"The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21).

We are spending a couple of days in a wilderness cabin in Virginia near Charlottesville. There are a lot of horses and it's a beautiful sight to see them peacefully graze in the open field. I noticed when we arrived Monday afternoon that due to the cold weather several had a covering over their back but most did not. I took the daily photo during a long walk yesterday afternoon and apparently it was warm enough that none of the horses needed the clothing.

The very first immediate consequence of the fall was that Adam and Eve became cognizant of their own nakedness and need for a covering.  The Bible describes their pre-fallen condition as "naked and not ashamed."  

An easily observable condition to this day is the natural and unashamed nakedness in the animal kingdom. If animals are clothed it's due to a novelty for humans such as putting sweaters on dogs or perhaps an assumption that they need additional warmth in severe climates. Even the "higher" animals, those that evolutionists claim are "more related" to us, do not clothe themselves. The need to clothe and the ability to do so is distinctively human and goes back to the consequence of the fall.

At the very moment of Adam's transgression (interestingly not Eve's) their eyes were "opened, and they realized they were naked" (Genesis 3:7).  They crudely sewed fig leaves together to make coverings and sought to hide from God.  But God initiated the search and the very first words from God to fallen Adam were "Where are you?" God proceeded to pronounce judgment for their disobedience. 

But God also acted redemptively.  Consider the provision in the daily text: "The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21).

Where did the "skin" come from?  Up to this point there had been no death in the Garden.  Surely an animal or animals were slain to provide these skins.  (It sure wasn't road kill!)  Blood was shed.  I believe it was likely a lamb, but that's not specified. 

The two verbs are so rich in meaning.  God made and God clothed.  What a wonderful type of a provision that was to come for all mankind!  Isaiah proclaimed and so can we today, "I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10).

We fast forward to the birth of Christ when Almighty God became the supreme articulation of Deity to all humankind.  Charles Wesley, in his first published hymn text, reveals God's greatest Gift to the world in the following words:
 
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the Incarnate Deity.
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus our Immanuel.
 
Among the poignant wonders of the incarnation is that Mary wrapped the newborn Jesus in cloths and placed Him in a manger.


Be encouraged today,


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, my soul rejoices in the wondrous Gift of Your Son, Jesus, who descended from the sinless atmosphere of heaven and clothed Himself in the garment of humankind. Prior to this marvelous undertaking You spoke to us through the prophets who revealed only a partial and prepatory revelation of the Triune God.  But the perfect revelation of who You are is revealed in the Person of Jesus Christ which is made understandable in human terms. For the Son is the radiance of Your glory and the exact representation of Your Being.  As we have come to know Jesus, the Son of man, we also know You, Father, because Your character and power are revealed in the life and works of Your Son, Jesus.  Thank You for mercifully adopting us as Your children and clothing us in robes of righteousness, for without this clothing, we cannot enter heaven.  Amen.

See Hebrews 1:2,3 and John 14 :10

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Brooksyne's Note: As I read through the devotional today many references from Scripture come to mind regarding the clothing that is not an outward adornment that brings glory to oneself.  Rather I'm thinking of the clothing that dresses the inner self where the character of Christ is revealed to others as we converse and mingle with others throughout the day.  Consider I Peter 3:1-6 where Paul speaks to wives regarding their inner dress. In Colossians 3:1-12 Paul tells believers to clothe themselves with humility, compassion, kindness, etc.  Ephesians 6:10-17 reminds us of the ensuing battle of the enemy and the only way we will be victorious is by clothing ourselves in spiritual armor.

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Explanation: For any readers unfamiliar with the term "road kill" that is an animal that's been run over by a vehicle. In certain parts they will salvage the meat of a road kill deer if they know it's still fresh enough to eat safely.

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