The beginning of blood payment for sin.

01 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment

by JD in Today's Scrubbing Tags: , , , , , , ,

Scripture:
The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. – Genesis 3:2

Observation:
We read that after Adam and Eve ate of the tree of death, they made clothes for themselves from fig leaves to hide their nudity. Then, they hid themselves from God because they knew they’d sinned. Thus, God had to make atonement for their sins by killing an animal and shedding its blood as payment for their sins but also to clothe them with lasting materials, as compared to leaves.

Application:
There’s so much going on in this one passage. First, we man’s inadequacy to do right thus sinning and trying to cover his sins. Second, we see man’s fall from grace that required a blood atonement to temporarily cover the sin, as provided in the animal’s life being taken. Third, We see that man’s works fail in God’s eyes. Fig leaves cover nudity but not sin. Fourth, God instituted the system of animal sacrifice to pay for man’s sins. It’s not by human might or power but by God’s Spirit.

Even covered in fig leaves, Adam and Eve were still naked before God, in a sense. Their mortal bodies may have been covered, but they couldn’t hide their sin-stained hears from God. Sure, God made animal skins to clothe them, but He did so because blood had to be shed to pay for their sins. The clothing was merely a bonus.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Lamb of God “slain” from the foundation of the world. Before He even created us, He chose to die for our sins as the ultimate blood sacrifice because animal blood couldn’t remove our sins forever. God knew that we couldn’t save ourselves from sin, so He died for our sins. God – Himself – did that! Oh what love He has for mankind!

He never did that for the fallen angels. Thus, they hate us, God’s greatest creation. The demons desire to lead as many of us as possible to hell with them because of their hatred for God and us; we were made in His image. You have the one thing Lucifer and the demons can never have – an intimate, personal relationship with God. All angels are servants  of God, but they are not the children of God. God did everything necessary to restore us to Him whereas He expelled the rebellious angels out of heaven to later spend eternity in hell and torment along with humans, who rebel against God.

Prayer:
Father, thank You for choosing to offer Yourself through Jesus as the payment for our sins. We tried to hide and cover our sins but couldn’t hide our hearts from You. You made a way for us to be restored to You through the shedding of blood, which started with the shedding of animal blood for skins to clothe Adam and Eve but ended with Jesus dying on the cross outside Jerusalem for all mankind. Fortunately, You raised Him from the dead as the first fruits of the redeemed despite His never knowing sin but becoming sin for us. I long for the day when we see You face to face because of His willingness to die for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.