We Can Die?

Everyone has heard the story of Adam and Eve. They sinned by eating the fruit from the one tree God told them to avoid. As a result they realized for the first time in their life they were bare and had unique characteristics in their appearances. Feeling the need to cover up these differences they made clothes out of fig leaves.

But when God returns to the garden and sees them in their fig leaves He knows what happened. He just needs them to confess their ill-taken step. And they do. But what He does next was probably not what they expected.

In Genesis 3:21 we read that God hands them clothes made out of the skins of an animal. Let's talk about this concept.

Adam and Eve lived in a garden where food grew on its own and the animals walked among them. Everyone has favorites, so they must have had favorites too. Favorite foods and favorite animals. Whether they gave the animals pet names or not is neither here nor there, but they would have loved them all the same. Just like many people view their pets in today's world, some of these creatures must have been like children to them. They were family and spending time with them on a daily basis was a joy. The idea of losing one of them was not something they feared nor even gave much thought to.

Then God hands them an animal skin. As far as getting the skin off an animal is concerned, either you kill the animal as you're removing the skin or you kill it first and then remove the skin. The background of this verse can be overlooked and missed in the reading of it. This is the first death mentioned in the Bible. And, because it is from an animal we can surmise that this is the first sacrifice and example of the shedding of blood connected to the forgiveness of sin. But where did God get the animals for the sin sacrifice?

From among the animal family that Adam and Eve knew.

Can you imagine their expressions and thoughts when God hands them the skins of the newest lamb offspring? Up until that point they never knew the end of a life. What a concept to have to experience - something being alive and breathing one minute then no longer there. They ate fruits, grains and vegetables. The killing of animals to eat was not a concept they had or it would have been mentioned in the first two chapters.

And what a reminder that must have been. Everyday they wore the animal skin clothing they were reminded that they acted against God's directions and now paid the consequence of it. Everyday they were reminded that God is serious when He gives directions. And, that a sacrifice must be made when sin is committed.

Today we know we can die, so the concept is not new. However, today we have the advantage of knowing that when we sin we have a Savior we can turn to for forgiveness because his blood sacrifice is everlasting and covers all sin. And the next time we put on a cross necklace we can use this not only as a symbol of being a Christian but as a way to remember the sacrificial death that was made for us.