Weekly Devotional 4-10-17 God’s Provision For Adam (Man)
Adam and Eve fell to the lie of the Serpent, that by partaking of the fruit of the tree of good and evil, their eyes would be opened to a deeper experience, and that they would become like gods (Genesis 3:5). Why, after all that they had in the Garden, including fellowship with the Lord, would they desire something more is hard to fathom, but the temptation was so great that they succumbed to it. Had they known that they would actually lose their created state, perhaps they would not have disobeyed God and succumb to the temptation. But they did, and immediately their relationship with God was forever changed. From the moment of their disobedience they feared God; they felt shame before Him and before one another.
Even more troubling was that God, being holy, separated Himself from them. This was a moral separation, but it was more importantly, a legal separation. God could not be part of what Adam became and all of mankind had become. By this one act of disobedience, man was governed by a sinful nature. God, because of who He is, could not remain in fellowship with Adam (with man). This determination was not restricted to Adam, but to all his offspring, including you and me. What a disaster!
However, the good news is that before God created the world He made provision that Adam (man) could be restored to his original state. That is, to a righteous state. This would not be from or in Adam (man), this would be in God Himself. In that there was no other remedy for sin, God Himself took on the flesh of man in order that He could die and by His death satisfy the justice of God. Writing of this the apostle Paul wrote; “12Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) 18Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:12-19 NKJV).
Foreshadowing this, God in the Garden provided a covering for Adam and Eve. The record states; “21Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21 NKJV). They had tried to cover their physical and spiritual nakedness with fig leaves. While this might have covered their physical nakedness it did nothing to hide their sin from God nor provide an answer for it. God had forewarned that in the day they would take of the forbidden fruit they would die spiritually toward Him, become spiritually separated from Him. In not accepting their attempt, God provided His own answer for their sin. He shed the blood of an animal to cover their sin. There was no resolution for sin in the blood of the animal, but it pointed to the blood of Jesus Christ. He, at a certain point in time, would shed His blood for that resolution. Glory be to God, Amen.
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man
Christian National Church