Vulnerability in the Garden, Genesis 2:25

At the beginning of this year I was given the honor of teaching the Women’s Bible Study at our church for six weeks. At some point in time I had expressed my desire to write and teach Bible Studies to our Pastor’s wife who heads up the Women’s Ministries for the church, and she kept that little fact tucked away in her mind until she had the opportunity to ask me to do a short Bible Study session.

I decided to teach on the Old Testament Covenants since I had previously done some work on them. I dug into each covenant with gusto and quickly learned that you can’t really teach about any of the Covenants in just 1 hour. There is so much to unpack and get into. So while I did cover each covenant during the lesson time I decided to start writing posts on the Covenants so I could cover smaller chunks of each and explain them more thoroughly.

I firmly believe that a good understanding of the overall story of the Bible is crucial for us to grow in our faith. God provides in our ignorance, but He is so much more amazing as we grow in our knowledge of the Holy. I’ve said it many times before: the Old Testament (OT) is not some outdated part of the Bible that we keep around because sometimes Jesus quotes from it. It is an integral part of God’s story and our salvation. If we didn’t have the OT, how could we understand who Jesus is, and why we need him? The OT reveals Jesus and prepares the way for Jesus to come and to reveal God and His Kingdom in the New Testament (NT).

One of the most beautiful things about the Creation Covenant[1] is that it expresses the deep trust humankind had for God and each other. They were completely vulnerable with Him and one another.

Genesis 2:25 says, “The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.”

Genesis 3:8 says, “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day…”

They were naked and unashamed. They walked with God personally, they spoke with Him, told Him their thoughts without reservations, learned from God’s counsel, and were able to grow closer to Him without sin getting in the way.

Also, Adam and Eve had complete trust of each other. When Genesis 2:25 says that they were naked and unashamed, it means they were not ashamed of themselves or their bodies, or of each other. There was no self-conscious wondering if he thought she was pretty enough. There was no striving to improve upon their appearance. They were completely at ease with each other and their bodies. Adam and Eve lived in complete unity and harmony. They was no misunderstood jests, or sarcastic comments. They were able to trust each others words and actions completely because deception did not yet exist. And because of this, they were able to be completely vulnerable with one another about hopes, dreams, needs, desires, etc.

Just tonight my husband and I had a squabble on the phone. He says he was trying to tease me, but I took it the wrong way. It cost us the better part of the evening to get over this issue and back on track with each other. It was minor, but it still hurt. It made me wonder for a moment if I could trust him, and if I should admit my weaknesses and brokenness to him.

I think it’s easy to forget how pervasive sin really is. We are simply used to it. People fight. We think that living in this state of defensiveness and misunderstanding is normal. But, it was never supposed to be like this. Jesus came and taught us about God’s grace and how we ought to be graceful with others. This wasn’t a new revelation from God though! This was the normal state of things in Eden, before sin. Grace and mercy were freely given, without thought, or hesitation. Mistakes were made, there were misunderstandings and miscommunications, but forgiveness was readily available.

I had to sit, and pray, and logically think through why I shouldn’t be mad at my husband. I had to choose to forgive him because it still isn’t natural for me. That is sin. That is the effects of sin in this world and in me. Jesus came to reveal God and how we are to live in communion with Him and His holiness. We need to be retaught how to live, love, and trust in our creator God because the Fall ruined us so completely that we don’t remember. This is what the OT Covenants are: God teaching us what it means to submit to His will and sovereignty, and how to live in His kingdom with Him as our king.

One day, the King will come and all of heaven and earth will be restored. Isaiah 65:17 tells us that: “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” This is the final aspect of the new covenant that will be rolled out. Gods timing with the new covenant is different from what we would think it should be. The New Covenant is in place and ratified, but there are different phases of it. The new heavens and new earth is a phase that has not been implemented yet. But it will be, and when it is, none of the former things will…be remembered, nor will they come to mind.

One day, we will forget what it is like to live in sin, surrounded by sin, infused with sin in our world and lives. The fights, misunderstandings, defensiveness, and sickness caused by sin will not just disappear, they will be erased. What will be left is vulnerability. Complete trust in God, and goodwill towards our fellow brothers and sisters in the new kingdom. We were created to be vulnerable, and one day we will be restored to that state. Until then, we live in hope and longing for the King to return and make all things new.

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[1] Previously, I referred to this as the Edenic Covenant. I decided that the term “Creation” is more fitting because it describes God’s covenant not just with Adam and Eve in Eden, but with all creation. It is on this covenant that all the others are built. God’s love for His creation moves Him to reveal his redemptive plan through the ages.