“A More Excellent Sacrifice”

I ended yesterday's posting with a reference to the fig leaves that Adam and Eve sewed together for themselves to cover up their nakedness (Genesis 3:7) of which they became ashamed once they had eaten of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. That will be the point at which we begin our discussion today but before we begin, I have to share a comment that Matthew Henry made about clothing that was really quite profound. Here's what he said:

"...clothes came in with sin. We should have had no occasion for them, either for defense or decency, if sin had not made us naked, to our shame. Little reason therefore we have to be proud of our clothes, which are but the badges of our poverty and infamy."  So why is it so important for us to "look good" in terms of the clothing we wear? Perhaps that is something to think about.

Now back to the fig leaves which were the first attempt by man to cover his shame; shame that was caused by sin. Sin still causes shame in us today and man still attempts to cover his shame with the works of his own hands. But God had a different solution to the shame of man's nakedness: the skins of innocent animals slaughtered for man's sake. What a point He made in doing so!

First, God did not consider the fig leaves to be a sufficient covering for man's shame (or for man's unrighteousness); He preferred instead, a covering of His own making.

Second, innocent creatures, having had no part in the sin of man, were killed; blood of innocent lives was required. Why was this necessary?

Third, Adam and Eve witnessed what death looked like (for the very first time) as they watched God kill the animals…animals that Adam had personally named…knowing now that death would one day come also to them.

I believe that we might assume that these animals were lambs. Why would I assume this?

Because if Adam and Eve witnessed what God did with the animals (one for each of them), and instructed their children accordingly, then Abel (being obedient to his parents and not rebellious like Cain) would have followed their instructions when providing an offering to God. The Bible tells us that Abel took of the "firstlings" of his flock of sheep. The Hebrew word for "firstlings" (bekowrah) means "first-born." While it is possible that Abel waited until the first-born had become a very old sheep (what we would call "mutton"), that doesn't seem quite as fresh an offering, does it? A lamb, by the way, is a young sheep, one that is less than one year old, so I would assume again that it is possible the lamb was not necessarily new-born, but was certainly the first-born of its mother. So, if Abel followed his parents example, and his parents followed God's example, this should tell us that the animals sacrificed in the garden were lambs, one for each of them apparently as Genesis 3:21 speaks of animals in the plural.

But, of course, there is other evidence for assuming the slain animals were lambs: scriptural evidence that indicates that God chose a lamb to become "the more excellent sacrifice" for a sin-covering (atonement) for man:

"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29). This was John the Baptist speaking of Jesus Christ.

"And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship Him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world." (Revelation 13:8)

 Thus, sacrifice (of an innocent lamb) had its physical origins in the garden; yet its eternally spiritual origin was as a part of God's plan from "the foundation of the world."

We will see as we continue in our bible study that animal sacrifice (the shedding of innocent blood for the atonement or forgiveness of sin) became an institution for the people God claimed as His own: the Jews. It was an institution that was to teach them about their sin and about a loving God who sent His own first-born to become the "more excellent sacrifice" paying the ultimate price of His own blood, shed for the forgiveness of our sin. He was an innocent lamb becaue the Bible tells us He was obedient to God and had NO sin...a lamb without spot or blemish...and therefore the blood that was shed was innocent blood.

The question, the most important question of your entire life, is this: will we choose God's Lamb "by faith" to cover the shame of our own nakedness (our sin and unrighteousness) or will we provide a covering of our own brand of fig leaves?  And what form do those fig leaves take in this day and age? Attending church every now and then without ever becoming involved in a church is one brand of fig leaves; just attending church occasionally is fairly safe, but becoming involved might require a commitment that we don't really want to give.  How far are our hearts from God?

Do you believe that you can be reconciled to God through your fig leaves alone, whatever form they might take?  If you reject God's Lamb (His own son, Jesus Christ) and provide a sacrifice of your own, do you think that God will be pleased with you?

Please ponder this carefully and seriously before you answer for the Word of God tells us it is a matter of life or death: life being an eternity in heaven and death being everlasting torment in hell.

Here is a clue to the answer:

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, IS the "more excellent sacrifice." There is no other way to be reconciled to the Father except through Jesus Christ.

Put away your fig leaves and "put on" Jesus. He can be found in the Word of God, also known as the Bible.