Genesis 3:21 (Moses 4:27) “Unto Adam and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skin, and clothed them.”
Notice who clothed Adam and Eve in their coats of skin? While Satan left Adam and Eve to make their fig leaves apron by themselves, God personally clothed them. In order to clothe a person in coats of skin (presumably) an animal sacrifice would have had to be made. There is tremendous symbolism in this with regards to our Savior, Jesus Christ. He would perform the ultimate sacrifice and inevitably die for our sins. His atonement is the only thing that will be able to truly "cover" our sins/mistakes.
Atonement means to cover. "Each of us can be covered through the atonement of the Savior. A covering that provides warmth, comfort, and blots out our sins." (YouTube video - Aprons of Fig Leaves and Coats of Skins.)
The coats of skin is evidence of God's wisdom being superior to man's. (Wikipedia) I love the scripture found in Abraham 2:8, "My name is Jehovah, and I know the end from the beginning; therefore, my hand shall be over thee." It helps to illustrate why God's wisdom is superior to mine. I also love that just because he knows the end from the beginning doesn't mean that we are on our own. He will be with us on our journey and can help guide us through, if we ask.
Likewise, Adam and Eve were not banished from the Garden of Eden without any support. The coats of skin is evidence, for me, of God's love and care. The coats of skin would provide warmth, comfort, and be durable and sustainable enough to withstand the hardships of life. They would become a constant reminder of their God and what he did for them in their moment of need.
The coats of skin would be a temporal and spiritual blessing. They would also become the pattern for which Adam and Eve would be able to make other coats of skin. This makes me think about the importance of patterning our lives on the Savior, and following his example.
“What happened to the garment in which the Lord covered Adam and Eve?
No further specific mention of it is made in scripture, but many curious parallels
emerge. Noah’s sons recognized the seriousness of their father being uncovered
on one occasion (Genesis 9:20-23). Rebekah covered Isaac in Esau’s “goodly raiment.”
Genesis 27:15 Joseph was given a coat that his brothers envied (Genesis 37:3-4).
Elijah and John the Baptist also wore animal skins (2 Kings 2:8; Matthew 3:4) "
Camille Fronk Olson
“Women of the Old Testament” (pages 15 & 60)
What does our clothing represent today?
Do we any reminders about our covenants?
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