Why did Adam claim he was "naked" before God when he and Eve had clothed themselves with fig leaves?

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Accepted answer

The Nakedness was not merely physical in nature

It's important to note that this is Adam's claim--not God's. Adam and Eve had indeed taken measures to clothe their nakedness after their sin. Before sin, when they were both in a state of innocence, it seems they felt no need for clothing. This is akin to a young child who experiences no shame in being unclothed, much to the chagrin of his parents.

Adam and Eve's clothing appears to have been sufficient in relation to one another. However, as soon as God enters the picture, the insufficiency of their own efforts becomes apparent.

It seems, then, that mankind's efforts to cover over their own sin may be sufficient among others who have sinned, but it is insufficient in the presence of God.

If Adam's nakedness had merely been physical, then physical clothing would have been sufficient to cover over his shame. The shame, however, was not merely physical and neither was his sin. It was also a spiritual act of defiance toward God.

God's Provision

It's interesting to note that later in the chapter, God makes clothing for Adam and Eve. We must wonder what the fig leaves were insufficient and why God considered other clothing to be superior.

The nature of the clothing provided by God is that they were from the skins of an animal. Although this is not explicitly stated, it seems reasonable to conclude that this was the first substitutionary sacrifice. An animal had to die to provide the animal skins for that clothing. The death of the innocent animal was sufficient to cover the shame of sin, yet it was insufficient to atone for the guilt, since Adam and Eve were still banished from the garden.

While the sacrifice of the innocent covered over the shame of sin, it would require the sacrifice of the Righteous One (Jesus) to atone for the guilt.

The physical clothing made by God is then a picture of the spiritual clothing that would be provided through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

The New Testament speaks of a type of clothing that comes to followers of Christ:

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Galatians 3:26-27

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 2 Corinthians 5:1-2

So, Adam was not naked at that time in a physical sense, but he was still naked (exposed, in a state of shame) in a spiritual sense.

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Our sin represents our nakedness the word naked means ashamed our sin are discover. We expose we can hide. We are naked in front of our maker there are nothing we can hide from him.

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Nakedness was more than physical. It was also a sign that even in unfallen creation, humans were not in their consummate state. God created Adam and placed him in the garden with the charge to guard and tend the garden, yet Adam failed in this task by letting the serpent corrupt the sanctity of the garden. Consummate life was within grasp in the garden if he passed the test of obedience, but his failure meant that he saw himself for what he was: naked. So, naturally in his shame, he sought to cover his nakedness by his own creation, which even he had to acknowledge was still nakedness.

God "solves" the problem by clothing him in animal skins. True, he is no longer naked, but now the image-bearer of God is in the image of an animal.

From the Redemptive-Historical hermeneutic, Adam and Christ were types. While Adam was in a garden of paradise and abundance and he failed his test, Christ was tested in a wilderness fast, and he rebuked the devil and won the victory and this is why Christ is clothed in splendor, and why the eschatological hope for man is not a return to nakedness, but an exaltation to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

An exploration of this argument can be found in the Reformed Forum's Proclaiming Christ program: http://reformedforum.org/podcasts/pc14/

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Nakedness and shame are closely related in the Bible.

Before they sinned, Genesis 2:25 "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."

Then, in Genesis 3:7-10 they were ashamed, and thus saw their nakedness.

Supporting passages for nakedness and shame being closely tied together:

  • Exodus 32:25 KJV "And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)"
  • Isaiah 47:3 "Your nakedness shall be uncovered, yes, your shame shall be seen..."
  • Revelation 3:17 KJV "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked"
  • Revelation 16:15 KJV "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame."

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