Are we covered in fig leaves? Do we find ways to protect ourselves and hide our actions? Do we feel naked and exposed unless we do something about it? FIG LEAVES!

Genesis 3:6 Some of the first times I read this chapter, I couldn’t figure out why the Lord would want us naked. Why didn’t He want us to know good and evil? I was looking from my perspective backwards in time. It wasn’t until I asked for His understanding that I began to get the message. I began to realize, that up until this point, Adam and Eve were covered totally in the glory of the Lord. They lived in innocence. I then began to meditate on the words of Jesus in the gospels.

Matthew 18:2-4 ” He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

In this passage, I believe Jesus is calling us back to a time in Eden. Unless we become like children we will never enter. How do you become like a child again? In one of my previous posts, “Like A Child“, I discussed being born again. I want to go on from there so that we can find out the relevance of the fig leaves. In verse 4, He mentions “humble himself like this child.” Well, I thought, the opposite of humility is pride. That’s it! They were filled with pride. Adam and Eve committed the same sin as did their tempter, Lucifer, the devil. They could become like God, knowing good and evil.

“Whoever humbles himself like this child is the GREATEST in the kingdom of heaven.” What, on earth, does this mean? Our society, in general, is built on pride, competition, greed, lust, etc. How do we humble ourselves in the Lord’s sight and not look stupid to the world? It isn’t possible. The great king David of Israel, humbled himself before the Lord and all of Israel. His wife was humiliated and despised him because she thought that kings weren’t supposed to do this. David chose to honor his Lord and King. Read the following and see how David answered her and how the Lord judged her. Pride is very dangerous.

2 Samuel 6:14-16 “David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets. As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.”

2 Samuel 6:20-23 “When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, ‘How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!’ David said to Michal, ‘It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.’ And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

Children and innocence, how do we do this. Children put their faith in their parents. They trust them unconditionally. They believe they are protected. They know they are loved. They love to play, dance, and have fun. They don’t even care to wear clothes. They don’t hide things well and it is hard for them to keep secrets. Wow! There is a gem here. Parents are responsible for their children up to a certain age. They are totally covered and protected. Where are we?

When we become born again, we become as children again. As we lay down our lives and take off our filthy rags, we put on the Lord’s righteousness. We become clothed in Him. Once again, we are naked, but now we are clothed in His glory. This is the way it was in the beginning. Pride exposes us, humility covers us. Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” If we humble ourselves and become transparent before the Lord and others we will receive grace. The Lord loves us and He protects us. We can choose to cover ourselves or we can let Him cover us.

I want to walk in His glory. I want to be innocent of evil. How can we be tempted if we can’t see the temptation? I know that I am only seeing a small portion of this, but I want to go deeper. How can we walk this earth clothed in His glory? How can we walk alongside this world system and not be crushed by it? How can we let Him shield us from all the insults, misunderstandings, hatred and violence? How can we become as a child again? What about all the wounds, the broken promises, the broken relationships, the judgments, and all the other things that have hindered our walk? How can we get past it all? We must lay it all down. We can be healed. We can be made whole. We can overcome. We can walk as we were meant to walk. Jesus made a way. I know who I am and I am familiar with filthy rags. I know who He is and I choose to be clothed in His righteousness. I don’t need to defend myself, He will. FIG LEAVES? No, thanks!

As humans, none of us are perfect, but we expect everyone else to be. Heroes are only so until their weaknesses are exposed and then we drag them through the mud. Let’s be real. Our humanity is all we have. Only in Him can we be righteous. Extend grace, mercy and love to those around you. Everyone knows we all make mistakes, why can we just admit them from the start. May your life be blessed. May you find what it is you are looking for in your life. Be encouraged, you are not alone.

Joseph