June 12, 2018 Tuesday

“And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” So the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”” (Genesis 3:8-15 NKJV)

            It is hard to imagine what it was like before the fall. Adam and Eve were able to go for a walk with God and to talk face-to-face. They had everything they could ever need and more than they could ever want. Yet within them was a gnawing desire that with the temptation of satan would destroy them!

            After the fall of Adam and Eve knew fear and especially fear of God for the first time. They hid themselves from God because they knew they had done wrong. The fear came from their fall and from their fear came an awareness of their nakedness.

            It is easy to see their nakedness as merely a lack of clothing and the beginning of their erotic awareness. But the Hebrew word for naked does not just mean a lack of clothing it also means a lack of protection. Before the fall Adam and Eve were in God’s presence and were under God’s protection. They were without fear as long as they had a relationship with God. Today we too through a loving relationship with God can know peace in our lives.

            For those who see God as a terrible judge who seeks to condemn and destroy look at God’s response to the fall of Adam and Eve.  After the fall Adam and Eve were filled with fear, especially of God! But God’s reaction to the fall is very different. When God’s relationship with humanity was broken God’s response was “where are you?” God’s first reaction to the fall was sadness and concern over the loss of the relationship between Him and humanity!

            For us today there are also consequences to sin. Adam and Eve would be punished just as we today are punished by God but also by the consequences of our actions. Sin has a natural result that brings destruction and suffering to those who sin but also to those around them.

            But in the midst of the consequences of our broken relationship with God which came as a result of our sin there is the promise one will come and will destroy the serpent. Here we have the first promise of the coming of Jesus Christ who would be harmed and bruised by the evil one but who would also destroy the power of the evil one! Let us celebrate and rejoice in God’s love for us by sending His son to die so we once again can walk with God without fear!

            Do you see God as judgmental and as harsh? Are you aware of God’s heart who misses you? Have you accepted and received the work of Jesus Christ who broke the power of the evil one and set you free from fear?