Valerie Rae Hanneman
Genesis 3:10 “He (Adam) said, "I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid." (The Message)
John 21:7 “Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, "It's the Master!" When Simon Peter realized that it was the Master, he threw on some clothes, for he was stripped for work, and dove into the sea.” (The Message)
My stepfather was a stern disciplinarian. He firmly believed in the proverb “Spare the rod – spoil the child.” He was determined that none of his children – well at least not his stepchildren – were ever going to be spoiled. His discipline, usually administered with a 2” wide leather belt, was harsh and intended to make a lasting impression on our rear ends as well as our minds. I remember one occasion when my brother, Donald, and I had done something wrong. I don’t remember what we had done but we knew that when our stepfather came home we were gonna get it good. We must have been fairly young because our solution to the problem was that we decided to hide from him. The side yard of our house where we kept our garbage cans and where the air conditioning unit was seemed to be the perfect place to hide. He would NEVER think to look for us there! About a half an hour before he got home we snuck into our hiding place and crouched down low between the air conditioner and the fence. We heard him come home, but we didn’t come out. After what seemed like hours (but probably wasn’t) we finally emerged from our hiding place, hungry, sore, bickering with each other. He had never come looking for us, never called our names, so our hope was that he had forgotten about us. He hadn’t – he was just waiting for us to come in. We were punished twice that night – once for whatever we had done – once for trying to hide. My inability to sit at my school desk for the next few days made sure that I understood I was never to hide from him.
Adam and Eve tried to hide from their Father. They had done something wrong. God had only asked one thing of them, don’t eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, so of course, that’s what they did. And now they’re crouched behind some Garden of Eden equivalent to an air conditioning unit, hiding from God, hiding from His punishment. My stepfather may or may not have known where we were. He didn’t see any need to come looking for us, he knew we had to come out eventually and he would be waiting. God knew exactly where His children were hiding. He not only knew what bushes they were crouched in the middle of, He knew the number of the leaves that they thought were hiding them. He also knew that they would have to come out eventually, but He wasn’t waiting. His love for them compelled Him to call out to them, “Where are you?” He looked for them, He couldn’t wait until they decided to come out.
The perfect relationship between God and His creation was broken - the punishment would be the punishment promised - death. But not Adam’s death and not Eve’s death - not on that day. Instead God took the skins of animals to cover their nakedness. Innocent animals died to cover their sin and restore the relationship with God.
The blood of animals was an imperfect covering for Adam and Eve’s sin but within the imperfect sacrifice for our sins was the promise of the perfect sacrifice. Even as God covered their nakedness with animal skins, even as He told them that they would have to leave the Garden, even as He told them that they would suffer physical death, He gave them the Promise. “There is One coming, He will crush the head of the serpent. Your chains of sin will be gone, you will be free. His mercy will reign forever and that mercy will be poured out on you.”
Jesus was and is and always will be that perfect sacrifice. History - which is His Story - is divided in two. Before Jesus it was the law that reigned, it was the need for imperfect animal sacrifice to atone for sins, it was coming before God in fear and trembling with the blood of sacrifice on your hands - knowing that it wasn’t enough, that every year you would have to come again. When Jesus died for our sins, when He rose in victory over the grave, then the law took back seat and mercy stepped in. The barrier between a perfect God and an imperfect creation was torn in two and we are invited into a personal relationship with a loving God. No more animal sacrifices to temporarily cover sin and fulfil the law are needed, the perfect sacrifice has come, our sins are permanently washed away and mercy reigns. No more approaching Him with fear and trembling as we hide on our side of the veil, we are invited to boldly come into His presence to worship, to dance, to sing, to live forever.
Peter had sinned grievously, he betrayed Jesus, he denied Him three times. He was deserving of punishment for his sin. But when he realized that it was Jesus who stood on the shore he threw on his clothes, leapt over the side of the boat and started swimming for Jesus. I bet he never took his eyes off of Jesus as he fought the water to get to Jesus. He knew that he would find mercy and forgiveness at Jesus’ feet.
Jesus’ joy, as Peter threw himself from the boat to get to Him, must have vibrated throughout eternity. He had sorrowed at Adam and Eve’s fear of Him as they hid from Him, He had had to search for them. Jesus did not have to search for Peter, Peter wasn’t hiding from Him, Peter was getting to Him just as fast as he possibly could. Jesus knew that Peter knew that forgiveness and restoration - not punishment - was found in Jesus.
Jesus offers us the same mercy, forgiveness and restoration today. We just have to come to Him.
LORD Jesus, You have shown me mercy, You have forgiven me, You have restored me to a personal and loving relationship with You. I am so thankful for what You have done for me. My prayer is that others will come to know You as I know You.
Contact Valerie or sign up for the e-ministry of Fresno First Baptist at valerie@fresnofirst.org or irishred63@comcast.net
Posted by Valerie at May 27, 2007 08:38 PM