Fig Leaves or Blood
Genesis 3:6-21
As you read the first chapters of the book of Genesis, you will find an accurate account of the beginning of the world.
Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
It did not articulate that the earth began with a gigantic explosion.
Nothing is said about an evolution of cosmic material developing over millions of years into something more complex.
The wording says it all, “In the beginning, GOD CREATED the heavens and the earth.”
This word “created” means “-not formed from any pre-existing materials, but made out of nothing.
Now to the evolutionists and atheists, this doesn’t make any sense.
But their idea does? I mean, a blob of gas exploded somewhere in the darkness of nothing, and over millions of years we now have a complexity of organisms that goes beyond comprehension?
Who made the blob of gas? Who made the atmosphere the blob of gas existed in? Who designed the atmosphere that could cause such an explosion in the first place?
Certain components have to be in place for an explosion to take place!
Well, little ole dumb preacher from the flat-lands of Arkansas has it all figured out! GOD CREATED THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH!
That’s not that difficult to understand! Sure beats their theory all to pieces!
Well, if you read on in the book of Genesis you will find a brief history of how it all began.
God made the sea, He made the stars, He made the moon, He made the sun and placed it in just the right position.
He made the earth with all its mountains, and valleys, and seas, and trees, and flowers.
He made the animals that roamed the earth. And I think He must have had a little fun with this part of creation, cause look how he made the ostrich, or the camel, and then He made the monkey to show us what we could have looked like!
Then He did something that He had never done before. Something so different that the whole universe played second fiddle to.
He made man! He made him in his own likeness and in His own image.
The words “likeness and image” does in no way indicate that man was made as a little god, or that he held a nature of divinity or deity.
But it implied that man was made without sin, a true representative of God, and a resemblance of God’s own nature.
Man was created after God in righteousness and true holiness meaning by these two words, all perfection, as wisdom, truth, innocence, power, etc.
The words “image & likeness” primarily have the same meaning.
And then God created woman, and both of them lived in a beautiful garden called the Garden of Eden.
It was a perfect utopia, a paradise, or it was heaven on earth.
Man was given dominion over every creeping thing. His life was filled with joy and peace and contentment, and nothing around him was defiled or imperfect.
But God’s great masterpiece was given the gift of choice.
As long as they obeyed their creator they were given eternal paradise on earth.
But God placed a tree in the midst of the garden. If they chose to partake of that tree, they would lose their place with God. They would die, not only physical, but spiritually as well.
The story goes that as the first lady was coming near the tree of forbidden fruit, that Satan approached her in the form of a serpent.
Listen to what he said. Genesis 3
“And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 ¶ And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
Sin was introduced to man for the very first time!
Sin separated them from God.
Sin broke their relationship with God.
Sin brought condemnation and guilt.
Until that day, they didn’t know what sin was.
They had no idea what condemnation and guilt was.
But on this day, they felt the terrible consequences of sin and death.
Their joy was replaced with sadness and guilt.
Their peace was replaced with fear and condemnation.
Their contentment was replaced with anxiety.
The eyes of them both were opened] they now had a sufficient discovery of their sin and folly in disobeying the command of God;
They could discern between good and evil; and what was the consequence? Confusion and shame were engendered, because innocence was lost and guilt contracted.
The eyes of them both were opened] they now had a sufficient discovery of their sin and folly in disobeying the command of God; they could discern between good and evil; and what was the consequence? Confusion and shame were engendered, because innocence was lost and guilt contracted.
A short time before Adam was so wise that he could name all the creatures brought before him, according to their respective natures and qualities;
now he does not know the first principle concerning the Divine nature, that it knows all things, and that it is omnipresent, therefore he endeavors to hide himself among the trees from the eye of the all-seeing God! How astonishing is this!
When the creatures were brought to him he could name them, because he could discern their respective natures and properties;
when Eve was brought to him he could immediately tell what she was, who she was, and for what end made, though he was in a deep sleep when God formed her.
But now he thinks he can sew fig leaves together to hide their guilt and shame and hide from God among the trees of the garden.
Man has been trying to hide behind the fig leaves for thousands of years.
Trying to hide from God’s justice. Trying to hide their guilt and condemnation.
Hiding behind the fig leaves of reformation.
Hiding behind the fig leaves of works and service.
Hiding behind the fig leaves of being a good person.
Hiding behind the fig leaves of mom and dad’s religion.
Hiding behind the fig leaves of religion itself.
Thinking that by having their names on some church roll justifies them in the eyes of God.
Thinking that by doing some sort of religious ceremony and keeping some religious creed or doctrine will take away their guilt and shame.
But my friend, your sins are so great that there is nothing you could ever do to bring justification between you and God!
Nothing you can put together on your own will bring appeasement in God’s sight.
For all have sinned and come short, and there is nothing you can do within yourself to rectify that situation.
Adam and Eve were driven from the Garden.
Driven from the presence of God.
God said, “Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou salt eat the herb of the field;
In the sweat of thy face salt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it west thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
My what a terrible price to pay!
Oh the terrible consequences of sin!
It would take more than fig leaves to justify them in the eyes of God.
It would take more than fig leaves to detour God’s terrible judgment!
Yet God was so loving and merciful!
He could have wiped them from the face of the earth and started all over again.
But God didn’t desire to destroy His creation; He wanted much to redeem them.
To bring reconciliation was God’s goal!
But He wanted man to realize the terribleness of sin.
That sin is no light thing! That sin is rebellion against God their creator.
They could never realize the terribleness of sin by sewing fig leaves together.
To pay the penalty for sin, a much bigger price must be paid.
A sacrifice must be made.
Genesis 3:21 “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
Now notice something here, In order for the coats of skin to be given to them, an animal had to shed its blood!
You see, it was Adam and Eve who deserved to die!
It was Adam and Eve who were supposed to die that day.
Because the penalty for sin is death.
They were the ones who were supposed to shed their blood, for life is in the blood.
But they could not pay the penalty for their sins because sin was found in them.
The penalty of sin could not be redeemed with sin.
Adam and Eve was living in sin and condemnation and could not redeem themselves for they were guilty.
But an innocent animal had to shed its blood to cover the shame of Adam and Eve.
They must see the consequences of sin. They must see an animal had to die in order for their shame to be covered.
The penalty for sin is death!
Down through the Old Testament sacrifices were made over and over again in order to find justification before God.
Thank God over 2000 years ago God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die on the old rugged cross of Calvary to justify my sins!!
I could not pay for my sins! I had no means to hide my sins before a just and Holy God.
My sins lay bare before God.
No amount of fig leaves could hide my sins.
No amount of religion could hide my sins.
No amount of works could justify my sins before God.
But an innocent lamb was sacrificed! He is called the Lamb of God.
John prophesied, “Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.”
AND,
IN THIS LAMB I FIND FORGIVENSS
IN THIS LAMB I FIND JUSTIFICATION
IN THIS LAMB I FIND REDEMPTION
IN THS LAMB I FIND HOPE
IN THIS LAMB I FIND RECONCILATION
BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD
You may be hiding behind the fig leaves today.
You may be hiding behind dad and mom’s religion.
You may be hiding behind your membership card.
You may be hiding behind some religion.
You may be hiding behind your own self-righteousness.
But there is only one way to God, and that is through the shed blood of His Son Jesus who died on the cross.
There is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved, but Jesus!!!!!
No amount of fig leaves will hide your guilt and sins before a just and holy God.
What can wash away my sins, nothing but the blood of Jesus?
