The First Sacrifice
by Ted Slater on 04/22/2008 at 8:59 AM
The garden is still beautiful. Tucked among the deep green canopy of leaves, birds chirp and squirrels play. The air is fresh with the scent of flowers and dew. Being there, it just feels good to be alive.
Except that the first two humans have just disobeyed their Creator, bringing shame and discord upon all of creation.
Perhaps the Lord is heart-broken. Perhaps He's infuriated. Certainly He is not surprised.
So God the Just metes out the punishments. The serpent will be cursed, will eat the dust from which Adam was created, and will some day be further punished by the Offspring of God and humanity. Eve, the life-giver, will experience pain in bringing about that life, and will continue yearning to usurp her husband's authority. And Adam's work will no longer be pleasant, but a grueling chore.
But then the Lord does something both peculiar and prophetic. He calls over a lamb, a gentle creature that has been grazing deeper in the garden. As the animal walks over, the Lord bends down and gathers it in His arms, pained at the terrible grace He is about to extend to Adam and to Eve. The Maker and Sustainer of life slices deeply into the lamb's neck, blood splattering down His arm and collecting onto the ground in crimson puddles. Never before has He killed one of His creatures, but this moment calls for a death, a providential and atoning death.
The frantic bleating comes to an end and the flow of blood slows. The Lord peels the animal's skin off its muscle in sheets. Adam and Eve look on, horrified. He folds this edge of the skin back over, affixing it to that edge, pulling this flap under and that section over.
And then it's done. He instructs Adam and Eve to remove the clothes they had made of leaves. As they do, they're freshly made aware of the shame of their sin. Trembling, Adam stares at the ground, trying to take in what he has just seen, trying not to think too much about the difficult road ahead of him. Eve stands next to him, tears flowing down her blushing face.
Then the Lord tells the first couple to look at Him. As they do, they are stunned to find not a face of anger, but of compassion. And there in His hands they see it, still moist with the blood of the lamb, something divinely crafted to cover their shame: a garment for Adam, and a garment for Eve....
1. Rachael said the following at 9:06 AM on Apr 22:
Thanks for a beautiful post. You know, I've recently thought of animal sacrifices and become aware that, wow, an animal was actually being sacrificed! Usually I'd just hear the term without thinking about the sacrificial aspect of it. I recently referred to a couple links related to sacrifices on my blog:
1) http://theologica.blogspot.com/2008/04/lamb-that-was-slain.html
(note: I did not and may never watch this video, but found what was written interesting)
2) http://www.challies.com/archives/liveblogging/together-for-the-gospel-2008/t4g-rc-sproul.php
( the stuff on the Day of the Atonement starts in the 7th paragraph)
2. BDB said the following at 9:08 AM on Apr 22:
Ponder what would have happened if, instead of eating the apple, Adam offered himself as the sacrifice for Eve's sin...
3. Sarah22 said the following at 10:14 AM on Apr 22:
This was beautiful, thank you.
Praise God He prepared a lamb for us before the foundations of the world!
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 1 Peter 1:19-21
4. Sarah22 said the following at 10:19 AM on Apr 22:
P.S.
Ted: I was wondering if you or one of the other posters could explain something to me that I've been pondering for awhile...I admit I'm a little ignorant on this topic it's not exactly related to this post but I'll ask anyway...if the Orthodox Jews believe that their Messiah has not come and they must observe all the religious holidays, laws, etc. why don't they still feel the need to sacrifice animals to atone for their sins?
5. IMO said the following at 10:28 AM on Apr 22:
Sarah22 (#4),
Completely offhand, I think the Jews --well, the priests--stopped sacrificing animals after the destruction of their temple. I think they want to build a new one.
Am I close to the truth, Ted?
6. Matt from DC said the following at 10:42 AM on Apr 22:
BDB, I like your question.
Here's one of my own. Instead of believing Eve over God what would have happened if Adam had killed the snake?
7. Matt said the following at 10:52 AM on Apr 22:
Post #4,
Sarah,
Without the temple they can't do animal sacrifices. So, animal sacrifices ended in A.D. 70 for the Jews.
I think the same thing probably happened when they were in exile in Babylon. So, however they justified not doing animal sacrifices during the Exile is how they justify it today.
8. Erin said the following at 11:16 AM on Apr 22:
Wow. I would have never put that together. Thanks for reading between the lines.
9. Pat said the following at 11:36 AM on Apr 22:
I've heard this a lot, but is there anything that causes us to think the animal skins were from a lamb? I don't see that anywhere. For that matter, do we even know that God killed an animal? What if it was already dead?
I know that some poetic license is allowed when writing, but I just wanted to try to understand what's fact and what's speculation. Thanks!
10. Nicole said the following at 12:07 PM on Apr 22:
This was a beautiful post. I've been reading Leviticus lately about the sacrifices. Somehow it makes the entire picture of what Jesus did more amazing and easier to picture somehow.
Sarah -- From what I've heard Jews don't offer sacrifices because in Deuteronomy (don't know the exact reference) they were told not to do so unless the place was appointed by God -- the last place being the Temple. So, as the others have answered, it hasn't been done since the destruction of the temple. Prayers have replaced it since then. As it did during the exile (I think this is the correct time period) when Hosea quoted God saying: "Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips." (Hos 14:2). So they were allowed to offer words instead of animal sacrifices.
Very interesting question, BDB. And also beautiful thinking about in the NT where husbands are supposed to lay down their lives for their wives as Christ did for the church.
11. Ted Slater said the following at 12:13 PM on Apr 22:
Pat -- great questions. No, there's nothing that says that God made clothes made out of lamb skin. He very well could have used cowskin or buffalo skin or something else.
The way I read Scripture, there was no death before the Fall of humanity. Romans 5:12 tells us that "sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin...."
The first death, from what I can tell, was brought about by God Himself to provide coverings for Adam and Eve. This event, I believe, provided the model for animal sacrifice that would be practiced for thousands of years.
12. Christina (in green) said the following at 12:34 PM on Apr 22:
Sara -
What's so intriguing about the destruction of the Temple is that it happened right around the same time that the last disciple died...
Before that generation passed away, the end would come...and the temple was destroyed. They were given enough time to hear the word of God and recognize the sacrificial fulfillment in Jesus Christ before their means of salvation was completely destroyed...
I just find that incredibly interesting =p
13. Louise said the following at 12:59 PM on Apr 22:
I liked this post.
Re comment 9, I read this as being Mr. Slater's personal interpretation of the immediate consequences of the Fall.
14. Sarah22 said the following at 1:55 PM on Apr 22:
Thank you to everyone for the answers, they were very helpful.
Christina: That is esp. interesting!
It never fails to amaze me that God has so much meaning wrapped up in every aspect of the bible and the things He does...truly nothing is without meaning or purpose when it is done by God.
15. Rachael said the following at 3:13 PM on Apr 22:
BDB (2),
Well, if Adam had done that I suppose it would have been a factor in...population control.
But I suppose God could have made another Adam if he wanted. Even if Adam had done that that wouldn't have been 'good enough'.
Glad Pat & Ted cleared up the question of what animal was used in the first sacrifice. Seems it would've been mentioned if it was, but you never know...it's interesting to think that it could have been the skin of a lamb...I'd never considered this possibility.
Matt,
I think the snake was just how Satan manifested himself, so it probably would not have made that much of a difference if Adam had killed it.
16. Anonymous said the following at 9:30 AM on Apr 23:
It's interesting to think that Adam and Eve knew nothing about death in the garden before their disobedience. As Ted quoted earlier, "death came by sin". Adam wouldn't have known about killing the snake (or the tree of the knowledge of good and evil). I agree with #15 that if Adam could've known about killing the snake and did it, the devil would've embodied another animal. Since Adam had authority over the animals, it seems he could've told the snake to leave him and his wife alone.
17. Melissa said the following at 5:40 PM on Apr 23:
Sarah22,
There are many observant Jews, specifically in Israel, who do indeed want to rebuild the temple in order to begin sacrificing again - they know that God never "changed the rules" and that a blood sacrifice is still required to atone for sin. What many of them, sadly, do not see, is that Christ was the Messiah and the ultimate blood sacrifice and therefore no further sacrifices are necessary.
There are a lot of groups doing outreach to the Jewish people, including organizations like Chosen People Ministries - I'd encourage you to check out their website.
18. Sarah22 said the following at 11:22 AM on Apr 24:
Melissa:
Thanks for the comment!
Yes, those are great ministries. My church actually supports a Jewish missionary and his family that are in the Ukraine via http://jem-missions.com/
It's SO important to pray for the Nation of Israel...there are Jews being born again, although as we know, it's very difficult to reach their hardened hearts.
19. Katie M. said the following at 5:10 PM on Apr 24:
I enjoyed reading this, even though the story breaks my heart every time. Thank you for sharing it. Also on the topic of the first clothes, I saw this post on DesiringGod.org today: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2008/2737_The_Rebellion_of_Nudity_and_the_Meaning_of_Clothing/.