January 1, 2012
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The Moment After…
At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. – Genesis 3:7 (NLT)
Every time I knowingly disobey God, I am left with an increasingly deeper sense of shame. I understand even better the weight of the cost of what I chose to do.It is not that I didn’t understand that there would be consequences or what those consequences would be, but I discover, firsthand, as if for the first time, what evil really is. Evil is full separation from God. It’s like that moment when you realize your air supply has just been cut off and you’re the one who cut the hose. That moment of panic, mixed with guilt, and the desperation of not knowing how you’ll breathe again because you can’t restore your air supply.
Adam and Eve had the very real experience of life void of God’s peace. They knew every bit of full joy and had not a care in the world. They understood God’s command and the consequence of disobeying. Suddenly then they knew death even as they lived. It was an experience that was as cold and sudden as the frigged, Alaskan winds that hit when you step out from the front door of a fireplace-warmed home. It’s the difference between having the steady stream of a hot shower flow over you and the all-consuming fog of chilly air when you shut off the water and open the shower curtain.
Their eyes were opened to an experience they could not escape. As Christian rap artist, TobyMac puts it, “…once you start an avalanche there ain’t no turning back” (from track “Momentum”, album “Momentum”).
While God’s grace was immediately present as He pronounced judgment, this was not an experience we were meant for. We were better off blind to the knowledge of Good and Evil.
From my Notes at YouVersion.com.
