The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. – Genesis 3:21

Today's Scripture Reading (June 21, 2021): Genesis 3

President Harry S. Truman commented, "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." Ronald Reagan argued almost the same thing when he said, "There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit." Both agreed that when we take our eyes off of ourselves, at that moment when we decide that something must be done even if no one ever finds out that we did it, then the sky is the limit for what we can accomplish.

Unfortunately, that is not usually our reality. We seem much more willing to do something good or something sacrificial if we know that our name will be attached to the act. Even if it comes in the form of a "humble brag," we want to advertise the good that we do. And as a result, we limit the good that we can achieve. And the reality is that if we want to make this world a better place, we have to be willing to take our eyes off ourselves and concentrate on the world around us.

I find it distasteful that many biblical scholars seem to want to argue that God's action of making garments for Adam and Eve was a nod of approval toward our sense of modesty. The argument is often made in contrast to naturalists who believe that nudity represents a higher and freer lifestyle. The Christian rebuttal is that if that were true, then God wouldn't have clothed Adam and Eve. But that interpretation seems to ignore the story that goes before this moment.

When Genesis comments that "Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame" (Genesis 2:25), the point of the comment is not that something was missing in the life of Adam and Eve. God did not give them shame so that they would have what they had been missing. Adam and Eve gave themselves shame through their misdeeds.

In the beginning, giving or taking credit was an unknown phenomenon. Adam and Eve simply existed in the garden, enjoying everything that God had created, and in the evening, going for a walk with their Creator. Then the serpent appeared with his lies. And suddenly, the focus of the first couple was turned inward, and credit became something meaningful, at first in the form of blame. Adam pointed at Eve, and Eve, in turn, pointed at the serpent.

And shame entered our world, not as a positive affirmation of a God-approved modesty, but as a negative result of the sin of Adam and Eve had committed. Suddenly, they became aware of themselves; their sin made them naked and ashamed.

As a result of the sin and the shame, the first sacrifice had to be made. The author of Hebrews teaches that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22b).  Apparently, that was true from the very beginning. An animal had to die so that Adam and Eve could be clothed and their shame eased. Modesty enters our story, becoming part of our reality because of our sin, and in the process, we became aware of ourselves. The actions of stealing credit and placing the blame on someone else became a part of our daily lives. And, suddenly, we discovered a need to cover everything that we feel is wrong with us.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Genesis 4