Topical Bible: Man: Clothed by God With Skins

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Topical Encyclopedia

In the narrative of the fall of man, as recorded in the Book of Genesis, the act of God clothing Adam and Eve with skins holds profound theological significance. This event is found in Genesis 3:21: "And the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and He clothed them" . This verse follows the account of Adam and Eve's disobedience in the Garden of Eden, where they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, resulting in their awareness of their nakedness and subsequent shame.

Context and Significance

The act of God clothing Adam and Eve with skins occurs after they attempted to cover themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7). Their self-made coverings were inadequate, symbolizing humanity's inability to address the consequences of sin through their own efforts. In contrast, God's provision of garments made from skins signifies a divine intervention and a foreshadowing of the necessity of a sacrificial atonement for sin.

Theological Implications

1. Divine Provision and Grace: The act of God clothing Adam and Eve demonstrates His grace and provision even in the midst of judgment. Despite their disobedience, God provides for their immediate physical needs, indicating His continued care for humanity.

2. Symbolism of Sacrifice: The use of animal skins implies the shedding of blood, which is a precursor to the sacrificial system later established in the Mosaic Law. This act can be seen as the first instance of substitutionary atonement, where an innocent life is given to cover the guilt and shame of sin. This foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose death on the cross provides the final atonement for sin.

3. Covering of Sin: The garments of skin represent a covering for sin, pointing to the need for a righteousness that comes from God. This covering is not merely physical but also spiritual, addressing the separation between God and man caused by sin.

4. Human Inadequacy: The inadequacy of the fig leaves highlights the futility of human attempts to rectify the effects of sin. It underscores the necessity of divine intervention for true redemption and reconciliation with God.

Historical and Cultural Context

In the ancient Near Eastern context, clothing often symbolized status, identity, and protection. By clothing Adam and Eve, God not only addresses their physical nakedness but also restores a measure of dignity and identity that was marred by sin. This act can be seen as a reaffirmation of their value and purpose despite the fall.

Christological Foreshadowing

From a Christological perspective, the provision of skins prefigures the redemptive work of Christ. Just as God provided a covering for Adam and Eve, Christ's righteousness covers believers, restoring their relationship with God. The shedding of blood for the garments of skin anticipates the ultimate sacrifice of Christ, "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).

In summary, the act of God clothing Adam and Eve with skins is rich with theological meaning, illustrating themes of grace, sacrifice, and redemption. It serves as an early indication of God's redemptive plan for humanity, culminating in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 3:21
To Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Earthy Material of which Flesh is Created Wonderfully Improved ...
... potter?" [7335] that is, Shall man contend with God? ... earthen vessels" [7336] he refers
to man, who was ... divine afflatus; and it was afterwards clothed with "the ...
/.../on the resurrection of the flesh/chapter vii the earthy material of.htm

Concerning the Divine Oeconomy and God's Care Over Us, And
... Man, then, was thus snared by the assault of the ... of the fig-leaves [1924] ); and
was clothed about with ... and was banished from Paradise by God's just judgment ...
/.../exposition of the orthodox faith/chapter i concerning the divine oeconomy.htm

This Reasoning and Intelligent Creature, Man, at once the Work and ...
... image of the imperishable Deity; he has clothed himself instead ... us become that which
the First Man was at ... he could gaze without shrinking upon God's countenance ...
/.../gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/chapter xii this reasoning and.htm

The Names of God.
... (2) God as Redeemer. It was under this name that he sought man after the fall and
clothed him with skins. Gen.3:9-17; (3) God who makesand keeps his covenants. ...
/.../the way of salvation in the lutheran church/chapter ii the names of.htm

But as He Asserts that "The Mosaic Narrative Most Impiously ...
... [3873] And the expulsion of the man and woman from paradise, and their being clothed
with tunics of skins (which God, because of the transgression of men, made ...
//christianbookshelf.org/origen/origen against celsus/chapter xl but as he.htm

Read the Book on the Resurrection by St. Methodius
... For he says of Adam, that when the Almighty God saw that by ... that when he was thus,
as it were, clothed in mortality ... when he says, "I know such a man caught up ...
/.../methodius/from the discourse on the resurrection/part iii read the book.htm

The Kingdom of God: Its Values
... or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? ... In the measure in which the will of God is done
and his ... And no man putteth new wine into old wine-skins; else the wine ...
/.../rauschenbusch/the social principles of jesus/chapter iv the kingdom of.htm

God did not Make Evil, nor is He at all in any Way the Author of ...
... In order, then, that man might not be an undying ... and was provided with immortal
sustenance, God for this cause pronounced him mortal, and clothed him with ...
/.../methodius/from the discourse on the resurrection/part i god did not.htm

Exhortation to Abandon the Impious Mysteries of Idolatry for the ...
... Others he figuratively calls wolves, clothed in sheep-skins, meaning thereby ... after
that the kindness and love of God our saviour to man appeared, not ...
/.../clement/exhortation to the heathen/chapter i exhortation to abandon the.htm

The First Disobedience
... the serpent said to the woman, "You shall not surely die; for God knows that ... And
Jehovah made garments of skins for the man and his wife, and clothed them. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/the first disobedience.htm