Bible Studies
There is blood-shed symbolism to be noted in the providing of clothing via slain animals in place of the Gen. 3: 7 fig leaves.
First of all, God provided the solution, not Man.
There was/is NOTHING, apart from faith in God, that Man can do, or have done, to make things right between Fallen Man and God.
Adam and the woman’s desire to clothe themselves, was evidence of their “consciousness of guilt,” even though they tried to cast the blame elsewhere (1).
The fig-leaf clothing are symbolic of Man’s futile attempts to address sin. God’s provision of the animal skins in place of the fig leaves, was the first time that the divine requirement, calling for the shedding of innocent blood, in order to make atonement for sin, came into view.
Before reconciliation takes place, the justice of God must be satisfied.
“Indeed, under the law almost everything was purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin (Hebrews. 9: 22 NASB2020).”
The animals that were slain to provide the clothing were innocent.
The Lord Jesus Christ was innocent, but would become the sacrificial lamb (2) to make atonement for the world’s sin debt (3).
All of the symbolic Old Testament animal-blood sacrifices, pointed towards the coming, one-time, blood sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.
This one-time, blood sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ made atonement (payment for) the world’s sin debt, clearing the path for reconciliation between God and Fallen Man.
During the Temple (sin offering) rituals of the Old Testament dispensation, the sins of the one presenting the sacrificial animal were symbolically transferred to the animal. The animal would then be sacrificed in the place of sinner.
Likewise, the sin debt of the entire human race was placed on the bleeding humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, as He made atonement (paid for)the entire past, present, and future sin debt of the whole world (4).
The wages of sin is death (5) in one form or another, but the first consequence of sin that a born again believer experiences is finding himself or herself out of fellowship (6) with God. It often involves a sinking feeling associated with a consciousness of guilt.
The born-again believer, who is out of fellowship with God, remains saved (7), but the intimacy of the relationship has turned luke-warm (8).
Being out of fellowship with God is likened to the environment in a home in the midst of a marital dispute. The couple remains married, but there is no desire to have much positive interaction until the issue is resolved.
The “issue” with God is sin that has not been confessed and or forsaken.
Fellowship with God is restored via the 1John 1: 9 process, and maintained by the John 8: 11 “forsaking” principle.
Throughout the course of the Church Age, religion has made a long, but erroneous, list of “requirements” that one “must” do, in addition to having faith, in order to make and to keep himself or herself “right” with God.
Such additional, but erroneous, requirements appeal to Fallen Man, as they appear to offer Man the means and opportunity for him to do something (or to refrain from doing something) to make himself or herself right with God.
The fig leaves (Man’s religious solutions) didn’t work then, and they don’t work now.
If salvation were possible by human effort or activity, then there would have been no need for the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection of God the Son.
Such additional “requirements” amount to blasphemy, as they are an attack on the integrity of the testimony of the Person, and an attack on the completeness of the atoning Work, of the Lord Jesus Christ that He “finished (John 19: 30 NASB2020),” on the cross.
The work of the Reformers has not been completed. The battle to keep erroneous teachings and accompanying practices at bay, has been, is now, and especially so, here in the apostate end times (9), an intense and ongoing challenge for an advancing disciple and an ambassador for Christ.
In closing, ask yourself if you have any fig-leaf outfits in your spiritual wardrobe that need to be replaced, or are you still walking around in your fig leaves.
End of Part 2 of 2
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(1) Gen, 3: 12, 13 (2) John 1: 29 (3) 1John 2: 2 (4) 1John 2: 2 (5) Rom, 6: 23 (6) 1John 1: 6 (7) Romans 8: 1 (8) Rev. 3: 15,16 (9) 1Tim. 4: 1
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