Shame, Shame part two

The Birth of Shame.

Shame is not a natural thing for us.  Our first ancestors were created without shame!  “²¹So the LORD God made him fall into a deep sleep, and he took out one of the man's ribs. Then after closing the man's side, ²²the LORD made a woman out of the rib.
   The LORD God brought her to the man, ²³and the man exclaimed,
   "Here is someone like me!
   She is part of my body,
   my own flesh and bones.
   She came from me, a man.
   So I will name her Woman!" ^{[d] 24}That's why a man will leave his own father and mother. He marries a woman, and the two of them become like one person.    ²⁵Although the man and his wife were both naked, they were not ashamed.”  (Genesis 2:21-25, CEV).


That last sentence is pregnant with meaning.  Literally Adam and Eve wore no clothing and felt no embarrassment about that.  Going deeper, I believe it shows us they had nothing to hide from each other in any way whatever!  They had never done anything wrong or shameful.  They had never spoken foolishly.  They had never had an impure or cruel thought.  And, as they were at that moment, they never would have done any of these things.  They were free to be fully intimate because they really had absolutely no shame!  Wow!  We can envy them.

Tragically, things changed.  The snake whispered to Eve that God was keeping the good stuff from her and Adam.  She got defensive and curious. Then she gave in and Adam joined right in. “⁶The woman stared at the fruit. It looked beautiful and tasty. She wanted the wisdom that it would give her, and she ate some of the fruit. Her husband was there with her, so she gave some to him, and he ate it too. ⁷Right away they saw what they had done, and they realized they were naked. Then they sewed fig leaves together to make something to cover themselves.
    ⁸Late in the afternoon a breeze began to blow, and the man and woman heard the LORD God walking in the garden. They were frightened and hid behind some trees.”  (Genesis 3:6-8, CEV).

Do you see the instant shift there?  From “naked (and) not ashamed” to “Adam, you ain’t got no clothes on and you’d better cover up man! (While I grab my own fig leaves)”  SHAME!  Embarrassment!  The need to cover up. Again, literally they felt the need to put fig leaves over their private parts.  But on a deeper level man and woman would never again be able to fully expose their hearts to one another without some degree of shame.  From that moment on the sexes have covered up much of themselves from each other. 

But the effects of shame get worse than this!  Look at that eighth verse again: “    ⁸Late in the afternoon a breeze began to blow, and the man and woman heard the LORD God walking in the garden. They were frightened and hid behind some trees.”  Many Bible scholars believe Adam and Eve had enjoyed daily, or at least frequent visits with their Creator God.  Now they hear God approaching and it is not enjoyment or happy anticipation that they feel!   THEY ARE AFRAID AND THEY TRY TO HIDE FROM GOD! 
God plays along and asks “Where are you?”  (Among the saddest three words in the Bible!)  Adam replies, "I was naked, and when I heard you walking through the garden, I was frightened and hid!"  Shame!  True shame because they had broken the only commandment they had!  True shame because they had believed the lies from darkness over the truth and light of God!  “I’m naked.  I’m exposed.  “I’m unworthy because I have done evil.  I chose evil.  I am evil.”  

Shame has been born.  This cruel invader has entered human existence.  Satan gave the seed of falsehood.  Eve and then Adam have taken it in.  They have conceived and given birth to shame.  And so we still suffer the presence of this hideous invader.