“The Lord God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’” (Genesis 3:9)
Have you given thought to God’s gracious response to the very first sinners? Adam and Eve had denied their divine design and chosen to serve their own little kingdom, rather than the “Big Kingdom” of God. And what did God do? He pursued them and rescued them from themselves! This week we will look at three different aspects of God’s incredible question: the HONOR of the question, the HOPE in the question, and the Heart behind the question.
The HONOR of the Question
Did God need to ask any questions of the first sinners? Absolutely not! He simply could have delivered a thunderbolt from the heavens, turning Adam and Eve into ashes . . . but He did not. God honored these rebellious sinners with a question of great grace.
While Adam and Eve futilely tried to cover their nakedness and shame with fig leaves, God spoke to them tenderly, with great love. Think about it this way: have you ever had someone wrong you—slander you, gossip against you, betray you in some way—and you responded with, “I won’t have anything to do with that person ever again!”? We’re all prone to that . . . but that’s not how God operates!
God gave Adam and Eve everything they needed for a life of bliss. Their days would be taken up with finding meaning and significance in the purpose, presence, and person of God. All of life would be an act of worship of the Most High God. Their love for God would control their hearts, direct their behavior, and shape their lives.
But Adam and Eve thought they were missing out on something, and they turned their worship and love inward onto themselves, seeking a life of autonomy and self-sufficiency. In a word, they sought a subhuman existence, and didn’t realize what they had done until it was tragically too late. And yet, in spite of their awful act of cosmic treason, God honored them with a most gracious response: “Where are you?”
God asks that same question of us today. Remember, God was not seeking to determine Adam’s whereabouts! Omniscience knows everything and omnipresence is everywhere. David’s psalm expresses this beautifully:
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me (Psalm 139:7-10).
No, God wasn’t trying to find out where Adam was; it was Adam and Eve who didn’t know where they were! They had completely lost their way, cowering in fear in a place where they once known only the loving presence of their God, walking and communing with Him in the cool of the day.
God is asking you today, “Where are you?” He knows precisely where you are; do you? Are you communing with Him, seeking to enjoy His presence? Or has something else captured your desire?
This is the gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 