The Sin Offering

by Toms, A. F. | Category: Christ In Genesis | Jun 1988

The Lord Jesus told the Jews who did not believe on Him, "If ye believed Moses, ye would believe Me; for He wrote of Me". And in saying that He set His seal to the first five books of our Bible. They all tell us about Christ and I invite you to share with me another picture of our Lord Jesus in the third chapter of Genesis. You remember that when Adam and Eve sinned through disobedience they were immediately conscious of the change that had taken place. They knew they were naked and they were ashamed and to try and cover themselves they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons. But that was a poor and inadequate covering. And the Bible record says "the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skins, and clothed them".

That is a word of pure grace. It shows how much God cared for them, despite their rebellion. In His love He took an animal - maybe more than one

- and killing them, He took the skins and made garments to clothe them. Yes, He clothed them. God did it all Himself.

What thoughts must have filled God's heart as the animals' lives were taken to meet the need of Adam and his wife. It's the first indication we have in our Bibles of the need for blood shedding, and one of the earliest

illustrations of-the Lord Jesus meeting that need at Calvary. "Apart from the shedding of blood there is no remission" is God's unfailing word. Paul puts the whole truth into one precious verse at the end of the fifth chapter of 2nd Corinthians, "Him who knew no sin He made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in Him". Notice it was all done by God Himself. He provided the animal, shed its blood and then HE clothed the man and his wife. It was God's provision throughout. Adam had no part in it, except to received what God had done, teaching us the great lesson that salvation is of the Lord.

Many people are still sewing their fig leaves together, trying to provide their own covering, to work for their own righteousness. Basically all the religions of the world have this one thing in common. They teach there is good in men which must be encouraged and that by our own effort we must work for our salvation. But God says otherwise. Salvation is not of works, He says, that no man should glory. Right at the beginning of our Bibles He has shown us that He is the One who provides our salvation, and He has done it through the death of His Son at Calvary. There is no other way that our need can be met.

Toms, A. F. | Jun 1988
Christ In Genesis