Instinctively, we know that covering up our sin is not a good idea, otherwise we would not bother checking out the excuses made when our children disobey us or put liars in jail when the evidence proved their stories did not match the truth. Yet the first thing Adam and Eve did when they sinned was an attempt to hide from God. Adam blamed his wife and she blamed the serpent, and they made coverings of fig leaves to cover their nakedness.
Hiding, excusing, blame-shifting and other ways of cover-up are still done every day when shame or consequences for sin arise as a threat to our reputation and well-being. The alternate is admitting guilt and asking forgiveness, yet for some this is the farthest thing from their mind.
In Genesis, after the first couple ate from the forbidden tree, they sewed aprons of fig leaves and hid in the garden. However, God searched them out:
And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live forever—” therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:21–24)
This is an expression of grace. God clothed them physically to cover their nakedness, and clothed them spiritually to cover their sin, making atonement for it. This required the death of an animal — the covering He provided was from animal skins.
This covering from God shows me several truths: I need a proper covering to approach Him because whatever I make or make up is not acceptable; God Himself must provide the covering. This covering requires the shedding of blood and is an expression of grace in that it happened before they were expelled from the garden. Not only that, His grace provided the covering without a straightforward confession that didn’t blame someone else.
Throughout Scripture, the people of God seemed to understand the necessity of having one’s sins covered. David expressed it well:
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven; whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah, I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found . . . . (Psalm 32:1–6)
There seems a word difference between ‘cover’ and ‘forgive’ in that cover is about hiding and forgiveness is about lifting or removing yet both are used for the same action of God. To me, the point is that God is not into exposing my sinfulness so others can point fingers at me. If I sin blatantly, He may do that, or if I sin against another person, He wants me to expose and confess to that person, but if it is a sin of thought or attitude, as long as I confess it, He seems more likely to keep it covered or hidden. He wants me purified not embarrassed.
GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. I’ve learned that what I think about reveals the strength and weaknesses of my faith. That is, if my mind is occupied with selfish thoughts such as retaliation, lust, ungodly plans, etc. I might be able to demonstrate a pious exterior, but those thoughts reveal what I am truly made of. God might hide that junk from others but still wants me to deal with my thought life for good reason:
For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:21–23)
Just because His grace covers rather than exposes does not mean evil thoughts and plans are okay. They will affect my words and actions eventually and cause harm to me, to others, and to the glory of God. He is gracious to cover my sin and forgives when I confess yet never puts it in the morning news.
Regarding the sins of others, I need to be more like Him, never gossiping or spreading it around, always ready to forgive. Gossip and grudges are not His way; covering and forgiving are.
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