Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" He said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." (vv. 9-10)
NO PLACE TO HIDE
I’ve spent a lot of time in hospitals and nursing homes this year. One thing I’ve learned is that most patients are happier and more comfortable when allowed to keep their clothes on. And I do mean clothes, not those peek-a-boo hospital gowns.
This desire for clothing is not restricted to hospital wards. Most of us would rather wear clothes than walk through the world naked. We clothe ourselves for many reasons. Our culture requires us to cover our bodies, or at least certain parts of our bodies, before mingling with others in social settings. Of course, we might choose to wear clothes even if there were no social or moral taboos. Who wants to put cellulite on public display?
People have worn clothes from the earliest times of recorded history. Our Bible doesn’t get much past creation before people start wearing clothes. The interesting thing is that Adam and Eve didn’t feel the need for cover-ups until after they had disobeyed God. Before that, they were evidently quite comfortable just as they were, created in God’s image – and nude.
Why the sudden interest in fig leaves? Adam and Eve had sinned and,
as the serpent predicted, their eyes were opened. They suddenly knew the difference between good and evil. Innocence was lost. God’s people were no longer comfortable in their own skin. They needed clothes. Maybe they thought they could hide their flaws behind the foliage.
Hide from God? Hide from the God who made them, the God who walked with them in the garden? Were Adam and Eve really so naïve?
It seems they were naïve – and it seems we are, too. We still try to hide from God. We still try to cover our flaws with fig leaves. It’s futile. There is no place to hide from God. This Lenten season, let us resolve to set aside our disguises and come naked before the Lord, penitent and in need of divine grace.
Creator God, nothing is hidden from you. You know all the secret places of my heart. Forgive me, for I have sinned. Have mercy on me and show me your salvation.
Dallas Cronk
