Genesis Framework Part 35

Genesis Framework

GF 35 Genesis 3.20-21 (Part 2)
May 8, 2016
Part 35

Genesis 3:20-21
20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.

20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.

There are two action verbs in this verse.

He made

Yahweh Elohim did not simply cause two tunics to appear upon Adam and his wife; He engaged in a process which had as its end result, one whole skin from which God divided in order to provide two tunics, with which He caused the shameful nakedness of the two to be covered.

He put (a garment) on them, to wear; hiphil, He caused them to be clothed

(more later…)

There are several implications to be drawn from these two action from God.

Implication- that God provided an acceptable blood sacrifice of an animal unto Himself.

Implication- that the animal was slain by agents of God, probably with the holy sword provided along with the cherubim (assuming one sword, two cherub angels) to protect the Tree of Life.

The reason we look into the implications of the actions recorded in Scripture is to discover the common-sense steps that are implied within historical events as they were unfolding in real-time.

At the risk of over-explaining what implication means, I want to take a few moments to answer a question that has possibly been in the back of your mind over the last several weeks; at least since I began using the term implication.

You surely have noticed that I often use the term “implication” followed by a paragraph or more of information as part of the text exposition.

I want to be certain you understand exactly what is going on within the practice of deriving implications from the Biblical text.

Perhaps the best way to do this is to begin by saying what I intend as the idea of “implication” is not, then to explain what it is.

An implication…

…is not the result of speculation, or of wild guessing.

…is not a conclusion based on a formal process of reasoning from premises.

....is not always the product of divine revelation initially.

An implication is mainly a kind of message that is lightly folded into the expressions that describe objects and actions taken; as such, implications are meant to be easily understood by the application of common sense.

Whenever you see me use the term “Implication,” think “Common-Sense Implication.”

Here are a couple of examples that explain this idea of “implication”...

If you hand your friend a stack of napkins during dinner, your implication is that he needs them. By your action, a common-sense implication has been folded into your expression, ready to be discovered. Although your action my be indirect in its suggestion, you do intend for your message to be understood, and you do not intend that your message be a secret. To the contrary, your intent is to communicate your
message; but to do so indirectly, and not to hide your message.

You have a message to express, which you deliver by the action you have taken.

In this instance your message is: “Here are some napkins for you, with which to clean up your present state of messiness.”

Things can imply, too, like the existence of a chimney implies a fireplace; and “Where there’s smoke, there’s a fire.”

In the same manner, the existence of two tunics of a skin imply the pre-existence of a large animal.

So, as you are reading Scripture and observe the existence of an object, ask what is it, and how did it get there?

Now let’s return to our verse with all this discussion in mind.

Implication- that God provided an acceptable blood sacrifice of an animal unto Himself.

In this case, God was doing the action; and He obviously had selected an animal suitable and acceptable as a sacrifice unto Himself.

Implication- that the animal was slain, probably with the holy sword provided along with the cherubim to protect the Tree of Life.

Recall, “…He placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.” the flame of the whirling two-edged (short) sword;

We are probably safe in supposing that God did not actually make a sacrifice to Himself, but provided the means by which an offering could be made; perhaps through the actions taken by agents of the LORD Elohim, by His divine angelic counsel; namely the cherubim acting to some extent in mankind’s behalf to make the sacrifice possible.

Implication- that the sacrificial animal was large enough to provide a single skin( leather) that could be divided into two garments( tunics), much more efficient at covering their nakedness than man’s attempt to cover himself with gathered fig leaves.

We see a hint of God’s divine plan of salvation appear in the curse on Satan (Gen, 3.15) and I the sentence pronounced against mankind (Gen. 3.16-19). Now (Gen. 3.21) we are seeing a divine act of symbolic sealing of God’s redemptive intentions occur just before the sentence of exile was declared.

Now, for a more comprehensive view…

Genesis 3 terminates the original covenant order in Eden, and at the same time records the inauguration of the new redemptive order of the Covenant of grace.

While the judgment of Genesis 3.16-19 was directed to mankind in a temporal way by the pronouncement of the general curse, in Genesis 3.21 the Lord dealt with Adam and Eve on an individual basis who had responded in faith to what they heard of a gospel message of
redemption obviously implied in the words of God.

So, verse 20 is pivotal in the sense that it breaks off from the account of God’s judicial words by relating Adam’s act of faith and provides an introduction to verse 21.

Then verse 21 relates God’s response to Adam’s Amen confession of faith by strengthening it and reaffirming His redemptive purpose, as He adds His own Amen, through a symbolic transaction which served to redeem Adam and Eve’s division( divorce) by a re-marriage ceremony, and which also restored their temporal fellowship with their now reconciled Lord.

All of this transpired through the means of His provision of an acceptable symbolic sacrifice and a covering for their shameful defilement and nakedness.

While man’s attempt to cover his own shame with gathered fig leaves proved inadequate, the material used by the Lord to clothe Adam and Eve signified the that man’s true salvation must come from the Lord. All that is implied by this amazing event occurred just prior to man’s sentence of exile from the Garden. Natural man, without the revelation knowledge of God’s provision of an acceptable sacrifice for sin, has been turning over new fig leaves to cover himself ever since.

He put (a garment) on them, to wear; hiphil, He caused them to be clothed

The use of the hiphil verb-force denotes causative action.

You might be thinking, “So what?”

The hiphil is used with only 13.3% of all the verbs in the Old Testament.

The hiphil is used to express the fact that the subject causes the action of the verb, but does not directly perform the act.

This fact presents an interpretation challenge, that takes us well beyond the notion of implication.

It was the sacrificial covering that covered the shame of their sin; just as subsequent incidents of animal sacrifice would continue in the Old Testament as the prefigure to the vicarious atonement provided by God Himself wrought by Christ, leading to full reconciliation and life everlasting.

It is obvious that the sacrifice did renew a degree of reconciliation in terms of temporal fellowship with God, and a means of covering of man’s shame; but God’s provision of an animal sacrifice for atonement at this point was symbolic; it was not an effectual act or process of complete renewal, such as regeneration, conversion, and sanctification.

Although the present state of man had been improved to a great degree, the final sentence was only postponed, and in his fallen condition man would continue to live a life limited to the temporal, soon to be in exile outside the Garden.

I should have spoken to the idea of Adam and his wife’s effective divorce earlier.

By their rebellion they had put asunder what God had joined together; in fact, that effected their state of divorce and accounted for their shame.

God provided Adam and Eve with a covering for their nakedness, as a symbolic sign that confirmed His purpose to do what was necessary to cover man’s shameful defilement. Try to recall all of the artist’s portrayal you can, of “the Expulsion from the Garden”. Very few of the artists demonstrate an understanding of this verse. What percentage of them have Adam and Eve clothed in animal skins?

I will just insert this statement; the state of nakedness can be found in biblical and extra-biblical writings, as a figure of legal symbolism, as a sign of divorce.

On the other hand, a man’s spreading of a garment over a woman constituted a symbolic pledge of marriage.

So, God’s provision of the skin, man’s covering and re-naming of Eve, constituted a re-marriage ratification ceremony.

The skin garments having come from one animal appropriately signified their oneness under the provision of God.

Here is a short descriptive summary of Genesis 3.20-21:

-man’s state is improved, his condition is retained.

Many will be surprised on the Day of Judgment when they discover that it was just as the Word of God says; only the righteousness of Christ is able to save you. All men are sinners and no one can save himself. God is just, so He must punish sin; but He is also merciful, moreover gracious, and offers His Son as the perfect sacrifice in order to purchase a place for you in heaven, which He offers to you as the free gift of eternal life.

Jesus is God Incarnate

In order to pay the debt of our sins, He came from Heaven, having been sent by the Father, where He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father even unto the shameful death upon the cross in order to pay the debt of your sins.

This gift must be received by faith, believing that Jesus’ perfect life and Cross Work was His complete and necessary Atonement for your sins, in your behalf.

Faith is a gift that comes by the Power of God the Holy Spirit working in a person’s innermost being.

The Holy Spirit has the authority and power to quicken your dead spirit, to make it come to life.

If you have not done so before this moment, ask Jesus to forgive you your sins, tell Him you’ve stop trying to be your own savior, and ask Him to come into your life right now, and to give you eternal life.

Then, in faith believing, thank Him for the gift that He is giving you, the one He paid for in full in your place, in Jesus’ name, AMEN