When they become aware of their sin, the people must bring a young bull as an offering for their sin and present it before the Tabernacle. Lev. 4:14
Since the Garden of Eden sin has been a big problem. God created mankind to be in relationship with him, but sin completely destroyed that.
Why didn’t God just say, “Oh kids its OK. Come on back in the garden. We’ll just forget that ever happened?”
Have you ever thought about that? Why did God kick them out? Why did God replace their clothing with animal skins? Why was God such a stickler for the rules? It was just fruit, right?
Wrong. It was disobedience. It was sin.
You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong. Hab. 1:13
God cannot look at wrong.
That word the prophet Habakkuk uses is interesting. He doesn’t say evil bothers God. He doesn’t say God is offended by it. He says God cannot, which actually means God does not have the ability to see evil. The essence of God is so holy that he is literally without the ability to look at wrong.
When I was a kid I tried to push repelling magnet poles together. I marveled that one side snapped right together but the other side of the same magnet was without the ability to connect. No matter what I did it never worked. It is just a law of the universe. God is the same. No matter how hard we try to connect the sinful side of the magnet to God it will always be without the ability.
So there is the Creator, in Eden, desiring fellowship with this children and they play a card that makes relationship with them impossible.
The created feel it in their bones. They feel the void. They feel the distance. They feel the shame. They feel the nakedness. So they hide.
Then God comes looking for them. He replaces their makeshift leaf outfits with proper clothing made of animal skins. That is an interesting move of God. Why animal skins?
Because sin requires death. Forgiveness requires blood.
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Heb. 9:22
From that day forward forgiveness of sins required the same. Noah made sacrifices to God. Abraham did it. Jacob did it. The law of Moses wrote it in stone.
Sin requires death. Forgiveness requires sacrifice.
But here we are thousands of years removed. We are long past the age of animal sacrifice right? How do we seek forgiveness of the same Creator?
Let’s go back to the book and see. John the Baptist’s words usher in the greatest era of mercy this world has ever known.
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29
Isn’t that an odd way to describe Jesus? I am writing this days after Christmas. During this season we identify him as the King of Kings, Emmanuel and Prince of Peace. But the day that John introduces him to the world he calls him a lamb.
This is what John was pointing back to. “Go and take for yourselves lambs according to your families, and slay the Passover lamb.” Exodus 12:21
Sin requires death. Forgiveness requires blood. Jesus fulfilled both.
During the time of the Passover the Israelites had to be covered by the blood. Today it is the same.
Sin requires death. Forgiveness requires blood but by the eternal grace of a merciful God he does not require our own and he never has.
We have been gifted forgiveness by the power of “the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” 1 Pet. 1:19
He is our Passover lamb. “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion.” Mt. 26:2
Forgiveness is not difficult or prejudicial nor is it unconditional. We must get covered by the blood. The way Adam and Eve were covered by the clothing of animal skins. The same way the Israelites were covered by the Passover blood.
Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Rom. 4:7
For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Gal 3:27
For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 1 Cor.5:7
If you find yourself in need for the forgiveness of the divine, go to the lamb and be covered by the blood he offered for you.
Leave a Reply