Eve and the First Sin - Part 3

Genesis 3:7 - "Then 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." 

So Adam and Eve know they are naked and try to hide from God.

Genesis 3:8-10, “They hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.  But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

Adam was afraid – the birth of fear in the Bible.  Fear can cripple our walk and keep us from the path that God intends for our lives.  Even we faithful Christians struggle sometimes with fear because we have an enemy who likes to fill our heads with doubts.  Fear is the opposite of faith.  Fear is putting your faith in the devil.

I find it interesting that God is talking to Adam here, but the devil approached Eve about the fruit.  Did the devil suspect that Eve might be a little more vulnerable and easier to persuade?  Not to mention that Eve wasn’t actually there when God told Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Maybe the devil realized that would make her an easier target.  After God asks Adam who told him he was naked and did he eat from the tree, Adam immediately points his finger at Eve.  (Like God didn't already know.)

Vs. 12 says, “The woman you put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

The woman you put here with me!  Really?  Not “My wife”, or “This amazing creature You gave me to give me companionship”?  Here starts the capacity in humans for not taking responsibility.  A true man of God would have owned up to his mistake.  But often, as insecure beings, we try to pass off the responsibility to whoever is nearby, even our own spouse.  Loyalty is thrown out the window. 

Eve, in turn, replies in verse 13, “The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”  She too was not the pillar of honor here.  She blames it on the serpent.  I’d like to believe that her innocence and purity kept her from realizing the dishonesty and deceit of this crafty reptile.  Everything had been perfect in the Garden of Eden until this moment, so Eve didn’t know about mistrust or lies.  I suppose, in the eyes of God, that was not a legitimate excuse, though.  Oops!  There I go - making excuses.  How human.

Genesis goes on to tell us how God curses the serpent.  Verse 14 and 15 say, “So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals!  You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.  And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.””

Adam and Eve are not cursed by God, but He does pass a judgment on them which sets the tone for all of our lives.