Dispensation of Innocence
Adam and Eve began in the
Garden of Eden in innocence. They were naked and felt no
shame. They knew very little about God but were given a few
simple expectations. They were to be fruitful and multiply,
they were to subdue the earth, they were to have dominion
over the animal kingdom, and they were to care for the
garden and eat its fruit.
The Edenic Covenant had only
one prohibition. Adam and Eve were not to eat from the
tree of knowledge of good and evil. They were told
that if they ate from it, they would die. This was all
that Adam and Eve were told, not why, only don't do it.
Because God had given them so much and showered them with
His love this should have been enough for them.
The age of innocence ends
quickly and in failure. Satan deceives Eve and Adam
sins knowingly. Innocence is destroyed. As Adam
and Eve look at themselves, they realize they were naked.
This is a physical reminder of their innocence that was lost
but also a spiritual point that their sins are exposed as
well. They needed a covering. God provided the
covering when He institutes the Adamic covenant and the
dispensation of conscience begins.
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