Genesis 3:7 (Decisions)
How would you respond if you had just made the biggest mistake of your life?
“Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths” (Genesis 3:7).
Knowledge is critical to navigating the trials of life, but what happens when it convicts us of sinful behavior? Do we instinctively react, or respond with wisdom and discernment instead?
Adam and Eve found themselves in a precarious situation that fateful day in the Garden of Eden. They were told by God to enjoy the fruit of every tree they found and desired, but specifically warned not to eat nor even touch just one, the tree of knowledge, lest they die. However, when temptation came they willingly disobeyed His command with very little persuasion. Why?
“And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die”’” (Genesis 3:2–3).
Perhaps it was because they'd never been lied to before and didn't know how to respond; maybe they genuinely thought the serpent had their best interest in mind? For they were all living in utopia together, so it begs the question why they had any reason to doubt the serpent at all since they assumed everything God made was good.
“But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil’” (Genesis 3:4–5).
Nonetheless, the serpent twisted God’s Word with a half lie and Eve took the bait, changing the course of history forevermore. However, it is interesting to consider what happened moments AFTER they ate from the tree of knowledge, and more importantly, what we can learn to avoid making the same mistake.
KNOWLEDGE:
Genesis 3:7 begins by stating that upon eating the fruit, “the eyes of both were opened.” Immediately, they experienced a physical reaction to a decision which seemed so insignificant at the time but carried immeasurable consequences for all eternity. Sin was awakened in that moment, with knowledge being the tool which convicted their conscience and inevitably separated them from God's presence.
“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:14–15).
Their experience should remind us that when a man comes face to face with the reality of his sin, the clouds of confusion dissipate almost immediately, causing him to clearly see the wretchedness of his depravity. I've often referred to it as the “moment of clarity” when sin is finally exposed, and we realize the fulfillment we desire is nothing more than a wishful mirage on the horizon.
“I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:5).
The apostle Paul experienced such a moment as well after being blinded on the Damascus road by none other than Jesus. Yet after being prayed over by Ananias three days later, something like scales fell from Paul's eyes and he finally saw clearly for the first time in his life. He came face to face with the reality of how evil he had become, and it broke his spirit, changing the trajectory of his life forever.
“So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened” (Acts 9:17–19).
That is why knowledge is so powerful. For when we've been enlightened by the truth of God's Word, our sins are magnified, and we realize how unworthy we truly are to stand before our Creator. No longer are we wondering if the grass is greener on the other side. We know it's not. But at that point, the damage has already been done and there's no going back.
“St. Augustine teaches us that there is in each man a Serpent, an Eve, and an Adam. Our senses and natural propensities are the Serpent; the excitable desire is the Eve; and reason is the Adam. Our nature tempts us perpetually; criminal desire is often excited; but sin is not completed till reason consents.”
We can be sure that Adam and Eve had no idea how a simple choice could have such grave consequences eternally, but that is the power of sin. It completely severs our fellowship with God to the point where only a blood sacrifice from a spotless lamb is sufficient to atone for our sin and reunite our relationship with Him again.
“For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Hebrews 9:13–14).
RECOGNITION:
Once their eyes were opened, Genesis 3:7 goes on to say, “they knew that they were naked.” For the first time, they recognized how bare they truly were before God—not merely in a physical sense, but emotionally and spiritually as well.
They understood what sin felt like in that moment. Guilt, shame, and regret poured over their hearts and minds as they considered the gravity of their decision to eat the forbidden fruit. However, their first inclination was not to confess their sin and seek reconciliation with God, but instead to instinctively cover up (literally) their mistake first.
“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8).
Keep in mind, when we sin we’re typically not intoxicated by the idol itself but the presumed benefit, which is why sin appeals to our five physical senses (sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch). Oftentimes, we’re searching for something to make us feel better, dull the pain, help us forget, discover pleasure, etc.
Temptation is meant to lure us into thinking “X” is the solution to all our problems and what we’re lacking to feel complete. It also causes us to solve our discontentment with the pleasures of this world. However, temptation only leads us into further bondage because it cannot quench our thirst no matter how many times we return to the well of idolatry and drink of its poison.
“Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life’” (John 4:13–14).
That is why sin is much more like cancer than a massive heart attack. Both can kill if left untreated, but cancer spreads quietly and discreetly in the shadows of our hearts and poisons our minds into thinking the pleasures of this world will eventually satisfy our desires.
COVER UP:
The final piece of the puzzle came together when Adam and Eve “sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.” Rather than confess their sin, they chose to cover up their mistake and reaped the consequences of their actions.
What we often fail to realize from Genesis 3:7 is that Adam and Eve still had a choice to make after eating from the tree of knowledge. They could have owned their mistake, taken the initiative, and confessed their sin before God confronted them. However, they chose to foolishly hide instead.
“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!” (Psalm 139:7–8).
Keep in mind, there is a huge chasm which exists between saying, “I’m sorry,” vs. “Please forgive me.” Those of us who have been caught in the act of sinning typically use “I’m sorry” as our halfhearted attempt to minimize the consequences of our actions. However, taking the initiative to confess one’s sins and ask those we’ve sinned against to please forgive us can be the difference between reconciliation and bitterness/resentment.
None of us are perfect, though. We all make mistakes. Hence, the real difference between spiritual maturity and immaturity hinges upon whether we respond with wisdom and discernment BEFORE we get caught, or react AFTER the fact by attempting to minimize, downplay, or blame shift our sins.
We’re no different than Adam and Eve. We run and hide all the time rather than accept personal responsibility for our actions. However, if we truly want to learn from our mistakes and sin no more, we cannot wait till we get caught to begin the process of reconciliation. We must lay down our pride, take the initiative, and confess our sins before it’s too late.
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants”’ (Luke 15:17–19).
Therefore, initiative is the key to beginning the process of repentance. Granted, it does not make up for the sins we’ve committed, but it conveys to those we’ve sinned against that true conviction and remorse compelled our actions, and that our repentance is genuine.
BOTTOM-LINE:
Adam and Eve’s mistake may seem trivial compared to more egregious sins we struggle with, but their desire for knowledge set off a chain reaction which has plagued mankind ever since.
“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely 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).
The question is how will we respond the next time we sin? Will we own our mistake or shift into damage control mode? We will humble ourselves and confess, or hide in the shadows and further perpetuate greater idol addictions?
The choice is truly ours to make but let us never forget that the decisions we make AFTER we yield to temptation are just as critical as the decisions we make BEFORE we take hold of forbidden fruit in our lives and disobey the Lord.
And men, let us also take the spiritual lead in our homes and ensure we are holding ourselves accountable, first and foremost, by setting a zero-tolerance standard of accepting personal responsibility for the sins we commit, both directly (like Eve when she took hold of the fruit and ate) and indirectly (like Adam when he failed to protect his wife).
“When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden and God came to call them to account, it didn’t matter that Eve had sinned first. God said, ‘Adam, where are you?’ (Gen. 3:9). That’s God’s word to the family today: Adam, husband, father, where are you? If something is not working right at your home and Jesus comes knocking on the door, He may have an issue with [your] wife, but the first thing He’s going to say when she opens the door is, ‘Is the man of the house home?’ That’s the way it happened in the first marriage. That’s the way it will happen in our marriage.”
