Yesterday I finished by saying sufficiency was placed on the back shelf. My allusion is to a pantry or larder, perhaps even better, a root cellar.

Isaiah 11:10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

But why the back shelf, why not make that provision available then, right after the fall? Perhaps the answer to that lay with the nature of man himself. We will only accept something when we recognize we need it. Right after the fall, when sin entered in, death began its reign.

Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

Death came to all, even to those who did not sin. Death became the enemy of all mankind and it was inflicted as much by man as it was by nature. Dominion was no longer a gift from God but rather a byproduct of murder and war. Sin and death dominated man’s mind, reality and motives.

The answer to that could only present itself after man had come to understand that the answer to sin and death was beyond his ability. They said if you cannot escape death, create it for others. In this God had to allow sin and death to become the enemy so that He could come in with a solution and the victory. Man had to see the need for a savior.

What would this savior look like? How would they recognize Him when He came for them? This is where historical context plays its biggest role.

Leadership by example. You won’t recognize one without one setting the example.