A NEW LINE OF THOUGHT OF OT BELIEVERS
This topic sparked my interest and did some more research after the above post. I always believed that Adam and Eve were the first to receive salvation by grace but never saw it put as well as George Whitefield put it. Following is a small portion of his sermon text with minor changes for condensing purposes. The entirety can be seen at:
http://www.reformed.org/documents/Whitefield/WITF_001.html
Genesis 3:15 “And I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman, and between thy Seed and her Seed, it shall bruise thy Head, and thou shalt bruise his Head.”
This first promise must certainly be but dark to our first parents, in comparison of that great light which we enjoy: And yet, dark as it was, we may assure ourselves they built upon it their hopes of everlasting salvation, and by that faith were saved.
The first salvation by works by man.
Genesis 3:7 "they sewed or platted fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons, "
…or things to gird about them. This is a lively representation of all natural man: we see that we are naked: we, in some measure, confess it; but, instead of looking up to God for succor, we patch up a righteousness of our own (as our first parents platted fig-leaves together) hoping to cover our nakedness by that. But our righteousness will not stand the severity of God's judgment: it will do us no more service than the fig-leaves did Adam and Eve, that is, none at all.
The first guilty conscience after hearing the voice of the Lord God;
(ver. 8) "They heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the trees of the garden, in the cool of the day; and Adam and his wife (notwithstanding their fig-leaves) hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God, among the trees of the garden."
God goes to man – not man to God.
Verse 9. "And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Adam, where art thou?"
Man’s first sense of humility and shame.
Verse 10. "And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
The first free gift of salvation by grace given by God. Adam and Eve do not ask for forgiveness, yet, God reveals the promise of a Savior to them. God is not covenanting with Adam, but is speaking to the serpent.
(Verse 15.) "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
Adam, after the fall, stood no longer as our representative. Adam and Eve became no different than you and I, whereby we can only receive the salvation by grace offered to us through our faith in the promise of it, (as they really did) and by that they were saved.
The first sacrifice for sins was by God not man.
(verse 21) “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them.”
Some further suppose, that Eve was the first believer; and therefore they translate it thus, "The seed, (not of the, but) of this woman:" which magnifies the grace of God so much the more, that she, who was first in the transgression, should be the first partaker of redemption. Adam believed also, and was saved: for unto Adam and his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them: which was a remarkable type of their being clothed with the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ.
