JAN 24

Genesis 3:7-13
Memorise Genesis 3:7
“and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD”

Sin will always have its consequences. The Bible tells us that the moment Adam and Eve ate of the fruit, their eyes were opened. They looked at each other and straightaway they felt exposed, ashamed and sinful. Whereas they had only known innocence and purity, their eyes were now open to the whole realm of wickedness. Their minds were now tainted with lust, and they understood what it meant to rebel against the God who created them and gave them life. In vain they tried to cover up their sin by sewing fig leaves together, and in vain they tried to hide themselves from the presence of the Holy God, too ashamed to stand and face Him.

When God questioned Adam as to whether he did eat of the tree, he was quick to evade the question and put the blame on his wife, Eve. At the same time, he even implied that it was God’s fault that he sinned, for Eve was “the woman whom thou gavest to be with me”! Eve too was quick to shirk responsibility for her action, for she then pointed to the serpent and blamed him for beguiling her.

Their innocence and purity was now gone. Even without a teacher, Adamand Eve knew how to cover up their sin, to be coy with their responses, and refuse to acknowledge their personal guilt. Through all of this, we see that the perfect fellowship and relationship that God once had with man was shattered. Man could no longer communicate so freely and openly with God, for he now felt shame in His presence. Man had rebelled against God, and was now a sinner who would continue to perpetuate more and more sin. How sad!

The Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 19 describes the fall in this manner: “Question: What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell? Answer: All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever”. That seemingly innocuous sin caused man to lose the relationship he once had with God, and to now be in a state of condemnation. He died spiritually, and can only be saved through Christ. Indeed sin, no matter how tempting, is never worth it!

Thought: Would Adam have sinned if he had known the full consequences of his action?

Prayer: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…”