Your Eyes Will Be Opened

The serpent spoke tremendous truth with the words, “...your eyes will be opened.” Possible more truth than he imagined. Up until that moment it seems outward appearances were the garb in vogue. Appearances that were stripped away while forbidden juice still lay upon the tongue, tasting sweet. Bitterness came on a swallow, swallowing up falsehood. Suddenly everything was laid bare. And looking at one another, their nakedness revealed, nothing preventing them from seeing the darkness within their own hearts, what did they do. They immediately went to covering the transparency causing so much pain, so much shame, so much disillusionment.

Truth reveals all darkness, necessitates transparency, for nothing can be hidden from the Eyes that know all … and yet still choose to love.

But transparency wasn’t safe in Eden, not any longer, so man attempted to cover truth revealed in a bite, longing self to remain disguised, beautified.

… and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings (3:7)

Once again I’d missed what God wants me to see, to understand. Covering in Hebrew is a word more accurately translated armor.

New meaning now breathes in God’s counsel, Put on the whole armor of God. The girdle. The breast-plate. The helmet.

Adam and Eve weren’t simply attempting to clothe their physical flesh. They were desiring to protect themselves. To arm themselves against a frightening truth they saw, in themselves, in one another.

It would be fascinating to explore this, but words quickly come to mind that seem so appropriate here.

Love covers a multitude of sins.

And that is exactly what LOVE did. He provided the perfect covering for man’s sins … Himself … worn here first in its shadow, until that day assigned before the foundation of the earth when it would be worn in its fullness.

And when that first drop of blood spilled onto Eden’s sod, it reveal to hiding hearts that the battle was not against each other, but against a deceiver whose own desire was to claim them for his own.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the LORD and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done so, to stand. (Ephesians 6:10-13)