Parenting by Design - December 24

Covering Shame 

Gen. 3:21: The Lord made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them (NIV).  

The Garden of Eden was perfect until Adam and Eve brought sin and shame into the world. God covered their shame, but that covering came at a cost. To provide the skin needed to make garments, an innocent animal was slain.

What a foreshadowing of Christ's work on the cross! Jesus, the Lamb of God, shed His innocent blood for our sin so God could cover our shame as well. And, although the Bible does not specify, would anyone be surprised if the animal slain in the Garden of Eden turned out to be a lamb?

God demonstrated the response of a loving Perfect Parent—He covered the shame that caused Adam and Eve to hide. Then, He delivered consequences for rebellion in a way that Adam and Eve (and their descendants) were taught a powerful lesson about His provision of righteousness in the future.

Had God not first covered their shame, Adam and Eve may not have received the lesson. God's act of covering them demonstrated He would never leave or forsake His children. Adam and Eve could receive the lesson because they loved and trusted the Teacher.

Covering shame makes teaching possible.