I have always been fascinated with the scripture, "And I did cause that the women should spin, and toil, and work, and work all manner of fine linen, yea, and cloth of every kind, that we might clothe our nakedness; and thus we did prosper in the land - thus we did have continual peace in the land. . . " found in Mosiah 10:5. What did women making clothes have to do with prosperity and peace? I did a mini study on this verse and similar verses which I will share later; however, today, I would like to share my thoughts on a couple verses found in Genesis 4. One talks about Adam and Eve covering themselves with fig leaves and the other mentions God covering Adam and Eve with coats of skin. This is what I learned:
At the end of each post, there will be a free printable to use for your own study.
Fig Leaves
Genesis 3:7 (Moses 4:13) - And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
What did Adam and Eve’s nakedness represent? - that they were innocent and free of sin. My baby loves when we get her ready for the bath or when we change her clothes. She yells with such excitement, "NAKED BABY!!" To her being naked is not inappropriate but rather funny. Like Adam and Eve, she is not prepared for this world yet. She relies on my care to prepare her. Adam and Eve, in their state of innocence, were not ready to leave the Garden of Eden. They also relied on the protection and teachings of Heavenly Father.
Why did they care that they were naked after partaking of the fruit? My thoughts - the realization that they had willingly disobeyed God - guilt - aware of what they had done and the gravity of that choice - they became the “natural man.”
I find it interesting that the scripture says that Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves. Notice that it was Satan that tempted them, yet, he quickly left them on their own to face their consequences. A reminder that Satan DOES NOT care about us. "Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and call things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself." 2nd Nephi 2:27
Why use fig leaves? Since we were still in the Garden of Eden animal sacrifice was not a thing yet. They would have had to use what was available or what they knew could work.
What do fig leaves represent? - our attempt at covering ourselves, our sins, our embarrassment . . .
Some other thoughts on fig leaves and the connection to us:
* Fig leaves would have also been a temporary solution because over time the leaves would wilt and die. Similarly, our attempts at "covering" our mistakes will only be a quick fix if we do not properly repent. Ultimately, each of us will have to account for our sins at the judgment day.
* Fig leaves, though useful in the moment, would not have been sufficient to withstand the hardships of life. Think about it, what would happen if the wind blew too hard? We also must prepare for the hardships of life. Our lives must be centered on our Savior, Jesus Christ.
“In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”
“Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives.”
I read this while doing my research and found it to be particular interesting. "Fruit of the tree is important if a tree isn’t producing fruit then there are only leaves left.
What are we producing (fruit) for God?"
“What is it with fig leaves and trees in the bible?”
I had never thought about the fact, in this context, that the purpose of a fruit tree is to produce fruit. In wearing fig leaves, there was no fruit producing. Fruit in the scriptures is often symbolic of our works. When Daniel Esparza asked the question, "What are we producing for God?" I really had to think and digest that question. Remember, a fruit produces fruit after its kind. We can also produce good or bad fruit. . .
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23
We can not become like God if we focus on the leaves. We must develop Christlike attributes in order to "produce fruit" like he did.
Free Fig Leaves Mini Study filled with questions to ponder
to print simply click on the image - right click - save as
One last thought - This is not the only time we read about a fig tree. Matthew 21:17-32 = The parable of the Fig Tree.
