By Dr. Shana Wise
Genesis 3:1-13 (NIV)
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 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, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” 11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
There is a show on the Discovery channel titled Naked and Afraid. I used to watch this show years ago and the title itself came to mind when I think about the fall of man that happened in Genesis chapter 3.
Here is the description of the television show: What happens when you put two complete strangers - sans clothes - in some of the most extreme environments on Earth? Each male-female duo is left with no food, no water, no clothes, and only one survival item each as they attempt to survive independently.
The last statement in the description of the television show stuck out to me because it makes me think of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden after they ate the forbidden fruit.
Before they ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they were in perfect alignment with God. Their focus was on the assignment that God gave them (Gen. 1:26-28). They had no distractions, no worries, no hindrances in their purpose. Yet the moment they ate the fruit, they went into “survival mode” brought on by their own understanding. They “attempted” to cover themselves and hide from God.
I have made a list of things that Adam and Eve did when they were in the mindset of naked and afraid, and we could find ourselves in the same pattern if we chose to sin and not repent:
· Went they ate the fruit; they became self-centered and self-focused rather than Kingdom focused.
· They became afraid of God’s presence, when before they walked in fellowship with him in the Garden.
· They became ashamed of their physical nakedness when God had created them to be free in the Spirit.
· They felt as if they needed to cover themselves when God had been their covering all along.
They felt the covering that they made for themselves was sufficient, but it wasn’t pleasing to God.
Genesis 3:21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
· Their eyes were open in the flesh rather than the Spirit, therefore their vision of who they were and who God is to them became distorted because sin had entered.
· They felt that they could stay in the Garden (the holy place where God was), as they were, but God had to banish them.
Genesis 3:23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.
· They started to make excuses instead of taking responsibility (the blame game). (Genesis 3:12-13).
God does not want us to live in the naked and afraid mindset. He wants us to realize that the Garden of Eden (the heavenly place) still exists, but we can only access it through his son Jesus Christ.
God loves us so much that he initiated the plan of salvation for us in the Garden of Eden.
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
God does not want paradise without us being a part of it. Our Father wants his children to experience the Kingdom on earth, currently, and in heaven eternally (when we die).
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About the Author
Dr. Shana Wise is an ordained Pastor that founded and oversees Wise Choice Ministries with her husband Deacon Ron Wise. She is also the CEO and founder of The Well Christian Women’s Network. Dr. Wise is the author of Women’s Devotionals Acts of Intercession and Chief Women Arise, The Impact of Your Election, and the Basic Ministry Training Manual (all available on Amazon). She received a Doctor of Divinity degree in 2019 from St. Thomas Christian University. Her passion is to teach and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, equip others to apply the Word to their lives and demonstrate it through the power of the Holy Spirit. She is a televangelist that appears on social media outlets. Shana is married and has four children.
For speaking engagements email: wisechoiceministries512@gmail.com.
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Acts of Intercession
The Impact of Your Election
Basic Ministry Training Manual
Chief Women Arise
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