Roadmap for the soul - Judaism, the bible and the tabernacle

Previously, we have seen in our story that all of us chose (along with Adam and Eve) to overrule the 'spirit' (or 'strength') which originally protected us... We all chose to 'eat the fruit' in the garden.

So then ... what are the consequences of our choice?

Well, one of the first consequences of humanity's new 'freedom' can be seen here ---

Genesis 3:7 "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings."

Just a few verses back, in Genesis 2:25, it said that Adam and Eve "...were both naked...and were not ashamed." Now though, they are suddenly concerned enough about their nakedness to have "...made themselves coverings". So... why the big change?

In order to answer this question, we first need to remember that prior to eating the fruit, Adam and Eve had both been 'united' with one another, just as God originally intended all of His creations to be. Their unity was made possible by the fact that originally, their focus was 'outward'... Outward first toward God, and then through recognition and acceptance of His boundaries, outward towards one another. Through looking 'outwardly', rather than focusing 'inwardly' on their own self-centered desires, Adam and Eve had been completely united with God, and with one another. And since there is usually little, if any, self-consciousness in 'unity', nakedness would have been a non-issue.

The fact that nakedness has suddenly become an issue to Adam and Eve would thus indicate that they have become aware of a definite loss of 'unity'. Their 'coverings of leaves' are simply a visible sign of that fact. Put another way, their sudden desire to 'hide' themselves behind 'coverings' reflects their sense that something has 'come between' them. Or to put it even more simply, the coverings are basically a symbol of 'separation'.

It would appear that Adam and Eve are already discovering that Satan's false brand of 'freedom' has brought them nothing worthwhile. All it has brought is a new 'inward' focus, which leaves them feeling isolated from God and one another.

Although Adam and Eve are awakening to a new sense of independence, you will notice that they don't scream and go running off to opposite sides of the garden, never to see one another again. Why? Because they were made in God's "image", 8 and just as God desires companionship, so does mankind.

If you'll recall, none of God's creations... not even Satan himself... are thrilled at the thought of isolation. That's because all of God's creations were originally created for a relationship of unity with one another. It is this 'built in' desire for companionship which apparently keeps Adam and Eve from running off to separate corners of the garden. It may have been better if they had gone their separate ways though, because mankind is now destined to experience the chaos and suffering that results from many 'roommates' who recognize no boundaries other than those that they choose for themselves.

In any case, at this point we have seen that the 'coverings' represent 'separation'.

They can also be seen as representing 'guilt'.

This stems from the fact that the coverings only became necessary as a result of mankind's rebellion. If there had been no rebellion, there would be no need for any coverings at all.

So for now, just remember that thus far ---

the 'coverings' represent 'guilt' and 'separation'.

We will be taking a closer look at the issue of 'coverings' and 'separation' shortly. But first, we will examine some of the other consequences of our new 'freedom', as our story continues...

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