Provision of Coverings

After Adam and the woman attempted to cover their guilt and shame with fig leaves, God graciously replaced the leaves with clothing He made from animal skins.

You know how husbands and wives sometimes have arguments? Many times they argue about the same thing, over and over again. I wonder how many times Adam and his wife fought over eating the forbidden fruit, over whose fault it was. Of course we don’t know, but interestingly enough the very first thing Adam did, after hearing God’s pronouncement of judgment for his disobedience and that of his wife, was not to argue with her.

Instead, Adam responded in faith to God’s promises. Promises? Yes. God promised the woman that He would multiply the trouble in her pregnancies, right? So, it was going to hurt, but Adam’s wife was going to have babies, lots of them! That was a promise! God had also promised Satan that a descendant of the woman would stomp on his head. Not only would Adam’s wife have babies, but one day a descendant of hers would deliver them from the death-bringer, Satan. Adam responded to this by naming his wife Eve (which, in Hebrew, sounds like “life-giver”). The one he originally called woman (for she was taken from man) now had a beautiful new name that would always remind them of God’s promises to give life in more ways than one: in the form of little babies and by providing a Deliverer from death.

Immediately after Adam named his wife Eve, God made clothing for Adam and Eve out of animal skins. He provided coverings for their guilt and shame. Remember, Adam and his wife were naked and trying to cover themselves with a poor excuse for a loin cloth. Have you ever worn leaves? They don’t cover very well. God, who sees all—inside and out—provided genuine leather garments; He covered them with real clothes.

A small act of faith on Adam’s part was rewarded with provision from God. This pattern of man’s faith followed by God’s provision will appear many times in God’s story. Let’s watch for this and for the Deliverer as His story unfolds.