SIN AND SHAME
Genesis 3:1-13
But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” (9)
chapter 3
1. Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, ’You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?"
2. The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,
3. but God did say, ’You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’"
4. "You will not certainly die," the serpent said to the woman.
5. "For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6. When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
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.
8. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
9. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"
10. He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."
11. And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"
12. The man said, "The woman you put here with me - she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."
13. Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
1. There was just one restriction God gave Adam and Eve: to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But it was right there, and it looked pleasing. With the temptation of the crafty serpent, the fruit called out to Adam and Eve to try it. They both ate of it and suddenly felt shame. Although we may blame the serpent, Adam, or Eve, we are no better or worse. This is a depiction of sin and shame that we all experience in our lives.
2. Shame is defined as that intensely painful feeling of humiliation caused by the realization of wrong or foolish behavior. Sin leads to shame and causes us to believe that we are no longer acceptable to God or others. Adam and Eve realized they were naked and felt like they had to cover themselves. Shame makes us uncomfortable in our own skin. When confronted by God, they both hid and blamed others. Shame makes us hide and blame others. Shame feels a lot like hell and death, but God did not abandon them in their shame. He sought them.
Prayer: Creator God, I have sinned against you and others, yet you never gave up on me.
One Word: God is still seeking you in love