Recently I was listening to a Christian radio station and the guest was telling the hosts about a new insight he had received concerning Adam and Eve in Genesis 3. It had to do with their garments of skins which God had provided for them. He had assumed, as had I, that Adam and Eve looked like the Flintstones with some hastily stitched together rabbit skins.
However a Bible teacher had explained more about these garments by examining the Hebrew word for garment. I perked up at the mention of a Hebrew root and as soon as I returned home, opened BibleHub, my favorite website/app to study this for myself.
Genesis 3:21, "Jehovah God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” This was after they had sinned and for the first time in their life, were experiencing shame, guilt, separation from God, and the absence of the sweet walks in the garden, sharing a deep intimacy with God.
In response to their need, God in His kindness, slayed animals, and made them garments to cover their nakedness. We don't know what kind of animals, but I would venture that they may have been lambs to foreshadow Christ, but Scripture does not say.
Digging Deeper
I dug into the word which is translated “garments of skins.” The Hebrew word is kethoneth or kuttoneth, כְּתֹנֶת and It can mean tunic, garment, or robe. It occurs 29 times in the Old Testament. The Amplified Bible translates Genesis 3:21, “For Adam also and for his wife the Lord God made long coats (tunics) of skins and clothed them.”
In Genesis 37, kethoneth appears eight times describing Joseph's garment, or long tunic, that Jacob had made for his favorite son. We know how special this special robe was which Jacob had lovingly made for Joseph
Kethoneth also occurs seven times in Exodus, four times in Leviticus, once in Ezra, and twice in Nehemiah. All of these 14 verses describe priest's garments. For example, Exodus 28:4. "These are the garments which they shall make, a breastpiece and an ephod and a robe and a tunic of checkered/embroidered work, a turban and a sash, and they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons that he may minister to Me as priests."
Two times kethoneth appears in 2 Samuel 13:18. "Now Tamar was wearing a long robe with sleeves and of various colors, for in such robes were the king's virgin daughters clad of old." These were royal garments for King David’s family.
Now that I have researched it, I lean towards a long stately coat or tunic. These long carefully crafted robes were very different than how I had envisioned Adam and Eve looking like the Flintstones. These were not two ill fitting raggedy coats made of rabbit skins, but special tunics for priests and royalty. As in the case of Joseph, these were most likely long coats with long sleeves, which set apart the people that wore them as special.
When we combine the priestly and royal components together with the special nature of Joseph’s tunic we can see that God clothed Adam and Eve in regal attire. This precious couple were struggling with shame, guilt, and separation, and God carefully crafted robes which made them know they were loved, adored, and had a regal and holy calling on their lives.
The Robe for the Prodigal Son
In Luke 15:23, the wayward younger son of the compassionate father had just returned. His father welcomed him with a warm embrace and “said to his servants, ‘Bring forth quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.” He was fully forgiven and reinstated into the family. He was not given rags or second hand clothing.
It is difficult for us to comprehend this beneficent and gracious response to his wayward son. We naturally expect the prodigal to be observed for a time to see if he is sincere or truly repentant. Instead he was restored fully and completely. Not only the best robe, but a ring, and shoes. This is such a marvelous picture of God.
Not Naked
Consider Joshua in Zechariah 3:3-5, “He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of Jehovah, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. Jehovah said to Satan, ‘Jehovah rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, Jehovah Who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?’ Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, ‘Remove the filthy garments from him.’ Again he said to him, ‘See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.’ Then I said, ‘Let them put a clean turban on his head.’ So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of Jehovah was standing by.”
That is a beautiful image of our salvation when God takes our filthy garments off, forgives our iniquities, and clothes us with festal robes and a clean turban for our head.
Another rich passage reveals more about our garments of salvation. Isaiah 61:10, "I will greatly rejoice in Jehovah. My soul will exalt in my God, for He has clothed me with garments of salvation. He has covered me with the robe of righteousness. As a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” Notice these two interchangeable expressions, “garments of salvation” and “the robe of righteousness.”
Our righteousness and our salvation have been purchased through Christ’s sacrifice for us. As the animals were slain to provide the tunics for the first couple, so the Lamb of God dies for us, making a way for our sins to be forgiven and taken away. We are not left alone and naked, instead He adopts us into His family and clothes us in royal priestly garments just as he did for Adam and Eve. "For our sake, He made Him, Jesus, to be sin Who knew no sin so that in Him, we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Another passage to enrich our understand of these robes is found in Psalm 132:7‑9, ”Let us go into His dwelling place. Let us worship at His footstool. Arise, O Jehovah, to your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let Your saints shout for joy."
Robes Dipped in Blood
“Then they (Joseph’s brothers) took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, ‘This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.’ And he identified it and said, ‘It is my son’s robe.’” (Genesis 37:31-33)
Note that is was the blood of a goat and not a lamb. For your personal study read Leviticus 16 which speaks in detail about the scapegoat which made atonement for sin.
Jesus was also wore a robe dipped in blood. "He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God, and the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following him on white horses.” (Revelation 19:13-14)
The reason His armies are clothed in white linen is that each member of this calvary has had their robes washed in the blood the The Lamb. “Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, ‘Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?' I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.' And he said to me, ‘These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’” (Revelation 7:13-14)
When we enter Christ’s kingdom and are born from above, He not only washes us and makes us clean, He takes away our iniquity, adopts us into His family, and clothes us in His tunic, His robe of righteousness, these magnificent garments of salvation.
Children of Jesus, our King and High Priest
Jesus is King of Kings. The Son of God is the High Priest. Knowing Who has called and chosen us, it is no wonder that we have been gifted royal priestly garments for He has made us members of His kingdom and priests to serve with Him. ”You were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God.” (Revelation 5:9-10)
Thanks be to God for the magnificent gift of royal priestly tunics from Jesus. “To Him Who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:5-6)
Wrapped in Jesus,
Steve
For more information on this important topic listen to the podcast or read the transcript Podcast 447.
If you would like to learn more about BibleHub or watch a short tutorial about how to use it.
Podcasts
As you can see I have been doing a series on the foundation truths of our faith. Podcast 442 begins this new series beginning with the blood of Jesus. I generally record these six weeks before they are posted, and it was providential that #452 and #453 are on praying for Jerusalem!
Recently Posted:
442 The Blood of Jesus, # 1
443 The Blood of Jesus, # 2
444 The Washing of Water with the Word #1
445 The Washing of Water with the Word #2
446 A Tribute to my Brother in Christ Joe Ionta
447 Robes of Righteousness
448 The Good Spirit, # 1
449 The Good Spirit, # 2
450 The Oil of the Spirit for Light
451 Holy Communion or Koinonia
452 Pray for Jerusalem #1
453 Pray for Jerusalem #2