I was reading this morning, and got tripped up over Genesis 3:21.

And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.

This, of course, follows God’s discovery that Adam and Eve had disobeyed his one instruction. He makes clothing for them because they had acquired an awareness of their nakedness, and they, for the first time ever, felt ashamed.  And all of this because they disobeyed.

Was this God’s first act of mercy? I asked my pastor this question and his thought was that God’s first act of mercy was allowing them to live after they disobeyed him.

He’s right.  ‘Mercy’ extended from God is a little weightier than the mercy we’re usually in the position to extend to each other. Allowing someone to live who deserves death is the ultimate act of mercy.

So, the clothing thing? Maybe it’s God’s first act of compassion or kindness.  He took the time (if.. God… has that kind of relationship with time) to craft something to bring them relief from their shame.  Shame that they brought on themselves by turning away from Him.  They still experienced consequences to their actions. HUGE consequences. But this was an act of kindness from their Creator who loved them, and who must have grieved their pain.

Beautiful.