The Story is told. But often lost and forgotten. Let’s read the old words, and bring the pictures to our vision: “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and Even and clothed them.” This is Genesis 3:21, the New International Version.
(Rough rhyme, I’m aware. But perhaps rhythm and flow and melodious sound will help the ears listen to the old Words that are found.)
Did they ask for the garments? Did they cry out to God? The first man and woman, now knew they were bare. The Story is told in Genesis chapter 3, how they took itchy leaves and sewed them right there.
The sound of the LORD God was heard in the garden, so they took off and hid, from the LORD out of fear. “Where are you?” asked God.
Do you think He knew – that Adam disobeyed and Eve was deceived? Did God know they ate from the one tree forbidden? It’s quite obvious, they knew that He knew, from the Story that is given.
Adam blamed the woman, and she blamed the snake. The Story in Genesis 3 is repeated time and time again- but what happened next? Man wasn’t asking, “Where are You, God?” They were warned of a death if they disobeyed – now they were hiding, and blaming, and afraid.
“The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife,” God saw, God knew, God loved and made provision: The LORD God made garments of skin, “… and clothed them.”
Adam and Eve were going to suffer for this deed, for the rest of our lives. Yes, our lives indeed. But God made provision, the picture is clear, way back when, that we might understand, His hands covered them, with a sacrificial lamb.
“Who is the LORD God?” “What’s He about?” “Where is He now, in this world upside-down?” “What’s He doing about all that we see?” Confused hearts cry out, or think in their own reason completely.
But the Ancient Book on the shelves of all ages, has a sacrificial lamb written of, all through the pages. “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John chapter 1 verse 29, brings more than a covering. This Lamb’s Divine.
The Lamb of God, provided by the Father, takes away all the mess, shame, guilt and lies, and clothes us anew. How can we refuse?
But, so often we do.
Perhaps the picture of God we have in our head, must be renewed and transformed, by finding out and searching for what He actually says.
“The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.”(1) This is the picture of God in His Book.
“The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and Even and clothed them.” Today, let us draw new pictures of God, and learn of Him. In His Word – let us daily take a look.
(1) Exodus 34:6,7.
Tag: Lamb
Thoughts: "Oh, I know, I know…"
Are these your thoughts? “I know all the stories. I’ve heard it all before. I’m so bored with the church. And personally, I really need my rest.” These thoughts come in, (and God does liken us as ‘sheep’), and we actually ‘believe’ these thoughts! They become our ‘truth!’
But God…Do you think of Him? You can’t see Him, but He’s there. He knows that men are imperfect! He knows that churches that even have sound doctrine and maintain to adhere to the word of God, the Bible, as their foundations, are imperfect! God knows all of this- but God, the Creator of heaven and earth, the worlds and all the universe, the One Who gives us each and every breath that we breathe, The One who faithfully provides us the sun to rise each morning and to set at the end of the day to give us rest…His thoughts… what are HIS THOUGHTS? Do you remember, they are not like ours:
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Is. 55:8,9).
And He is so big, as you already ‘know’, but do you remember that it is also true:“…for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts.” (1 Chronicles 28:9). Do you remember that when Adam and Eve ate the one and only forbidden fruit (in the midst of every other tree that was permissible), knowledgable now of their ‘nakedness’, that they thought to take care of it intelligently and industriously sewing itchy, uncomfortable coverings for themselves-But God didn’t wait for them to ‘think straight’, in fact, they were occupied in playing the ‘blame game’ when asked about their ‘fall’.(Gen. 3).
God knows our thoughts! God knows our ‘imperfectness’! God knows there is no help apart from Him. Do you remember what God did? OK, He told us the ‘curse’ that both the man and the woman would face, ‘the pain of childbirth’, the ‘sweat of the brow’ in work, and you ‘know all of this,’ (and best remember that this wasn’t God’s intention for man, this was the ‘fall of man’ NOT GOD!) HOWEVER, …
this isn’t just a story you’ve heard before, this is about you and me, today! We are His Adam, we are His Eve,(because we are all sons of Adam and Eve), and we try to ‘cover’ ourselves and all the ‘wrong’ with ‘itchy things’. Things that will never satisfy. Somehow, there’s always an ‘itch’ for MORE!
But God, “…for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.” (Gen 3:21).
Please, Please, Please – STOP for ONE MINUTE and ‘LET GOD’ clothe you with His love. Do you ‘know’ that is what God desires? Do you remember His thoughts? “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; …”(Ps. 139:17).
OK, so you’ve ‘known’ this verse, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. ” (Jer. 29:11). But have you ‘thought’ to stop and let God clothe YOU with this truth? This is not just a verse that you ‘know’. Do you ‘believe it’ ? What are you thoughts?
Get alone with God. Wrestle with Him. Give Him your thoughts, and allow Him again to enter His truth in yours.
Remind yourself again the things ‘you know’: “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jer. 29:12).
Get alone with God. Wrestle with Him. Give Him your thoughts, and allow Him again to enter His truth in yours. You know that it is true: “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God…” (1 Cor. 3:18,19).
“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”(1 Cor. 2:7).
Search out the mystery of Christ in God’s word and be clothed in God’s love and promises: “But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor. 2:9).
Take off the ‘ol itchy garments of a ‘self propelled’ life apart from God’s grace and love. As John the Baptist shouted in the ‘desert place’ so long ago. Listen to his words. Today – yes – all us ‘imperfect people’: Change direction! Confess your failures, guilt and sin! Let God clothe you. Receive the Lamb. And start ‘knowing’ over and over again the same old truths in a new light each and every day.
Lamb’s skin instead of ‘itchy leaves’…“For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the LORD for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” (Is. 55:12,13).
Did you know all that? Get right with God. Remember what you ‘knew’ “Jesus loves me! This I know…”
Oh, and yes, that old song that we all know all too well, clothe yourself with this: “Jesus loves me! Loves me still, Tho’ I’m very weak and ill; That i might from sin be free, Bled and died upon the tree…Jesus loves me! He will stay Close beside me all the way; Thou hast bled and died for me, I will hence-forth live for Thee…”