A New Kind of Fashion & the Other Tree

Excerpt from Gen. 3:21 (TNIV)

²¹ The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

This is very interesting to me. God made garments of skin for them to be clothed with. I did some further research on this because initially I’m thinking well, if He made them garments of skin, what were they wearing or what did they look like to begin with? I’m glad I looked into this one because the image I had in my mind was not a pretty one. It’s still not a pretty one, but it is one that I can understand and makes a far-cry more sense than what was running through my mind to begin with. I cross-referenced several translations (KJV, YLT, Darby, etc.) and most all of the other translations say that God fashioned them coats of skins. Coats, as in a covering, a jacket of sorts. Skins, as in plural with an “s” which makes me think about animal skin or hide, not literal human epidermis.

I went on to consult the commentary of Matthew Henry. He provides compelling, nay, riveting insight as to the significance and symbolism of the skins. A few of the high points that I found of particular interest follow. Because of their sin, God could have chosen to kill them on the spot, but he didn’t. Instead, He gave them clothing.

Huh?! Clothing over death?! Those were the options God was working with?! What in the world?! What kind of a decision is that?! I mean He’s God, He can do what He wants, but there’s a vast difference in my way of thinking between clothing and um, say, death. Yet again, I’m glad I read some commentary. The metaphor contained herein was way beyond the spiritual scope of my brain on first reading.

Since clothing was only necessary after sin, we have no reason to be proud of it. It serves merely as a visual reminder of our shame and need for redemption. The first clothes were practical in every sense of the word. They were not flashy or colorful. They were warm, strong and very plain, a further reminder that we should be thankful in all things for all things. Clothing was simply a gift of mercy from God.

The skins obviously came from animals. The animals had to be slain in order for their skins to be removed. Henry goes on to say that the animals were probably slain in front of Adam and Eve to show them what death is and for them to understand that they, too, were mortal and dying. This is symbolic of the sacrifice of the coming Christ, the sacrifice to end all sacrifices.

The Other Tree

Excerpt from: Gen. 3:22 (TNIV)

²² And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."

I never saw this either. I won’t spend an exorbitant amount of time expounding on this one, but suffice it to say that it does make me wonder, what if they had partook from the other tree? What if?