Hiding from God

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 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?" – Genesis 3v7-9

Anyone who has dealt with children knows that there is an age where their first response to doing something wrong is to try and hide from mum and dad. They think that maybe, just maybe, that if they can’t be found they won’t get in trouble. They don’t think about the fact that they have to come out sometime and face the consequences. They don’t realise that no matter how hard they try to hide there are consequences for their wrong doing.

Adam and Eve were no better than those bold children. They sinned and they knew it. They saw their nakedness. They realised that they were busted. So they tried to hide from God, the same God who created them and the garden where they were hiding.

That’s even sillier than the bold child. They tried to hide in the place that God had made. How foolish was that?

It is easy for us to sit back and chuckle at that bold child hiding from mum and dad. It is easy for us to look at Adam and Eve and wonder how they could be so foolish to think they can hide from the God who created them.

But hold on a second. Who are we to talk? Do we really think that we can hide our own sin from God? Maybe since a lot of our sins, or mine at least, are sins of the heart and mind they are different?

Think about that for just a second. God created my heart, my soul, and my mind just as surely as He created the trees and bushes where Adam and Eve hid themselves. We can no better hide our inner sins from God than Adam and Eve hid their sin or the bold child can hide from parents.

Hiding from God? Sorry, but it just can’t be done.