This thought just came to mind yesterday when I was sharing the story of Adam's Fall to a friend.
When God commanded Adam not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God specifically said to Adam:
"You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." Genesis 2.16-17
So, the question is this: Why Adam did not die on the same day, but instead went on to live until he was 930 years old?
As I was sharing the story, this answer came to mind:
Adam did not die that day because an innocent animal died on his behalf.We read later in Genesis 3.21:
"The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them."
Adam committed a sin that is punishable by death. God was merciful to Adam, but the sin had to be punished. An innocent animal died on that day to provide a covering for Adam's sin.
Today, Jesus Christ has died on our behalf as punishment for all our sin. Jesus was without sin but chose to die on our behalf, so that we who are sinful can live and not die.
For those who believe in Him, he is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
