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GENESIS 3:7, 21

"FIG LEAVES OR FUR COATS"

I. THE BEGINNING OF SIN BROUGHT BEGINNING OF SORROW.
        A. Satan seeks to associate sin with pleasure.
                1. With Eve.
                        a. Good for food.
                        b. Pleasant.
                        c. Desirable.
                2. First reaction to sin often positive.
                        a. You seek to draw others to join you.
                        b. Eve gave to Adam and he ate.
                3. Things have not changed from the beginning.
                        a. Sin still seems fun at the beginning.
                        b. It appears to be desirable.
                        c. The end result is still sorrow.
        B. God associates sin with sorrow.
                1. As God explained the consequence of sin three times He mentioned sorrow.
                2. Though sin may give pleasure for a season, its net reaction is sorrow
                   forever.
                3. The sorrow in the world today bears testimony against sin.
                        a. Not a single sorrow we experience that if traced back we find
                           its roots in sin.
                                1. Sorrow of death.
                4. One of the marks of heaven, no sorrow.
                        a. With the absence of sin the absence of sorrow.

II. THE FIG LEAF APRONS WERE THE BEGINNING OF MAN'S ATTEMPTS TO COVER HIS GUILT.
        A. Looking at man today, it would be amusing if it weren't so tragic.
                1. Shave heads, put on white robes, dance on the corners to the noise of
                   finger symbols.
                2. Sit in grotesque positions or stand on their heads and chant.
        B. Some shrewd hucksters, realizing man's innate desire to atone for his guilt
           make merchandisers of these people.
                1. Set them in airports pinning flowers on unwary people for a donation.
                2. Send them in parking lots selling peanuts.
                3. Send them door to door to peddle magazines.
                4. Charge them $100 bucks for series of lessons.
        C. How does God view all these self efforts of being better?
                1. Your righteousness is as filthy rags.
                2. Today we either are trusting in our works or God's work.
        D. Fig leaves sewed together, what a shabby way to cover your naked body.
                1. Surely they can't last long before they dry and fall off.
                2. You'll soon need something else.

III. GOD GAVE UNTO THEM COATS OF SKINS OR FUR COATS.
        A. What a contrast when God covers man's nakedness, and man endeavors to cover
           his own.
                1. God gave to him.
                        a. It was a gift from God.
                        b. Man's first cover-up was his own work. It wouldn't do.
                2. Today we either are trusting in our works or God's work.
        B. Coats of skins.
                1. That meant that God had to kill the animals.
                        a. Perhaps they watched as God killed the lambs and took their furs.
                        b. Herein was born the concept of the necessity of a sacrifice to
                           cover sin.
        C. This all looked forward to God's perfect sacrifice who once and for all would
           provide the perfect covering for all our sin.