SueAnn Porter

We’ve all had those dreams where we think we are back in high school, or in college, and not prepared for a test, and dream that we are naked. When we wake up, we are so relieved to find it was not real!

The naked dream symbolizes being unprepared, or we feel others can see all our faults and shortcomings.

When God asks Adam, “Who told you that you were naked?” He already knows the answer.

In the book of Genesis we read that “God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:17)

God told Adam, ” You may freely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall NOT eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17.)

Then God creates Eve. (Gen. 1:21-22)

Did God tell Eve directly not to eat the fruit? Or did she learn this from Adam? Either way, she was aware of the command.

And the man and his wife were both naked and were not embarrassed or ashamed in each other’s presence. (Gen 1:15)

Here we are told that Adam and Eve were naked, but it was not an issue. They didn’t notice.

In Genesis 3, the serpent comes along and twists God’s words.

“Can it really be that God has said, You shall not eat from every tree of the garden?”

Eve replies, “We may eat the fruit from the trees from the garden, except the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said You shall not eat of it neither shall you touch it, lest you die.”

The serpent tries to convince Eve that God is so mean, that Eve cannot eat from any of the trees of the garden. It’s a lie.  God told Adam and Eve not to eat of one specific tree, and in fact, don’t even touch it. God knew that if they touched it and got so close to the fruit, they would be tempted beyond control. That’s why it’s important to avoid temptation in the early stages: instead of seeing how close to the sin we can get, we should stop ourselves way before we are overcome with temptation. (Don’t buy the box of cookies in the first place, keep them out of the house, then there is no temptation during TV time!)

The serpent replies, “You shall not surely die,” (calling God a liar!) “for God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil.”

The serpent tempts Eve with wisdom and knowledge. But Eve forgot one important thing: She was already like God in many ways. God created mankind in His own image.  (Genesis 1:17)

Then Eve looked at the tree.

She saw that the tree was good for food, and it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave some also to her husband, and he ate. (Genesis 3:6)

Eve saw that there was something good in the fruit. That’s the beginning of temptations: there is a good component to it. If it were 100% evil, we would not be tempted, would we?

Then the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons. (Gen. 3: 7)

The first thing we want to do is cover up! Don’t let anyone know what we did.

And they heard the sound 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 among the trees of the garden.

The next thing we do is hide!

First the Lord asks Adam, “Where are you?” Now of course God knew were Adam was.

He said, “I heard the sound of You walking in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

Next, we have fear. Fear is the opposite of faith.

God asked Adam, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat of the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”

“Who told you that you were naked?” God asks him. “Did you disobey my command?” Obviously yes.

Adam blames Eve. Eve blames the serpent.

God speaks a curse over the serpent, for which there is no return, but before He speaks any curses over Adam and Eve, He promises a Redeemer, a Messiah Who will reverse the curse:

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring, He will bruise and tread your head underfoot and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel. (Gen. 3:15)

God then speaks curses over Adam and Eve. Eve will have great sorrow in childbirth.  To Adam He says that the ground is cursed, and that Adam and mankind will toil and sweat to make enough to eat.

The LORD God fashioned garments from animal skins for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. (Gen. 3:21)

God killed an animal as a sacrifice, and covered Adam and Eve with the skin of the animal. The animal had to shed its blood and die to cover for the sins of the people. This is another picture of the coming Messiah, who would shed His blood to forgive the sins of all who believe on Him.

The LORD God said, “Look! The man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, so he won’t reach out, also take from the tree of life, eat, and then live forever—” therefore the LORD God expelled the man from the garden of Eden so he would work the ground from which he had been taken. After he had expelled the man, the LORD God placed winged angels at the eastern end of the garden of Eden, along with a fiery whirling sword, to prevent access to the tree of life. (Gen 3:22-24)

The Lord had to expel Adam and Eve from the garden so that they would not be able to eat from the tree of life–if they did, they would be in this fallen, cursed position forever!

Adam had been taken from the dust of the ground, and now he would have to work the ground and sweat and toil to survive. Adam was demoted from his original job of tending and guarding and keeping the Garden of Eden.