Leslie M. John
After the man and the woman ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, transgressing the commandment of God, they lost their pure and perfect image that God had created them to be in.
When the man and the woman had transgressed the commandment of God they found that they were naked. God walking in the garden in the cool of the day called Adam saying ”Where art thou?” Adam said that he heard God’s voice in the garden but hid himself because he was naked. God asked Adam ”Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?” Adam blamed his wife of bringing the fruit from the forbidden tree and giving it to him for eating. Adam could have refused to eat and obey God’s commandment but he listened to his wife and yielded to her offer. Adam ate the fruit from the forbidden tree and tried to escape from God. The LORD questioned the woman as to what she had done! The woman blamed the serpent of beguiling her and, therefore, she ate it.
Then the LORD God cursed serpent above all cattle and above every beast of the field and said that upon its belly it shall crawl all its life. God had put enmity between the serpent and the woman. God said that the seed of the woman shall bruise its head and that the seed of the serpent shall bruise his heel.
The LORD said to the woman that he will greatly multiply her sorrow in her conception and in sorrow she shall bring forth her children. Her desire shall be to her husband and he will rule over her.
The LORD said to Adam because he hearkened to his wife’s voice instead of obeying God’s commandment, and had eaten the fruit of the forbidden tree, the earth is cursed for his sake. He said that in sorrow he shall eat from the earth all his life. The earth will bring forth thorns and thistles for him that he may labor hard to get his food from the earth. God also said to Adam that out of the dust he was made and, therefore, he will return to dust. It is interesting to note here that God did not curse man directly but He cursed the earth for man’s sake. God covered the nakedness of Adam and Eve and thus we see God’s provision of salvation for mankind.
Because of this transgression God sent man out from the Garden of Eden and He placed Cherubims and a flaming sword at the east of the garden to protect the tree of life.
The man and the woman tried to cover their nakedness with fig leaves and by their own efforts. God saw that their efforts were not good enough to provide them salvation and He made coats of skins and clothed them. This is the first ever reconciliation God made with man. An animal was obviously killed to make the coats of skins for them to cover their sin.
”And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission”. (Hebrews 9:22)
Psalmist said: ”Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered”. (Psalms 32:1)