any of the animal kingdoms, irrespective of some similarities. God being all knowing (omniscient) could see down the years of history to where wicked man tried to steal God’s glory in creation and designed another religion called “evolution” into which he sought to explain the “origins” of people according to his sinful evolutionary theory. Not only is this an affront to the beauty and majesty of God’s creation, it is so evil trying to get people to believe that the different ethnicities come from different evolutionary processes. Knowing such deceit would arise, God again states that “all the living” shall originate from one set of parents whose foremother is named “Eve”, a real historical person. It is so important to consider the words God uses in His Word, helping us to remember over and over (thank God for repetition) so that we have no doubt in our hearts as to God creating and creating one man and one woman from who the whole human race come. This teaching is not only in the Old Testament, the same thread runs throughout the New Testament too.
2) The living being has a soul. The relationship between “man” and “dust” at death does not remove the spiritual dimension … the soul is eternal being. As we have mentioned before … the difference between Man and Animal is that man has a soul. (Genesis 2:7 above).This makes him a living being. One who may relate to God in the fullest sense. True as sin entered so spiritual death came. Adam and Even died to God in that their relationship was drastically changed. This is where the “depravity of man” comes in. Every aspect of man … each faculty was so influenced and effected by sin causing spiritual death. Sin leads to death. Sin is a relational barrier. At this point, Adam and Eve were totally cut off from God. Although we will still get to the “imputation of Adam’s sin” to the race, we need to at this point remind ourselves that every baby born is born with a sinful disposition.
Ps 51:5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Here we have a dilemma. There is a living being, yet there is a dead soul.
3) The purpose of God in the face of sin. Try as he may, the devil shall not, in any age and in any way, either on earth, anywhere in creation or in heaven itself stop the plans of God. He cannot and will not. He is a created being and although his power is greater than man’s, it is far inferior to God’s.
(1) God’s plan for man. Beloved, we cannot get away from two of my favorite verses …
Eph 1:4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
Rom 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.
God chose us to be holy and blameless in His sight as Adam should have been and He predestine that we conform to the likeness of the Lord Jesus. The eternal purpose of this is that God chose a people for relationship … to be with Him forever. So even though Adam and Eve fell into sin and their sin contaminated their offspring, the entire human race … God’s original plan remains and remains unchangeable.
(2) God did something about man’s sin. Let me be as clear as I can here. In no way does man ever take the initiative in salvation. God from the start, took the initiative to save lost souls who believe and repent. Of his own, man will never turn to God because he cannot turn to God. Sin is far too powerful to incline man’s desire God’s way. The natural inclination of man’s heart is to hanker after and enjoy sin.
(3) The amazing method of God. Throughout the Bible, as you read it carefully, you shall see God using “blood” as the appeasement for sin. Naturally this all points to the Blood Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, where all blood sacrifices are fulfilled and ended.
Ge 3:21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
Humorously we could say … from a fig leaf to an animal skin … or from manmade to God made. The Bible is very clear that:
Lev 17:11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.
The writer to the Hebrews picks up what Moses wrote, saying:
Heb 9:22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
(i) God slaughtered the animal for clothing. I wonder what those who say that wearing animal skins are wrong, feel as they read this verse. Physical nakedness after the fall becomes a symbol of shame and this in itself is a sign of spiritual nakedness … life without God. So God makes clothing and dresses Adam and Eve.
(ii) Although this slaughter’s purpose is twofold, the latter is the more important. The slaughter was a blood offering and only blood could appease God’s anger against sin. God took the initiative! This should answer the question whether Adam and Eve were saved!
Our Father, Your Word boggles our minds because You thought of everything. Help us to be studious as we meditate upon Your Word and reap the many blessings You have for us. Amen.