We are going through a sermon series at our church (Pinecrest Community Church) on the book of Genesis. We are only three chapters in and it has been challenging, controversial, and enlightening.
Yesterday, Pastor preached on Genesis 3. This is the chapter where The Fall occurs…where Adam and Eve blow it by disobeying God (with a little help from You Know Who). As I was reading the passage I was struck by something in the exchange between God and Adam…especially since I’m a father. In the story, Adam and Eve have already sinned, have already felt guilty, and are hiding from God as He comes into the garden to walk with them. Here is God’s response:
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 (NLT)
So here’s what strikes me…God asked the wrong question! Every dad on the planet knows what the right question was for the circumstance: What have you done? Adam has just blown it…big time…and God doesn’t even bring it up! Now there are some who would say that He already knew what Adam had done…but He already knew where Adam was hiding too. So the question was more for Adam’s sake than God’s.
The question God asks blows me away. He isn’t as concerned with Adam’s action (although He does care and Adam pays the price)…He is more concerned with His relationship with Adam. God had come to the garden to walk with Adam and Eve…to spend time with the. And when He got there they were hiding from Him. I think it broke God’s heart!
And it makes me wonder how often I hide from God and how much it breaks His heart. I have to pay the price for my sinful actions, but God is always more concerned with my relationship with Him. When I am far from Him I can almost hear his voice asking: “Where are you?”
I LOVE THIS ONE!!! Can I use it???
)) It is a blessing to read how God is speaking to you, using and refining you during these days.
Of course you can use it…can’t say it’s really my idea to steal anyway. =0) The past few months have been a challenge, but God continues to be faithful of course!
[...] The Wrong Question – January 21st *A more serious post about Genesis, prompted by a sermon at church [...]