The following commentary by Chitwood
[2] sheds additional light on this:
When man sinned in the garden in Eden, the complete being of man — spirit, soul, and body — became in a fallen state. God had commanded Adam concerning the fruit of
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, “
you shall not eat,
for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (
Genesis 2:17). After Satan had deceived Eve into eating of the fruit of this tree, she then “
gave to her husband with her;
and he ate.” Immediately following this, “
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” (
Genesis 3:1-7).
At the time of the fall, Adam and Eve lost something; and it is clearly stated in Scripture that both immediately recognized this fact. That which they lost could only have been a covering of pristine glory that had previously clothed their bodies; for they, following the fall, found that they were in a twofold condition: (1)
naked and (2)
separated from God.
God is arrayed in a covering of “
light,” connected with “
honor and majesty.” And man, created in the “
image” and “
likeness” of God, could only have been arrayed in a similar manner prior to the fall.
Bless the LORD,
O my soul!
O LORD my God,
You are very great:
You are clothed with[You have put on]
honor and majesty,
who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.” (
Psalm 104:1,
2)
Recognizing the loss of this covering, realizing that they were naked, explains why Adam and Eve immediately sought to clothe themselves following the fall. They tried to replace the covering that had been lost with a work of their own hands, with fig leaf aprons. And then, apparently realizing the utter inadequacy of this covering, they, in their fallen state, sought to hide from God.
God, finding Adam and Eve in this condition, completely rejected the works of their hands. God completely rejected their feeble efforts to atone for their own sin by seeking to replace the covering of pristine glory with fig leaves. Then, to bring His fallen creature back into a right relationship (although not in complete keeping with their previously unfallen state — something still future even today), God provided a covering consisting of animal skins (
Genesis 3:21). This necessitated
death and the shedding of blood; and herein lays basic, unchangeable truths concerning the state of fallen man and the means that are necessary to effect his redemption.
Unredeemed man is a fallen creature, alienated from God; and two things are necessary to effect his redemption: (1)
divine intervention, and (2)
death and shed blood. These truths have forever been set forth in the opening chapters of
Genesis and can never change.
(Two different words are used for “
naked” in the Hebrew text of
Genesis 2:25 [before the fall] and
Genesis 3:7 [after the fall]. In the latter [
3:7], the word has to do with
absolute nakedness, but not so in the former [
2:25].
Remaining within the way a person dressed in the East at the time Moses wrote
Genesis, and at later times as well, the word used relative to
nakedness pertaining to Adam and Eve preceding the fall [
2:25] could be used to describe a person clothed in a tunic [inner garment] but lacking the mantle or cloak [outer garment]. In the preceding respect, prior to the fall, Adam and Eve were clothed in the Glory of God but had yet to possess the regal outer garments worn by kings [fulfilling the reason for man’s creation — to rule the earth (
Genesis 1:26-28)].
Then, following the fall, no longer clothed in the Glory of God, Adam and Eve were no longer in a position to be further clothed in regal garments, realizing the purpose for their creation. They, apart from the inner garment [the Glory] could not wear the outer garments [royal apparel]. Adam, prior to the fall, never wore regal garments or held the scepter. In this respect, he never moved beyond the description given in
Genesis 2:25 — a “
naked” condition, “
naked”
in relation to the reason for his creation [
lacking the outer regal garments]
.
Thus, if man, now separated from the Glory, is to ever fulfill the purpose for his creation, God must act. Redemption has to occur; and this, of necessity, has to include the complete man —
spirit,
soul,
and body — with a view to not only
a restoration of the Glory but to regality beyond this restoration.)