Today’s Reading, Genesis 1-3
Focal Scripture: Genesis 2:25 “Both the man and his wife were naked, yet felt no shame.”
Have you ever had a dream where you were embarrassed about what you were doing or how you looked? Maybe you even had a dream that you woke up or walked in somewhere naked. Dreams like that can be extremely stressful, because when you believe you have been exposed in the most vulnerable way it will cause anxiety. I personally have never dreamed I was naked in front of people, but I have dreamed that people saw me as I see myself. It creates an attitude of fear and of shame.
In today’s reading we are told that Adam and Eve are around one another and God while completely naked. They are walking, talking, doing day to day tasks and no concern about clothes or how they look. They were not concerned about covering up their bodies, because they were more focused about the Lord’s presence. This couple felt no shame about how they looked or how they were living their lives. We can learn much from this account in scripture because it reveals the mind and attitude of not having our hearts exposed to sin. They did not know shame because they were in perfect fellowship with the Lord.
I am not sure about you but I remember when I realized the seriousness and power of sin. I witnessed something in my youth that was life changing and soul shaking. I knew that people could not be trusted completely. I understood that evil existed and it changed how I viewed the world and my surroundings. This realization of sin opened my eyes in a way that I wish never happened. Sin is powerful and has very real consequences.
We learn later in Genesis that Adam and Eve hid from God after they disobeyed the Lord. They knew they were naked and tried to cover up their bodies. They viewed the world around them differently. They were no longer innocent. Sin was now at the forefront of their thinking and not the Lord.
What can we learn from this passage of scripture? We learn that sin is serious and has real consequences. We also learn that we need to trust the Lord even when we are tempted by good and pleasing objects. How many of us would want to not know the pain and consequences of sin in our lives? Unfortunately, sin is now a reality. However, sin does not have the final victory. Just like God stepped in to make them clothes to cover their nakedness. God also stepped in to forgive our sins and make us whole.
Sin is real and sin causes shame. However, God has provided us redemption through his son, Jesus. One day we will no longer have shame over our sin. One day things will be as they were in the beginning. Which means we will have perfect fellowship and perfect peace with the Lord. We will be completely exposed and be happy about that truth.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading Genesis 4-7
