Prime the Pump: Genesis

Genesis 3:20–21 “The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them” (Gen. 3:20–21 ESV). Prior to Adam’s sin, Adam’s rebellion against the LORD God’s one command, there had been no death! “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man (that is Adam), and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12 ESV). Adam’s sin brought spiritual death, moral death, social death, and it eventually brings physical death to Adam and Eve, as well as to all humans who would follow. Adam and Eve have realized that they are physically naked. They feel shame regarding the nakedness they realized, and they feel shame for the sin they have committed in transgressing the command of the LORD God. They hide themselves from the LORD God. They refuse to acknowledge their responsibility in their own sin. They attempt to shift the blame to another. The LORD God had every right to condemn Adam’s sin, bring a guilty judgment, and impose a penalty of death upon Adam. While we may not want to admit these truths, they are indeed the facts. So, the Lord GOD (the word translated as “Lord” is Adonai and refers to His sovereign authority which cannot be defied; the word translated as “GOD” is the covenant name of God and automatically refers us to His mercy, grace, love, provision, care, protection, etc.) condemns Adam for his sin, declares him guilty, and imposes a death penalty upon Adam, as well as all his descendants. That could have been the end of the account, but God … “But God” is one of the most hopeful phrases we will read or hear. I mentioned previously that the LORD had His Plan of Salvation formulated before He said, “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:3 compared to Rev. 13:8). What is a simple explanation of the Plan of Salvation? The LORD God accepts the death of an innocent substitute in the place of the guilty individual. So, read Genesis 3:21 again considering things listed above here. There has been no death of any kind prior to Adam’s sin. The LORD God makes garments of skins to clothe Adam and Eve. Scripture does not expand the verse regarding details we would love to see, but, based upon the whole of God’s revelation to us in Scripture, this is what I believe occurs in Genesis 3:21. • The LORD explains to Adam and Eve that He desires to forgive sin and redeem lives ruined by sin. • The individual is guilty of sin, so death must occur—Adam already was dead spiritually and would die physically in the future. • Because of the LORD God’s desire to forgive sin, He would accept the death of an innocent animal instead of Adam’s death right now. • The LORD kills an innocent animal, telling Adam that the animal’s blood covers Adam’s sin before a righteous, holy, just God. • In His grace and mercy, the LORD makes clothing from the dead animal to cover Adam and Eve’s naked bodies—to remind them that their sin is covered by the blood like their bodies are covered by the skins they wear. So, every day of Adam’s life, he can be aware of the LORD’s incredible love and provision because every time Adam touches his clothing of animal skin, he can remember that the Lord GOD accepts an innocent substitute for sin. This is an incredible picture of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God-Man, being born of the virgin through the “Divine Y,” having no sin nature, taking ALL our sin upon Himself on the cross of Calvary to shed His blood for our sin. However, His sacrifice does not merely cover sin—His blood takes away sin! This is the message that can so easily be missed from one small verse in Genesis that carries so huge a message: All sinners can be forgiven through faith in the finished work of Christ!