Adam Where Are You

Adam Where Are You?

Genesis 3:8-9 NKJV

8 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.

9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

   Adam and Eve had sinned. They had eaten of the forbidden fruit, and the immediate result of sin was, "they heard the voice 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 amongst the trees of the garden," Genesis 3:8.

   My question was always why Adam didn’t run to God and throw himself at God’s feet and cry out, "I have sinned. Oh, Lord, forgive me; I have sinned!" Why didn’t Adam confess and beg for God's grace and plead for His mercy.  But instead Adam fled from God.

   Even though Adam fled from the Lord and tried to hide, God wanted to find Adam and bring him back.  And so God walks through the garden calling to Adam, "Where are you?”  I have heard many sermons about how God was angry that Adam and Eve were trying to hide and demands they come out and face Him.  I don’t see that in this passage.  I see a loving Father Who knows His children have done a bad thing and wants them to come to Him so He can address this and restore them to Himself.  I don’t see an angry God here, I see a loving God Whose heart has been broken.  It’s not (cue angry, stern voice,) Adam!  Where are you!  It’s, (cue loving dad-like voice,) Adam, where are you?

   We often confuse the fact God hates sin and assume God hates sinners.  God loves sinners and wants all of them to come to Him.  But, truth be told, I would have been like Adam and Eve and tried to cover myself and hide, too.  I doubt I would have wanted to let God see me in my sinful condition.  I can say this because when at last I realized I was a sinner I didn’t want to pray like the pastor was urging me to.  The Holy Spirit was calling to me, Stephen, where are you,” but I was afraid to answer Him.  Any shepherd will tell you a lost sheep will never return to the fold unless the shepherd seeks them out.

   David felt this way in Psalms 119:176 where he cries out to God, "I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments,"

Isaiah also wrote, in Isaiah 53:6, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way,"

   Sin is a slow poison that dulls the mind and lets one slide painlessly towards death without a worry about eternity.  Sinners sleep and die much like a freezing man will sleep until he dies from the cold.  Paul speaks to this sleeping condition in Ephesians 5:14, Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”

   God stands at the door of the sinner’s heart and knocks wanting to come in but they sleep and don’t hear the knock. 

   If you despair from seeing your loved one saved, don’t give up praying for them.  While they are alive there is still hope.  Pray often for them. 

Stephen Cram                                                                    May 12, 2013                     

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ. Colossians 2:8