Genesis 3 | The God of Life

Well if you haven't already done so, please turn in your Bibles to Genesis chapter three. Genesis chapter three. Let's hear the word of the Lord together.

Genesis 3 read

Let's pray.

Father, we need you. Would you open our eyes? O Lord. Help us to see the heinousness sin. Give us a view of the great remedy Who is your son? lift our eyes to look upon him. Our Savior, the one who has redeemed us from the power of sin and death. The one in whom you have revealed yourself to be most clearly the God of life. Help us Lord. Show us Christ this morning. We ask this in his name, amen.

So we consider Genesis chapter three this morning. I'm sure many of you are aware that entire sermons have been preached on single verses in Genesis three and that and that there's more of Christ in Genesis three in this passage of Scripture than we could exhaust and a lifetime of preaching, and the third foundational doctrine That we can trace back to the first three chapters of Genesis to Genesis three. And it's been rightly said that if you can understand the first three chapters of the Bible, then you can understand the story and the trajectory of the entire Bible. Genesis three, there's an overarching theme, and that that theme is life. And specifically, Genesis three holds out to us, the God of life. And he and it gives us arguably the first glorious picture in the Bible of God's redemptive work God's work of rescuing fallen man passing judgment on sin and renewing a fallen world. The point of Genesis Three, as best I can tell, which is also the point of this sermon is to demonstrate that the God of the Bible is at work to glorify himself by giving a life to his dead and fallen people in Jesus. Now, first that might seem a little bit ironic, because Genesis three is the passage that describes the historical events surrounding the first man, the first woman in the fall of humanity into sin. describes the fall, and all that came with it the result of the fall death and pain and suffering and every evil that we experience now. And you could say that in many ways, this chapter of the Bible is about death. I would say as much as that is the case as much as death is present in the text. As much as the Bible is telling us in Genesis three what has gone wrong in the world, and an even greater way this passage of Scripture shows us the God who in the face of sin and death proves himself to be the God of life who is at work to conquer sin and death. He is at work to bring life to his people. That's the point of Genesis three. I want to set the stage a little bit because Genesis three is a turning point in human history. This is a this is a hinge passage, and one of our pastors just shooting notes earlier, made the made the comment that there I think he said there really only two chapters in the Bible, Genesis one and two, and then three and everything behind it but this is a turning point. This Is the fall when we're talking about the gospel, when when we're talking about redemptive history when we're talking about biblical theology when we're summing up the Bible's whole message, if we do that in three or four points, Genesis three is there every single time and it has to be. Right in the middle of verse six of chapter three, the universe was transformed radically, dramatically, in a way that remains until this day and will be so until the future day when the new heavens and the new earth are brought for but the world is the way it is today because of what took place in first six of chapter three when a man took a piece of fruit and he pressed it to his mouth and defied the God of life. But in setting the stage can, I want us to consider the world up until this point? The world before Genesis three, when, when we think back through the first two chapters of Genesis wants you to think about the world that that God created. When he created, it was fast and empty and dark. And then he spoke the living God spoke, the God of life spoke, and then whatever he said, it came to be in it obeyed inanimate objects, rocks, stars, trees, water. Everything in creation obeyed not because those things had life within themselves but because the God of life directed each of them to their place. The universe and everything in it obeyed and not because it was alive but because God is alive. Because there is one directing all things and who resides all life and all power to create and to sustain and to govern, the govern the movement of every speck of dust every molecule in this universe. And this, this God, in whom is all life he creates man and it says in verse seven of chapter two, it says, Then the Lord God, he formed a man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being God breathed in to inanimate matter and caused it to come alive. The world of Genesis one and two A world of life. It's a world of God's life. It's a beautiful world. It's a world in which God would walk with his people in the cool of the day. Every everything that could be seen with the I had a pronouncement of God's blessing upon it that it was good. There was no sin, there was no death. There was only life, life, life, life. Everywhere you looked, it was life and light and glory. And you could hear the sound of God coming before you saw him and it was a delight to man's ear. There was no death there was no sin. There was no cancer there was no murder. There was no hatred. No impropriety no deception, no abortion, no miscarriage. No hospital beds with Ivy's and machines that pump air into your lungs. two wires. There is no shame there was no injustice, no starvation. There was no death only light and life and joy. Joy because the God of life was there. pronounced everything creation to be good. Even as I'm saying these things, it's it's coming into your mind. Such a world, that kind of world. It sounds good, it sounds wonderful and we long for that kind of world and we're waiting for that kind of world. But honestly, it sounds a lot like a fairy tale. We don't live in that kind of world. We live in a fallen world filled with all of the horrible things that I just mentioned, and more ungodly, dark things that we will never see or know but that God sees. And it's apparent that if the world ever was like the Bible says it was in Genesis one into something has gone drastically, terribly, horribly wrong. And that's where we are in Genesis three this morning. This chapter in the Bible, it answers the question for all of humanity, the question that's burning In our hearts, when we see and experience the effects of sin and death, our hearts cry out and they say why? This chapter tells us what has gone wrong in the world. It tells us why it is that there's such a thing called death. That's not all it tells us. There is a glorious message of hope here. There is good news here. And the chapter that contains some of the passages of greatest despair. In the Bible. There's also passages that contain the greatest message of hope Jones History tells us what the God of life intends to do with this world. So first, then now with the good and sinless world of Genesis one and two as our as our as our backdrop. Let's look at what happens as we come to chapter three. At the outset of Genesis three, were introduced to a mysterious character. It's the serpent. And it's easy for us to peg the identity of the snake. Right now because we've read the rest of the story. But at the outset, we need to acknowledge that not much is said about the identity of the serpent What we do see and understand is something of his aim and his goals. Things that we can note about the serpent from the immediate context are these. He's a creature under the dominion of Adam. Remember God had placed Adam over the earth he was to subdue the earth and rule over the other creatures. He's a creature. The Serpent's words are words of deception, questioning god he lies and contradicts God's word. Probably most telling about this serpent is that he has no regard for the life of the man and the woman. He knows what God had said that they would die and yet it attempts them This is temptation not not merely to eat fruit, but he's tempting them to their, to their own destruction. If we don't know anything about the serpent at this point, we know one thing for sure the serpent hates the man and the woman to do such a thing. He must he hates them. His desire is to see them disobeyed God, His desire is to see them estranged from God. This desire is to see them die. This is what he wants. It's what he wants for you. And it's only as we progress through the Scriptures that we come to realize that this this evil initiator has a name and that whether whether he took the form of a serpent or whether he entered into the serpent like Legion who entered this the swine this this is Satan who was at work for the death of God's people. Do you see how very innocent, the serpent's words appear? In contrast to the evil of his true design? I mean, he's quoting, I should say, misquoting what is the equivalent of Scripture, here to Adam and Eve. What God said God's word. Nice enticing them with a very good sounding proposition. But in his heart, his desires to see men die. Under the wrath of God death is in his heart beneath soft words Brothers and sisters, when we think about the serpent this ought to cause us to examine our lives. Start to cause us to consider those, those, those little areas of sin. The little areas of sin in our lives that we tolerate those little areas of sin that if we stopped to consider, we might we might just feel a tickle in our ear, telling us that it's all quite innocent. Beware, beware, any voice that would say something like, little sin when we rationalize sin, when we entertain sin in our minds and in our hearts when we entertain those sinful thoughts when you're when you're entertaining those sinful thoughts. Beware sins goal is to murder you. We can't stand there and look at it. While it's talking to us and telling us how good everything will be if we just do it, he's lying to you. Look, beginning in verse six, when when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was a delight to the eyes and that the tree was desirable to make one life she took from its fruit and eight She gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. And he ate. And he ate. This is a turning point in human history. By the fruit. Adam was in a sense, in a sense, but in a sense, Lord of the whole earth under God. Adam was to subdue into to rule all of creation to the glory of God and to spread the image of God and thus the glory of God from one end of the earth to the other so that when the cosmos looked at Adam, they would immediately have their gaze diverted to the living God in worship. He was supposed to be a king. It's also interesting to note, Adams rolling create creation, we we often hear about his kingly role expressed through the language of dominion and subduing ruling, as well as we, we hear about his priestly role with the language of tending and keeping the garden and in this picture of a sanctuary, but if Have you ever considered the prophetic role that was to be played by Adam, that when that when Eve, when she tells the serpent that God had said that they would die, but that is something that God had said to Adam before Eve was created. And unless God told them that again, which the text doesn't say, Adam would have had to relay or proclaim the Word of God to his bride, regarding trust in God's word. regarding their destiny in life and in death. See, Adam knew what got him said God said but he failed. Not only in the exercise of his dominion not only in the ministry to which he had been called, but he failed when the serpent quoted God's own words to them and twisted them and lied, Adam failed to proclaim the Word of God right and to say to the serpent and to his wife does say that the Lord had a new what God had said, but instead of believing the Word of God, he chose to act upon a lie. He chose to reach out and grasp with his hand that which God had said would lead to his death. You just see the heart of sin here. Yeah, the idea of grass grasping at more than what God has provided. I found it so, so helpful. What Paul Tripp said about this event it was in a I don't know if saw YouTube video from a long time ago but but uh about this event he said what was Satan's lie in the garden? He said that Satan was able to point at less and convince Adam and Eve that it was more. You said that if Satan can pointless and convince you that it's more he's got you. Adam was convinced this is us, right? This is us. Here Adam. But hear your name. Adam was convinced that there was more to be had and that the way to get it was to take to himself your name, the role of authority regarding what the human race would do and would not do, I will partake of this. God will not withhold this from me. Adam will decide what men can do not God. Can you use your sanctified imaginations and see see in your mind the sky darkened? Can you can you hear the crack of thunder is as Adam he takes the fruit and he presses that fruit into his lips and he presses his teeth down into this fruit in the sweet juice. fills his mouth Can you taste the anticipation that that he must have felt the feeling that you're about to receive that satisfying thing that you're lusting after? But then in a moment soon as you receive the satisfaction of your lust, it's like you drink gasoline. You realize something's wrong. It doesn't taste like I thought it would something is this you're still empty and worse, there's a burning sensation in your stomach. 16 gives you something but it's not what it promised. It's not what you thought. It's not what you want it. Look at what sin delivered for Adam and Eve. Look again at verse seven. Says, then the eyes of both of them were opened and they knew that they were naked. The point is made to tell us at the end of chapter two that before sin their nakedness was not an issue. Specifically, it says that they were not ashamed. Now, after sin, they're naked, and they're ashamed. You see before sin, they had nothing to be ashamed of, but but but now they they know. There's a knowledge That wasn't there before. Or at least it was an understanding that wasn't there before. Their eyes were open and there's a sense in the presence of each other and in their consciousness of God because remember, God hadn't showed up yet that they're uncovered that they're exposed. That there there is that about them which needs to be covered over, covered up. Again, I say look at what sin does. Look at what sin brings. Look at the new inclinations of man after disobeying God, there's something to hide. There's something to fear. There's a sense of dread and shame. There's a sense of guilt and needing to be covered. I have a little nephew, he's he's one year old and my wife, she told me about this. She said that he that he had a toy and he was about to hit his sister with this toy. And his mom saw him and, and she said, Don't hit her with that toy. So you know what he did? He covered his eyes with his hand, and then he hit his sister with the toy says though if he could see it, nobody else could. That's what's happening here. That's what's happening. I told Brian, that story that my wife told me this one of the clearest pictures of what has gone wrong in the world, and a one year old child who covers his eyes so that he can't see any things that no one else can see. They take the fig leaves, they're they're trying to put into the dark and cover that which is quite obviously now exposed. They try to cover their shame they try to cover their guilt, they try to cover their nakedness, but it's no more hiding there gildan a little child covering his eyes. And now I want you to picture the escalation of events here they, they, they sin they. So the fig leaves together and then something else happens. Look in verse eight. says in verse eight they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. And the man and his wife, hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees in the garden. Again, I say we Look at what sin dies. Look at what sin does. This is in the Bible for a reason. Look at what sin does. He's telling us what happened. This really happened and this is one of the most tragic and heartbreaking verses in the Bible, verse eight right here. This is at the heart of what it means to be a sinner. It's the tragic result of sin. It's not just that man's physical body is going to stop breathing in death. It's not just the ceasing of neurological function. It's that Adam heard his God coming. His creator, his sustainer, the one who had given him life and provided this beautiful good world who was Adams Friend Friend haddem heard coming and they hid themselves. They went further away from God than they already were. They ran for the one and whose presence is the fullness of joy. I didn't want to go there. They ran from the beautiful one. Let me just ask you, let me do you want God? Is it him that you want is the worst thing that you can imagine not not physical pain for eternity but being separated from the friends centers This is something that the world that they can't they can't seem to grasp. That's just this is one of the reasons why men creates all of these false gods and tries to take the God of the Bible and then recreate him into our image. Because when the true God comes man's inclination is to run away. And that disposition toward God wasn't just that, um, you as me, this tendency, this, this bent toward the shadows, is what comes naturally to me and we see it all through the Bible all the way to the end of history. It's why a little child will cover his own eyes when he sins. It's not because he's hiding from his mother. It's because he's hiding for God. And that authority it just happens to be mediated in the moment through a mother now here's here's the here's the thing is what this what we need to understand the man and the woman, Adam and Eve. They had good reason to be afraid God had told them that that if they disobeyed that the penalty would be death when Adam he hears God walking in the garden in the in the cool of the day what it what did one spin a sound of delight? And what did that sound like? Was he singing the words he just really big? Did you hear his footsteps that was there an angelic host? What did it sound like? That sound whatever it was now filled Adam with terror. That's that's first 10 he says I heard the sound of you in the garden and I I was afraid. I was afraid. What a graphic account of man's plight. Now, as we said, the passage that the text Genesis three it's about the God of life. So far all we've seen is death. But this is where things begin to change. I want you to listen to God's words in verse nine. Listen, listen, listen to these words. This is where things for the man and a woman. This is where history is hanging on this where God reveals himself to Be the God of life. Listen to these words in verse nine. It says, Then the Lord God called to the man and said to him, where are you? Where are you? Adam, where are you? As much as verse eight, contains one of the most tragic scenes and all of the Bible women, hid himself from the presence of the Lord. Verse nine, contains what had been up until that point in the world, the greatest words of mercy that had ever been spoken. They remain some of the greatest words of mercy that have ever been spoken. God speaks and he says where God's commanded been broken. Adam was now a rebel he was he was hiding from God. He tried to cover his own guilt and shame and active treason had been committed and the king himself, the King of kings, comes walking into his garden. The very garden that had been defiled and tainted by sin. And I can see I can see the black stain of sin that is starting to leach out from that tree. And as God comes walking in, I can see those dark, twisted, evil roots recoil at the feet of the God of heaven as he comes into his Gordon Cain has arrived and it's the question that's lingering kind of in the air and chapter three up into this up into this point because God said man would die. What's gonna happen? When God shows up? Will God will he show up and will he? Will he just jerk the universe? from beneath Adams feet? Will he lay hold of Adam and throw and body and soul into hell? My God Russia and with with angelic armies of heaven and rid the earth of the centers, what will God do and quite importantly, what what will become of God's purposes for the world God comes, walking, walking in the cool of the day not on a white horse, not treading the wine press of the wrath of God, but walking in the garden. Here this toward the man. God went, man word. And he did so with a purpose. But he went toward the man and he speaks these gracious words. Were spend the rest of the sermon focused on this call from God to the man. This call these words Where are you God called out to the man this is a kind call. This is a gracious call. This is an undeserved call. This is a redemptive call. so gentle call. And there are all kinds of things that can be said. But there, there are things involved with God calling out to the man in this instance. This is where we start to see the God of life being put on display. Think about this call first as a call for the man to come out and to be confronted with the reality of his sin. First 11 there it says. And he said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat? And now you know Adam is infamous for how he's, he answers that question by by blaming his wife that's as first 12. But the question remains, have you done what I commanded you not to do? Have you transgressed my law? Have you have you disobeyed? This is a call to come out and to be confronted with the reality of a sin. Adam, you did this. You are guilty. You knew? And yet you disobeyed. Have you come to that place? The place not not just where you acknowledge your sin, that it happened. But then you try to pass the buck, as though being a Christian is merely about acknowledging the correct facts about your condition, but the place where you actually see and you're in agreement with God that you did this. You are guilty. You're not neutral. God would be right to condemn you. any notion that you can come to God without having your sinfulness exposed and dealt with is a false notion. You see, the God of life is not pretending like Adam didn't sin. Why do we now not only is this confrontation of Adam and Eve with their sin, but there's also the brutal reality of the effects and the consequences of their sin. This is verses six 16 and 17 Look there. He said to the woman, he said, I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you will bring forth children yet your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you. Then Adam said, because you have listened to the voice of your wife and I've eaten from the tree about which I commanded you saying, You shall not eat from it, cursed is the ground because of you. In toil you will eat of it all the days of your life both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you and you will eat the plants of the field by the sweat of your face you will eat bread till you return to the ground because from it You were taken. For you are dust to dust you shall turn look at these words, greatly multiplied pain. And many of you have been in and out of the hospital to see Miss Irma this week you you've come face to face with that toil you've come face to face with that thorns and thistles you've come face to face with that curse you've come face to face with that this week. Not only that, but add to that what we've already seen Adams inclination is to run from God and to cover his own nakedness. Add to that there's there's this vertical brokenness. Add to that there's this horizontal brokenness, Adam and Eve, they're playing this blame game and God he highlights the tension that's, that's going to exist in their relationship and in the struggle that will ensue and the effects of sin upon the human race are deep. And the most significantly here, God said until you return to the ground If you're going to die, Paul wrote, Romans 512. Therefore, just as through one man sin into the world and death through sin, and so, death spread to all men. Death, in some sense is going to reign over Adam and Eve and over the whole race of humanity. Again, I said, Look at what sin does. So this this call of God, God confronts Adam, Adam and Eve with the reality of their sin, as well as with the far reaching deep consequences of their sin, but also this call it is a call with a promise. Beginning in verse 14, There it says, The Lord God said to the serpent, because you have done this, cursed Are you more than all cattle and more than every beast of the field on your belly, you will go and dust you will eat all the days of your life and I will put enmity between you and the woman in between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise you on on the head and you shall bruise him on the heel, this this promise in Genesis 315 it's called the the proto mm gallium it's the it's considered to be the first proclamation of the gospel. It's the good news that uh, he, uh, he a son is coming. The seed of the woman is going to bruise or crush the head of the serpent. He will triumph over the serpent and in so doing, he will also be wounded but his wound is not One that will in the final analysis and with death. You see this this, this promise it's a pronouncement of judgment upon the serpent. But it is a promise of good news for Adam and Eve. You see, when, when, when, when God called out to the man, it was to be confronted with a reality of his sin, the far reaching consequences of his sin. It was a call that involves a promise about the defeat of the serpent, but it was also a call for Adam and Eve to be met with the grace of God in this promise. Let me ask you, so what is implicit in the promise that he would have a son who would crush the head of the serpent? thing it's implicit is the lives that have a child. So do you see why this is good news for them? do you do? Do you mean God that even even though you said that in the day that we eat of the tree that we would die, you mean that in spite of the fact that we we sinned against you, in spite of the fact that the the consequences of our sin is, is it's going to affect the entire human race? it's going to affect all of humanity, that we've committed treason against you that we listened to the serpent and disobeyed you that you got are going to raise up a man who will defeat the serpent is because of that we're going to live. God didn't call Adam out in order to crush him. But to reveal to Adam that Satan would be crushed, and then in spite of their sin, Adam and Eve would live Magnificent grace, the news that due to no factor within you, God has graciously chosen to pardon your guilt. How do you respond to grace like that? God shows us the kind of response that he draws out of his people. Look at verse 20. It Adams response to everything that God has said, look at this. Now the man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. She was facing a death sentence, and he knew it. But by God's grace, he lives so what does he do? named his wife Eve, which means life or living You see what God has drawn out of Adam? Do you see the faith that is implicit there in the naming his wife life? You talk to him, You say, Well, hey Adam, why did why did you name your wife or wife? And he answers he says, because, you see, she's the mother of all the living it what's significant about that? Well, it's like you have to understand she should have been the mother of the dad. But because God had mercy because God spared us because we didn't receive the sentence that was due our sin, because God promised that she and I would live and that a son would be born to defeat this serpent. I named her life. Because God called us out of darkness, the darkness into which we had fled and he extended life to us in that moment, and he promised life in the future any promise life for our children. He's promised to make a provision of Life for those that come after us. That's why I named her life because I'm trusting in the promises of God. It's a picture of a redeemed sinner, Adam. You see that? Satan's aim here is to set man on a trajectory of death, but God comes and he sets humanity on a trajectory of life. He's the God of life, and his goal, his life, for humanity, for his people. He's the God of life. Lastly, not only did the god call Adam to be confronted with his In not only to be confronted with the far reaching consequences and effects of sin, not only to be given a promise that Christ would redeem them and to receive that grace, but also it was a call to come out and to be covered. Anyway, that this is Adam, where are you? What is God's aim in that the result is going to be that the man comes out and God himself will cover this man and woman cover them? I can't I can't remember who said I think it was RC Sproul, I believe I was listening to him teach on Isaiah six on podcasts or something but but he was pointing out where the the coal from the altar is applied to Isaiah his lips and he's cleansed. And that's after Isaiah had pronounced this curse on himself, you know about his unclean lips and dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips but the point that he was making the tea Was that God had applied the cleansing where Isaiah felt his sin most deeply. That was the point that he made. When we look at Adam and Eve here it's clear that their concern, their shame, their guilt, is manifested in this realization of nakedness. And Adams initial response was to try to cover himself to fix it. But he couldn't cover sin. Nothing, nothing, nothing. Nothing Adam could do could cover sin. So God applies the covering. And he applies it to the place where Adam and Eve since their sin, and they're not need most deeply? You see there's also a gospel proclamation in that covering. It's a proclamation that is more clear maybe argue this more clear in some ways than even the the protomen Gilliam and 315. You see, God told them that in the day they ate of the tree they would die and something did die that day. Wasn't Adam any something else died. Rather something else was killed in their place. Again, I want you to try to use your imagination, your sanctified imagination, I want you to, to think that probably this covering probably wasn't like in the coloring book. It probably wasn't a neatly cleanly cut, tanned hide from this animal that was placed upon them. Rather, I'm I'm picturing I'm imagining fresh skin. And I don't know if any of you have ever cleaned a deer but but I apologize, but No, I don't. When you start to peel the skin off, there's really not a lot of blood, but it's fatty and warm, and you can feel the warmth of that animal still in the skin. And I imagine that that was placed on their backs and if that's a little graphic, I think that's the point. God's painting that picture. He's the one covering people with that animal skins. I think God intends for us to see a graphic picture here. But more importantly, is that while they're standing there with this thing on them feeling, they would have been feeling the warmth of this animal on their back. There would also be laying in front of them the remains of that thing which had died and their place that that carcass that lifeless, skinless, exposed flesh of the thing that had died in their place, their sacrifice, their substitute, lay dead before them. So we see the way God reveals himself to be the God of life. It's not by sweeping sin under the rug. It's not by ignoring sin. It's not by forgiving Adam and Eve without a cost but it is a cost outside of them. And it is one that is provided by God God's intention from the beginning was to secure the life of his people by providing the promise son of 315 and to provide the substance of the sacrificial covering of 321 by sending His own Son into the world to be that sacrificial covering Christ is the promise son of 315. He is the covering. So this morning as we're closing Now, the question remains for you. Are you resting beneath the covering of Christ? Are you resting beneath his covering? Are you still knitting away with your leaves? Hiding in the dark How do you receive spawn when you hear God coming to you retreat further into the darkness? Or do you come willingly out into the light to be covered, to be clothed, to be forgiven, to receive the word of the gospel applied to you? Are you relying upon Christ death is the true sacrifice to be the only thing that can actually remove the guilt of your sin. That that he's the one who died so that we may live so that we may wear his righteousness. Are you trusting that his resurrection is the evidence that God the Father has accepted this sacrifice that he's accepted it on your behalf and as the vindication that the head of the serpent has been crushed, For all the death, destruction, evil that is entered into the world in Genesis three, Christ has defeated death for his people for all time, forever, forever Forever. He is the art of life and his goal is life in Christ for his people. Let's pray. Father, thank you. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for not deciding to be like this Lord, but thank you for revealing that this is who you are. You are this God. You're the God who covers sinners. Lord, for those here who do not know you, I pray, Lord, would you please? Would you? Would you pass by? Would you call them by name? Would you say to them Lord where I can come out? Come be covered. There's good news for you in spite of your sin. And Lord, for your people or those who are trusting Lord, would you remind us again of the sufficiency of that covering, we don't need any other covering, but Christ. you've provided all help us to rest beneath that covering. O Lord, You are the God of life. Amen Transcribed by https://otter.ai