Genesis 3:7
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
Genesis 3:21
Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them
Sewed fig leaves can cover as much nakedness of Adam and Eve, as the tunics could, then why did God change their salad dressing?
It is all about shedding the blood as remission of sins and not about the nakedness.
Adam and Eve tried to cover their nakedness with sewed fig leaves. The fallen man mistakenly thought that the outcome of fall is only physical so he covered his physical nakedness with woven fig leaves. To correct Adam and Eve, God immediately killed a lamb and made a tunic and clothed them. Notice here, God himself killed the lamb, shed the blood and made the tunic for Adam and Eve. This was a type and shadow of the coming sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God, and His rob of righteousness on us. The God given tunic to Adam and Eve was the shadow of Jesus''''''''''''''''s rob of righteousness. God himself sacrificed the lamb and provided the tunic to Adam and Eve. God here communicates a great message to humanity that man by himself cannot get back to God. Man needs a perfect sacrifice to redeem him from the fall, and it is impossible for the man to offer a perfect sacrifice, since there is no sinless blood available on the earth. God has to provide the sinless lamb for the perfect sacrifice. That sinless lamb was Jesus.
John 1:29 says that
When John see Jesus coming unto him, said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.
The concept of sacrifice was initiated by God in the Garden of Eden, immediately after the fall of man. God taught Adam and Eve the need for shedding the blood as atonement for their sins. We can clearly understand from the sacrifice offered by Abel and Cain that they have knowledge about the need for shedding the blood. It is very clear that they have received this knowledge from Adam and Eve.
Genesis 4:4
Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.6 So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
I believe, Cain knew the need of shedding the blood, but in rebellion, he offered ground offering. God corrected him immediately by reminding him the need for shedding the blood. Cain thought that he can please God by his own way by bringing the fruit of the ground as an offering unto the Lord. Cain was an example of a self righteous believer, trying to earn the righteousness with God by human ways . Without the shedding of the blood, there is no remission of sins [Hebrews 9:22] When we come to God, we have to come on His terms, not based on our terms. The payment for sins is always by shedding the blood.
It is all about shedding the blood as remission of sins not about fruit offering.
Perfect sacrifice made us perfect in our spirit.
Hebrews 10:1-2
For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? Because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
It is clear from this verse that it is the quality of the sacrifice that makes a believer perfect. The character of the believer changes when he put his trusts on the perfect sacrifice. The Old Testament sacrifices were imperfect; it could only cover their sins, but can never take away their sins. It was only a shadow of the perfect sacrifice, a temporary solution until the perfect sacrifice is being offered. The fallen man''''''''''''''''s perfection is based on the perfection in his born again spirit, not based on the perfection of his flesh.
These verses says that, if those sacrifices were perfect, worshippers once purged should have no more conscience of sins because they were made perfect. That means one perfect sacrifice can purge all our sins forever and make us perfect.
So let us get a revelation about the perfection of the sacrifice of Jesus.
Verse3
But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. 4For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins
Until a perfect sacrifice is offered, the man had to offer the animal sacrifice on a continuous basis. These sacrifices reminded them that they were sinners, and that they need a savior. They knew that there will be a perfect sacrifice in the future. The animal sacrifices, they offered were a corresponding action to their faith in the future eternal sacrifice. It is their faith in the coming eternal sacrifice that made them justified, not the faith on the animal sacrifice. They were looking forward in faith, while we are looking backward in faith, to the eternal sacrifice of Jesus. We all are saved by our faith in the eternal sacrifice of Jesus, whether a person lived in the Old Testament time or in the New Testament time, Salvation is only through Jesus. The sacrifice of Jesus is the focal point of the whole humanity, even the calendar is divided in to AD and BC.
Verse 12 -19
But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. 15Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. 19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.
Jesus, after he offered himself as the Lamb of God for the perfect sacrifice, gave us the provision to become perfect through His sacrifice. Jesus made us perfect and gave us His authority and power to put the devil under our feet.
The verses 16-18, Paul quoted from the Old Testament where Holy Spirit witnessed these truths before time.
Jeremiah 31: 31-34
31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
God will not remember your sins any more if you are saved, What a Great News [Hebrews 10:17, Jer 31:34]
At the Cross, Jesus paid for our past, present and future sins, once and for all.
If then, why do we have to remind God every day about our sins by confession?
We have to repent for our sins but not ask God for forgiveness each time we commit sin. The word "repent" means "to change the way we think" and it is our decision to turn away from the sin. We are forgiven forever and blameless in the sight of God because of our faith in the perferct sacrifice of Jesus.
Hebrews 12:23
23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.
At present only our spirit is made perfect, but our soul and body will be perfected forever at the second coming of Jesus. What an awesome God we serve.