Where are you?

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God has made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1).

When God created the earth and everything in it, there was perfect harmony in creation. The first man walked with God in the garden, and he did not ask any questions. We find humanitys first question in the verse above, and it was not asked by Adam or Eve, but by the serpent - Satan.

This first question reveals to us the devils tactic. He tries to make us doubt the Word of God, because he knows if he can succeed it would create disbelief. If we are in disbelief it would not please God, because without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

Adam and Eve listened to the devil, believed the lie and ate the forbidden fruit. “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves”. (Genesis 3:7). Before they ate the forbidden fruit they did not care about the fact that they were naked. “Both the man and his wife were naked, yet felt no shame.” (2:25).

By their actions Adam and Eve brought shame into humanity, and it has been here ever since. They tried to cover their shame by the way they appeared, by covering their gentiles with fig leaves.

They had walked with the Lord God in innocence, but now they started to hide from him. “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. (3:8).

The whole day they had avoided the Lord, but they could not hide from him. Adam and Eve may have found it unlikely for him to come in the cool of the day, just before nightime, but God appears in the time he wants.

Adam and Eve hid among the trees of the garden, and the trees came between them and the presence of God. These trees can symbolize the facade we tend to hide behind, such as positions, family, friends, colleagues, disappointments, offences, injustice, bitternes and pride, and everything else that comes between us and God.

Humanitys second question comes from God. He asked Adam: “Where are you?” (3:9). God did not ask this out of lack of knowledge, he knew where they were because he sees everything. “Does he who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?” (Psalm 94:9). God asked the question so that they could find out where they were

Take notice of that God approached men, not the other way around. It has always been like this. God is the one to initiative restoration and fellowship with humanity. “There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” (Romans 3:11-12).

Adam could not hide any longer, and answered the Lord: “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naken; so I hid.” (Genesis 3:10). The Lord answered by asking the third question in humanity: “Who told you that you were naked?” (3:11a).

The Holy Spirit convinces us of sin, when hearing the Word of God. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12-13).

Before God, no cover or facade could hide what Adam and Eve wanted to hide. Their fig leaves could not hide their shame. Adam knew he was accountable to God for his disobedience, but still he tried to blame both God and Eve. “The man said, ‘The woman you put here with me - she gave me som fruit from the tree, and I ate it’” (Genesis 3:12). Because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience the harmony was gone. Sin, sickness and death entered and have afflicted humanity ever since.

God, who approached the man in the garden, also seeks men today. There is no need for you to have facades between you and God. God knows where you are, and what separates you from him. Jesus took our sin and shame when he died for us on the cross, and has made it possible for us to have fellowship with God.

God is asking you the same question he asked Adam: Where are you?