By Stuart Powell
God created humanity as male and female. He took care of their need for relationships by teaching them how to love him and each other. When they sinned and learned of their nakedness, God covered their shame, as explained in the Tree of Life Version: “Adonai Elohim made Adam and his wife tunics of skin and He clothed them” (Genesis 3:21).
This is the first record of God clothing humanity. Initially, Adam and Eve knew nothing of evil, shame, or clothing. When they disobeyed, the fruit opened their eyes to evil, and evil exposed their shame. God clothed the people to cover the harvest of their rebellion. He also showed them the acceptable way to be clothed. God’s action foreshadowed his plan to restore fallen humanity. God killed an innocent animal and from it he fashioned a covering to hide man and woman’s shame. From that day until now, people have clothed themselves.
It isn’t the only time God clothed people. In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul explained a coming time of divine clothing.
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).
On the Day of the Lord, those people who have chased after God in faith throughout their lives will be clothed again. Unlike the Genesis 3 account (when people were clothed in perishable skins of dead animals), on that future day we will be clothed with the immortality of Jesus’ righteousness. We will be properly dressed in the incorruptibility of the Son of God. On that day, clothes will not hide the shame of our sin. No, because Jesus died like that innocent animal of Genesis 3, our shame will be gone forever.
We eat this bread to remember the promise of our new clothing and that Jesus was crucified despite his innocence. We also drink from this cup—a reminder that Jesus’ life blood was surrendered on our behalf. As you eat and drink, give thanks to God for his grace, mercy, and the new clothing he has prepared for all who believe.
Stuart Powell lives outside of Terre Haute, Indiana, where he serves with the North Side Christian Church.
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