Listen:  132.2

Let’s read that very instructive verse.  Genesis 3:21says, “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”  To understand the importance of this verse, let’s go back and read Genesis 3:6-10, “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 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. And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

Adam and Eve had eaten the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; the tree that the Lord had told them not to eat.  When they disobeyed the Lord, they immediately lost their innocence and realized they were naked.  I’m reminded of my own children as they were growing up.  When they were very young and innocent, being naked was not a concern for them, but as they grew a little older, and began to lose their innocence, they naturally wanted to be covered up.  This happened in an instance for Adam and Eve.  They went from being innocent to being very aware and they realized they were naked.  They sewed together fig leaves to make aprons to cover themselves.  However, even with their covering of fig leaves, they somehow knew that wasn’t enough.  As we read in verse 10, Adam told the Lord, “…I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” 

Our God, who is a God of love, is also a God of justice.  Satan (the serpent), Eve, and Adam, in that order, were all punished for their sin.  Of course, the ultimate punishment for Adam and Eve was death.  The Lord had previously said in Genesis 2:16-17, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”  When they ate of that fruit, Adam and Eve died spiritually, and they began to die physically. 

Even in his punishment on Adam and Eve, the mercy and grace of the Lord was manifested: the Lord made them coats of skins and covered their nakedness.  Let’s consider this act for a moment.  Obviously the aprons made of fig leaves were not enough to hide their nakedness from the eyes of the Lord.  So, the Lord made them coats of skins.  Notice the Lord did not make them aprons; he made them coats to give a fuller covering.  Notice, too, that these coats were made of the skins of an animal.  This shows us that an animal, or animals, had to die so that Adam and his wife could be covered.  This is a type, or a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself.  It is Christ that died, not to cover our sins, but to take away our sins.  We read in Galatians 1:3-4, “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.”  Speaking of the Lord Jesus, we read in Hebrews 10:14, “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”  Christ offered Himself to God as the complete payment of our sin debt.  With that offering, He was ‘perfected forever’ those who put their faith in Him.  We read further in that chapter, in verse 17, “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”

My dear friend, are you ‘covered’ by the death and shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ?  Have you trusted Him as your Lord and savior?  We read in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  The Lord loves you and sent His Son to die for you that you might, through faith in Him, have eternal life.  1 Timothy 1:15assures us, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…”  (132.2)