Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?

Adam and Eve seemed to know instinctively that their sin and their shame needed to be covered. This is why, after their sin, they covered themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:6, 7, 11). Fig leaves were, of course inadequate. We read that on that Day the ungodly will cry out to the rocks “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!” Clearly rocks as cover are inadequate too. In fact since “without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins” (Hebrews 6:16), what was needed was the perfect sacrifice of the Son of God. In other words the only adequate covering for sin and shame, is the spotless blood of the Lamb of God (Jesus, John 1:35). Showing the inadequacy of the fig leaves the Lord (killed some animal and) made garments of skin for cover (Genesis 3:21).

A common response to having our sin uncovered by God’s questions or otherwise, is to deflect the guilt some way. In Adam’s case, he played the blame game. “The woman You gave she …” In other words, it’s the woman’s fault, and actually it’s Your fault too God, You are the one who gave her to me. It sounds so familiar! Eve was no better, confronted by God’s question as to what she had done, she makes the excuse that she was deceived by the snake. In fact she knew she should not eat, and chose to believe the lie (Genesis 3:3,6). Really she had no excuse, neither shall we (Romans 1:18-20).

As with God’s question we looked at yesterday, God does not ask questions to condemn, but rather because he knows that unconfessed sin causes problems, and He wants to show us His solution. David says “When I kept silent about my sin, my bones wasted away” (Psalm 32:3). Sin separates us both from God and each other. The intimacy, the openness, transparency and innocence that were present before the fall were gone. Bringing the Kingdom to earth, is in many ways about restoring the before the fall state of affairs. It starts with confession, we confess to God to be forgiven. “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). We confess to each other to be healed “confess your faults one to another and pray for one another that you might be healed” (James 5:16).

Father, help us to keep short accounts with You and each other. You always know best Lord! When we don’t confess to You “our bones waste away.” When we don’t confess our faults to each other, will likely finish up confessing each other’s faults, as in the blame game etc. This is not so healing Lord! We do need Your help Father, but it starts with a willing determination to come humbly over and over to the foot of the cross until we find resolution. At the foot of the cross there is no difference for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Give us the grace we need Lord and the tenacity to stick to the healing process and we will give You the honour and glory and praise in Jesus Name Amen