When Adam heard the voice of God, after he sinned, the first thing he
did was to hide from God. Now, God had come visiting Adam and Eve in the
garden, but getting to their usual meeting place, they were not there,
and a search began. God's first reaction was, "Adam, were are you?" God
knew that Adam had sinned, but His emotion was not that of anger, it was
one of concern for the safety of Adam. If it was an emotion of anger,
the story we have of that event would have been different. It would have
been an outright pouring out of His wrath on them, and if He did, He
would have been justified because Adam was warned of the consequence of
disobedience, which was death.
If God had done this, it would have been consistent with His attribute as a holy God, but there was something else on His mind, it was mercy. Yes, mercy! But mercy toward a sinner could only come at the expense of the life of an innocent substitute, so, turning, God found an animal, killed it, and with its skin He sawed a garment to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve. This is not the action of an angry person. This was God's first reaction to sinners on earth, and it has ever since been His reaction to sinners: wanting to save the sinner at the expense of an innocent substitute.
The animal sacrifices of the Old Testament were all pointing to this same desire in God to protect the sinner from the destruction that results from sin. This is the God of the Bible, He is not what religion has painted of Him to be, an angry, God; no, He is a caring, kind, merciful, and conscientious God who desires a relationship with the sinner to the extent that He was willing to offer up His only begotten Son in order to make this happen. What will you do with an offer such as this? If we are thinking correctly, it will be to embrace Him, and receive forgiveness with thanksgiving and adoration.
Toni
If God had done this, it would have been consistent with His attribute as a holy God, but there was something else on His mind, it was mercy. Yes, mercy! But mercy toward a sinner could only come at the expense of the life of an innocent substitute, so, turning, God found an animal, killed it, and with its skin He sawed a garment to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve. This is not the action of an angry person. This was God's first reaction to sinners on earth, and it has ever since been His reaction to sinners: wanting to save the sinner at the expense of an innocent substitute.
The animal sacrifices of the Old Testament were all pointing to this same desire in God to protect the sinner from the destruction that results from sin. This is the God of the Bible, He is not what religion has painted of Him to be, an angry, God; no, He is a caring, kind, merciful, and conscientious God who desires a relationship with the sinner to the extent that He was willing to offer up His only begotten Son in order to make this happen. What will you do with an offer such as this? If we are thinking correctly, it will be to embrace Him, and receive forgiveness with thanksgiving and adoration.
Toni
