Hide and Seek

Though I believe Adam and Eve were very real people, they often masquerade as fictional characters in my mind. Maybe it is because their lives were so very different from my own. While their lives were very different, there are still ways I can relate to them as I read their account regarding eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Today I took a walk in the Garden with Eve…

For every action, there is a decision point. I wonder how often we open ourselves up to poor decisions by thoughts we entertain long before the decision is made. For Eve, the serpent raised the question, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Genesis 3:1b Underlying this question is the question about obedience. Had Eve been firm in her resolve to be obedient to God, she would have turned her back on the serpent at this point and not even entertained his question. However, she chose to enter into conversation with him and allowed him to convince her to do what she knew to be wrong. I wonder how often I rationalize rather than obey. I wonder how often I commit the same sin Eve did in the Garden of Eden. How easy it is to blame Adam and Eve for the state the world is in – yet how often do we question rather than obey when God speaks to us.

“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 We use words like ‘street-wise’ and ‘loss of innocence’ to describe a knowledge that is gained through difficult life experiences and poor decisions. Adam and Eve lost their innocence that day. And what they felt was shame. I wonder how many times I have allowed myself to go places I should not have – watched a movie that was questionable, entered a discussion that was less than godly, thought of ways to ‘get back’ at someone – and have lost innocence as a result. And then when it is just me and God, I understand my shame as I stand next to his holiness. Like Adam and Eve, I try to sew fig leaves together – make excuses and rationalize – to cover my shame as God approaches me. But it doesn’t fool God.

“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. But the Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’” Genesis 3:8-9 Adam and Eve were trying to hide from God because of their shame in being disobedient. I wonder how often I have moved away from God or tried to hide from Him when I know I am not behaving well or being disobedient to something He has called me to. The more we disobey, the further we move away from God, not wanting to hear Him. Yet, God did not give up. He pursued them. God is already seeking reconciliation with the human race in Genesis 3! God could have put an end to everything right there. But He didn’t. He pursued Adam and Eve even though they were hiding from Him.

When they see they cannot hide from God, Adam and Eve do the next best thing. They begin to rationalize their behavior and blame others. Adam points the finger at Eve and Eve points the finger at the serpent. (Genesis 3:11-13) All three of them have made their own decision to be disobedient, yet rather than own it, they accuse/blame each other. I wonder how often I have tried to take the focus off of myself and blame or accuse others for my disobedience. Thoughts like, “I couldn’t help myself. It was the school system I was in… If s/he hadn’t done this, I wouldn’t have done that… It’s in my genes. I don’t have a choice…” Those are all efforts to absolve myself of responsibility for the choices I make – to blame others and circumstances for my behaviors.

We refer to ‘the curse’ when we talk about the consequences of disobedience. (Genesis 3:14-19) I wonder how often I blame Adam and Eve and ‘the curse’ when I don’t like my circumstances. Yet, if I am honest with myself, I too have been disobedient and tried to hide from God. And there are always consequences for disobedience. David said in the Psalms, “All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Psalm 14:3

“The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” Genesis 3:21 While it doesn’t say an animal was sacrificed, that would be the only way the “skin” would become available to make the garments. Another creature had to pay the price of the disobedience. And for generations, sheep, goats, bulls and doves were sacrificed for the sins of the people. I wonder, when I am disobedient, who or what pays?

Because of the loss of innocence, Adam and Eve were banished from the garden and the Tree of Life in order that they would not live forever in their disobedient state. (Genesis 3:22-24) This led to death, the ultimate penalty for disobedience. In an odd way, I am grateful for death because it ultimately puts an end to disobedience that separates us from God. However, God is a God of Reconciliation and restoration and, thankfully, death is not the end. As we read the New Testament, we see God’s plan unfold on another level as He sends Jesus, His Only Son, to be the ultimate sacrifice. Through his death and resurrection, he offers us the gift of reconciliation – a restoration of our relationship with God. In spite of my disobedience, Jesus is willing to stand in the gap and allow me to have a relationship with God, the Creator of the universe. “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” II Corinthians 2:21-22

When I accept this gift of grace and healing, I am restored to a right relationship with God and can look forward to being with him forever after my death on this earth. “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” I Corinthians 15:20 “With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence.” II Corinthians 4:14

No more hide and seek for me. I just want to obediently walk with God where he has placed me now. And because of what Jesus did for me, I can look forward to walking with him forever. Death isn’t the final word. Jesus is!