Covering our Nakedness

The Bible says that there in Eden, God looking upon Adam and Eve’s fig leaves, made coats of skins and clothed them. The first thing God does is strip away all the artificial, man-made coverings, and presents His own glorious covering. "For Adam also and for his wife the Lord God made long coats (tunics) of skins, and clothed them" (Gen. 3:21, Amplified Bible). We would be totally void of understanding as to what kind of victim it was that provided this blessed covering for the sinning man and his wife, were it not that the Holy Spirit has shed precious light upon this wonder, revealing that Christ is “the LAMB slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8) who verily was “a LAMB without blemish and spot… foreordained before the foundation of the world” (I Pet. 1:19-20). In the symbolism of the Garden of Eden story Adam and Eve silently and sorrowfully watched as the Lord God selected a lamb and slew it there, fastening it to a tree before their wondering eyes, the victim then being made naked, stripped of its skin, that a covering might be provided for the naked ones. Thus, with this one wondrous act does the God of heaven introduce THE CROSS into Eden's lovely Garden.

           I now invite you to meditate deeply upon my words. In the process of changing our garments and covering our nakedness God brings us to the CROSS, which has its base in the foundation of God before the world began. Interesting that the Lamb in Eden was slain not merely for the sinning man and woman, and not only for the naked man and woman, but for the man and woman CLOTHED IN FIG-LEAVES! The "skins" of covering from the Lamb were given to replace the fig-leaves of mans self-effort, and not only was the man himself brought to the cross but all his self-made religion of works as well! Ah, yes, the cross shall deal not only with sin and nakedness, it shall deal as well with our fig-leaves!

           Hear now this remarkable statement by the apostle Paul as to what was nailed to the cross of Christ. "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us... and took it out of the way, NAILING IT TO HIS CROSS. Let no man THEREFORE judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holiday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but THE BODY IS OF CHRIST" (Col. 2:13-17). Yes, beloved, God took not only man's sin and man himself to the cross in Christ, but He took the fig-leaves of EXTERNAL ORDINANCES which stand in meats and drinks and holy days and divers washings (baptisms) and rituals and ceremonies and rules and regulations and (hallejujah!) NAILED THEM ALL TO HIS CROSS! In their place He now clothes us in the covering of the blessed Lamb, a righteousness which indeed is seen externally, but is the product of THE INDWELLING LIFE OF THE LAMB!

           Fig-leaves righteousness is so shallow, limited to outward observances, appearances, works, regulations, do this, don't do that, go here, don't go there, etc. But for those who have become identified with the Lamb, having discovered HIS INDWELLING LIFE which produces HIS IMAGE, who now live in the wisdom and righteousness of His LIFE-FLOW, it is no longer a matter of regulations – do this, and do that, etc. It is not a matter today of so many do's and don'ts, but entirely a matter of THE LIFE OF THE LAMB.