Ditch the Futility of Fig Leaves (Genesis 3:7, 21)

 

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves^]coverings…  Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. – Genesis 3:7, 21

Have you ever pondered the possibility that maybe Adam and Eve's fig fashion didn't look so bad? What was so wrong with their new Fig Leaf Gucci line anyway? 

Biggest problem? Fig leaves are temporary. A little bit of time would turn their designer fashion into brown crunchy clothes that wouldn't survive a stiff breeze.  

And we've been trying to cover our shame with temporary fig leaves ever since. We mask our bad with what we think is enough good. We deny. Rationalize. Compare ourselves with others who we're convinced are worse. Or we do what Adam and Eve did. We blame others for our sin. "Surely, it's not our fault; someone else must have made me disobey God! My parents. My spouse. My government. That kid who was mean to me in the fourth grade!"

It never works. Might seem like it for a while. Maybe we can even make our temporary coverings look good! But the fig leaves always dry up eventually and blow away.

So God came up with a solution of His own. He had told Adam that he would die if he rebelled and ate the fruit. In a twist defined by grace, God struck a couple of animals dead instead.   

Then He covered Adam and Eve with their skins. 

From then on, every time Adam and Eve got dressed in the morning, this couple who had never witnessed violence before were reminded of the tremendous cost of their crime.

It was very sad for the animals, but it was also a picture of a much greater reality. Because of our sin, we too, deserve the death penalty. For the wages of sin is death... (Romans 6:23) But in a twist of grace, Jesus was slain so that His death could cover our penalty. Now we can live forever free of God's judgment. This is true for anyone who is willing to surrender their lives to Jesus, humbly ask for His forgiveness, and dedicate themselves to Him as their King. 

I did it! Whereas I'm reminded frequently of what my sin cost, I live in gratitude of knowing how much my God loves me!

Dear Heavenly Father, we're sorry for all the futile ways we try to cover up our sin. Our guilty consciences tell us we're not being successful, but in our pride, we still try! Teach us to come to You for Your grace instead. We believe in Jesus. We believe in what He did on the cross. Help us to live in the freedom of Your forgiveness. And give us the desire to help other people do the same. In Jesus' Name, Amen.