COVENANT OF RESTORATION

Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them – Genesis 3:21

God made a covenant with Adam and Eve after the fall; before they were expelled from Eden. This is often referred to as the Adamic covenant. The serpent crept into Eden, and through the first couple’s deception and disobedience, substituted Eden’s sanctity and serenity with fear, nakedness, shame (Gen.3:7,10). This covenant is two-pronged: the pronouncement of curses and punishments; and the promise of redemption.

The LORD God cursed the serpent and Satan. The serpent was to suffer humiliation beyond any other creature, crawl on its belly and feed on dust (vs.14). Also, God declared enmity between Satan – the old serpent – and humanity (Rev.12:9); and between the children of Satan and God (Jh.15:18-19; Jam.4:4). Satan’s head would be perpetually bruised by the Seed of the woman (vs.15). The Messiah Jesus ultimately fulfilled this by His death on the cross and resurrection (Col.2:14-15).

Although the Genesis account does not refer to God’s verdicts on Adam and Eve as “curses” they were undoubtedly negative consequences and punishments for disobedience: “To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you” (Gen.3:16). Ironically, embedded in the pain and travail of child-bearing would be the woman’s desire for and subjection to her husband!

Next, the ground – not Adam – was cursed for Adam’s sake. It would begin to release thorns and thistles, but a window of mercy was left for it to still produce “the herb of the field” for feeding and healing (vs.18). Adam’s punishment was: he’ll toil to eat! Unlike the erstwhile bliss of Eden, Man would have to endure hardship, pain, rigour, and sweat in order to access and enjoy nature’s resources. The ultimate punishment was that Adam’s fallen body will eventually return to the ground – the cursed ground. The body that came from dust will return to dust – the serpent’s food (vs.17-19). What an irony!

Hidden in this package of negatives were the Promise of Restoration and Redemption and the removal of curses. Through a blood sacrifice, God replaced the couple’s aprons of “fig leaves” with “tunics of skin” (Gen.3:7, 21). In a single act of Mercy, a “blood covenant” was struck, nakedness was covered, shame removed, and the window of restoration and redemption opened up an eternity void of curses: “And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him” (Rev.22:3). Even in Judgement, God releases Mercy and prepares Restoration!