He Clothed Them!

by Missy Grant

“The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them” Genesis 3:21

At first glance you might think this is the Lord ordaining discussion, purchasing and the wants of clothing! (Come on …..more than one of us has used this verse to explain our overspending in the area of wardrobe needs.)

In all seriousness, though, this verse speaks volumes on the grace, love and care of the Lord. Which has me beg the question of you….when is the last time you experienced the Lord pouring out His care for you? Can you identify it? Are you able to articulate it? This morning – last night – a year ago? Are you only looking to times of joy? Do you see Him pouring Himself out for you during the grind and monotony of the dailies?

The verses preceding the above scripture describe in detail Adam and Eve’s failure of performing their priestly duties of guarding and caretaking the garden. In His love for them, the Lord admonishes and then banishes them from the garden. But, before He sends them out the gate – he does something. Look up at the verse again. What does He do? He provided garments of skin. The Hebrew word for skin is…owr...it was the skin of an animal.

The Lord (with what I believe had to be a broken heart) spoke firmly first to the serpent, then to Eve and finally to Adam. (don’t miss His order – our God is a God of order. There is always purpose in His order). He was speaking eternal truth and they were listening. He then had to do the hard thing….send them away. He knew the toil, heartbreak, grief, loneliness, isolation they and the generations following would experience. He also knew how He was going to atone for the sinful act which had taken place in the garden (read Genesis 3:15) Yet, before He sent them away, He did a very dad like thing…. Have you ever been in a situation where you were cold and shivery and a gentleman or good friend or your dad took off their coat and put it around your shoulders. Sometimes it helps with the cold and sometimes it doesn’t, but the act alone is heartwarming.

The Lord had to discipline Adam and Eve, but in His grace and to our wonderment, He also provided for them. A provision which would foreshadow His eternal sacrifice as the clothing required the killing and sacrifice of an animal for the welfare of others.

When life tugs hard at you, and you are feeling tender and bruised, remember to go back to the beginning of His word. Remember that in his discipline, in his asking you to be obedient in the most mundane details of life, that He will always….always provide for you. He will take off His coat and put it over your shoulders. Sometimes the hardest words to emote are….

Thank you, Lord.