THE FIG LEAF

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

The Bible is chock full of symbolism. Of all of the symbols that God has written down for us, the most encompassing has to be the fig leaf in Genesis 3:7. This one action represents at least four major theological concepts:

1. Here we see the false idea that so many believe even today, that somehow our works can hide our life of sin from God. Nothing that we make or do can save us.

2. Adam and Eve were ashamed of the curse that they had brought upon the future generations of mankind. It wasn't procreation itself that was their sin, as God Himself had commanded it (Genesis 1:28). The sin instead was their disobedience to God, and the knowledge of what evil is. Notice how the lack of shame everywhere is always increasing.
3. The use of something physical--the fig leaf-- had no connection with the spiritual problem of a sinful soul, yet many in the world can't see the difference between the two. They try using idols, amulets, icons, trinkets, superstitions, and other physical items to influence their spiritual condition. God showed us from the beginning that only substitutionary death can affect life (Genesis 3:21; Hebrews 9:22).
4. To choose fig leaves--though rather large as leaves go--to cover the size of something as big as the issue of sin against God, shows that they had a very restrained concept of the Person of God, and His justice. So it is, that whenever we encounter evil and temptation, its first act upon us is to get us to spiritually limit the Person and power of God.
Then the devil's first recorded words are. "Indeed, has God said...?" (Genesis 3:1)

May this scripture remind us to wear the armor of God, and not fig leafs.

Davy L. Troxel