Sin and Shame

IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Sin and Shame

Date: Jan. 8, 2025

Passage

Genesis 3:1-13 (ESV)

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

For information on how the ESV can be quoted, please visit our permission site.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 3:9

But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

There was just one restriction God gave Adam and Eve: to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But it was right there, and it looked pleasing. With the temptation of the crafty serpent, the fruit called out to Adam and Eve to try it. They both ate of it and suddenly felt shame. Although we may blame the serpent, Adam, or Eve, we are no better or worse. This is a depiction of sin and shame that we all experience in our lives.

Shame is defined as that intensely painful feeling of humiliation caused by the realization of wrong or foolish behavior. Sin leads to shame and causes us to believe that we are no longer acceptable to God or others. Adam and Eve realized they were naked and felt like they had to cover themselves. Shame makes us uncomfortable in our own skin. When confronted by God, they both hid and blamed others. Shame makes us hide and blame others. Shame feels a lot like hell and death, but God did not abandon them in their shame. He sought them.

Prayer: Creator God, I have sinned against you and others, yet you never gave up on me.

One Word: God is still seeking you in love.

Hezekiah Restores Worship

2 Chronicles 29:20-36

Key Verse: 29:31

Today's Question

See answer and references