February 4, 2009

Naked and Ashamed

“Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where [are] you?" So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’” (Genesis 3:9-10 NKJV)

It occurred to me after meditating on this passage that Adam and Eve were naked before the knowledge of good and evil. Being naked was not a sin because God had no prohibition against it. Therefore, the knowledge of good and evil, which Adam and Eve gained, was not a revelation of that which was already sinful. If it were, then God would have been lying when He said it was very good after He finished His work.

This means that the knowledge of good and evil changed the way they looked at life. Their perspective on God’s creation changed. God’s creation hadn’t change, at least not until they sinned and He cursed it, but what they thought about it did.

Specifically, they became their own judges as to what was good and what was evil. The first thing they noticed was their nakedness through their now critical and sinful eyes, and they deem what was once good as evil.

This teaches us that our ways are not His ways. Our thinking is bad. Our minds are polluted, and only the grace of God can change that thinking through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit. Praise God He has quickened many, and many more may be quickened by the preaching of His Word.

Therefore, “Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. ‘For My thoughts [are] not your thoughts, Nor [are] your ways My ways’ says the LORD. ‘For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:6-9 NKJV)[Emphasis Added].

If you find yourself naked and ashamed today, cry out to the Lord for mercy. He is willing to pardon those who will forsake their wickedness. Don’t listen to the devil’s lies. Don’t listen to your own reasoning. Listen to God. Amen.