Hiding From God

INTRODUCTION:

We’ve been in the book of Genesis for past several months and we’ve been zeroing in on Genesis 3. It’s a story of how sin and shame entered into this world and God’s promise and provision to put things back right.

In week one we focused on the nature of temptation.

In week two we focused on the nature of sin.

This week we’re going to focus on the aftermath.

We last left Adam and Eve after they had succumbed to temptation and sinned against God by eating from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Today’s text provides the rest of the story. In it we’re going to examine sin and our response.

It doesn’t matter who you are or when you were born, every human has a natural response when they sin against God.

We’re going to examine them this morning. But that’s not the only response we’re going to see. We’re also going to see God’s response to sinners.

Genesis 3:8-11 shows us two responses to sin: how God responds to sinners and how sinners respond to God.

Let’s pick it up in Genesis 3:6

Genesis 3:6–10 (ESV)

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”

The Context

For those of you just now joining us let me catch you up on the storyline.

Adam and Eve had been placed in this beautiful garden paradise and given the responsibility to work it, keep it, and exercise dominion over the earth.

Adam and Eve were married, happy, naked and not ashamed. It was perfect.

God gave them only one prohibition.

They were free to eat from any tree in the Garden of Eden but NOT from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Why? Because the day they ate from that tree they would “surely die.”

We don’t know how many days went by but in Genesis 3 we’re introduced to this serpent who comes to Eve with a question. “Did God really say?”

In this exchange Satan convinces Eve God’s Word wasn’t really true and God’s character wasn’t all that good.

Satan persuades Eve that SHE should decide for HERSELF what was good and that’s where we find her in Genesis 3:6.

Instead of trusting God they both succumb to the temptation.

God was dethroned,

His Word was deconstructed

His Character was demeaned and

the “Good” was redefined.

As we saw in verse 6, Eve saw the TREE was good for food; the TREE was a delight to the eyes; the TREE was desired to make one wise. So she took and she ate. And Adam, who was WITH HER, took and He ate.

Sin Is Tricky

What promised, at first, to be a sweet, succulent, life-giving decision resulted in a bitter, sour, life-destroying consequences.

Sn is tricky like that. It starts out sweet but always leaves a bitter aftertaste. (Like diet soda or sugar free Ice Cream.... fake sugar poisons your body and leaves a nasty taste in your mouth.)

Sin is always like that. It starts out sweet but always leaves a bitter aftertaste. (Like diet soda.... Aspartame pretends to be sweet but it’s a bitter aftertaste and poisons your body leaving you with cancer.)

In the words of Gen 3:7 “the eyes of both were opened, they knew they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together to make loin clothes for themselves.”

When that didn’t cut it they run away from God to hide in shame.

The human response to sin is always the same: We see. We cover. We run. We hide.

Foolish Then Mad

It’s tempting to read this passage and roll our eyes. “Silly Adam… silly Eve… who do you think you are?! You can’t hide from God. He’s everywhere and can see everything.”

You’d be right. You can’t hide from God. God is everywhere. He does see everything. And yet Adam hides.

In that way, sin drives us all a little bit crazy because we begin to say, do and think things that make absolutely no sense.

I’ll never forget when I first got started in ministry and one of our members - who had become a friend - engaged in some sinful behavior and his sin had finally been exposed. His family was in shambles, the police were on the way to arrest him, and we were sitting in his living room just waiting.

He had his head in his hands, felt like they were about to touch the floor and he said, “why, why, why?! Why would I have done this? I knew better. I’ve even warned others. How can this be happening to me.”

The Intoxicating Power

I remember in that moment not volunteering an answer to his question. Because I really didn’t have a good one.

All I could think about was the intoxicating power of sin and how it took this man who was otherwise so smart and so wise and it deceived him to engage in behaviors that were absolutely insane.

That’s the nature of sin. It’s tricky. A life of sin is intoxicating.

It will blind you to certain truths and then drive you to do things that are absolutely insane.

But sooner or later we always wake up.

Just like Adam and Eve, our eyes will be opened. And we will see that we are naked.

Just like Adam, my friend, in that moment, was looking for anything to cover up his shame. He was pleading with God, he was bargaining with me, he was entertaining fanciful ideas of legal maneuvers and fanciful outcomes.

Sin is intoxicating but it never lasts forever. Sooner or later, “your eyes will be opened and you’ll know that your naked.”

The Insane Response

For Adam & Eve this nakedness was more than just physical. It was a spiritual, emotional and relational nakedness as well.

Unsurprisingly, Adam and Eve try and cover their nakedness. There’s nothing crazy about that.

What is crazy is how they respond to God’s voice.

Genesis 3:8 (ESV)

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

A life of sin is intoxicating. How guilty sinners respond to God is insane.

First, sin makes us fools. Then, sin drives us mad.

Notice the contrast,

they go from craving God’s presence to fearing it.

They go from unashamed to ashamed.

Instead of walking with God their running from God.

Instead of looking for help their hiding in shame.

Hiding From God

And we do the exact same thing.

Instead of running TO to God for help we run AWAY from God to hide.

It’s not just Adam. It’s every single one of us. We all hide.

Remember the progression.

Our eyes are opened.

We see our nakedness.

We try and cover it ourselves.

Fearing God’s presence, we hide.

I think the real reason we hide from God is because we know our coverings are insufficient.

They might be sufficient to fool some of the people around us. But their not sufficient to fool the God who created us.

They had made a good faith effort to cover their nakedness but at the end of the day it wasn’t sufficient. (could’ve been a three piece suit and still wouldn’t be enough).

So when they realize it’s not sufficient they run from God’s presence.

They begin hiding in the trees wearing their vegetarian underwear.

How We Hide From God

I don’t see many people doing that today but we hide from God none the less.

Modern people in our day and age are a bit more sophisticated. We’re just as insane as Adam and Eve we just try and dress it up a bit.

We may not run into the forrest or make vegetarian underwear. But when we’re exposed in our sin and feel ashamed of our nakedness we find ways to cover ourselves and to hide from the truth.

Here are just a few examples.

Glamorize

The first thing we try to do to hide from God is glamorize our sin. We take our vices and make them seem like a virtue.

This is an approach very popular in our culture, especially among church people. We get sophisticated and call sin by other names.

Instead of dealing with the sin of greed we call it frugality.

Instead of dealing with the sin of anger we call it passion.

Instead of dealing with the sin of rudeness we call it clarity.

I’m not contentious I’m defending truth.

Instead of dealing with the sin of anxiety we call it stress.

Instead of dealing with the sin of pride we call it confidence.

When we do this we are hiding from God. We’re hiding from the truth about our sins and deceiving ourselves in the process.

We don’t like the bitter aftertaste so we try and find a way to soften it, sweeten it, or remove it all together.

Normalize

The second thing we do in an effort to hide from God is normalize our sin.

We take something ugly about ourselves and show how everybody else has the same kind of ugly so it must be okay. This is also a very popular approach in our culture.

Instead of resisting, wrestling with and removing sin from our life we embrace it, normalize it and justify it’s presence.

WORRY/ANXIETY

“I’m just an anxious person. I can’t help it. It’s just the way I’m wired.”

Or "everybody else my age is getting treated for anxiety, I guess that’s just the way it’s going to be...”

LUST/SEXUAL IMMORALITY

“It doesn’t hurt to look so long as you don’t touch....”

“I’m just watching porn... I’m not actually cheating on my spouse…”

“Nobody else is waiting until they’re married, why should I...”

RUDENESS/ MEANNESS:

“I know I can be an absolute bear but it’s just my personality type...”

“Nobody else wants to tell the truth so this is my service to the world...”

GREED/SELFISHNESS:

“I know I can’t afford it but all my friends are driving this kind of car… living in this kind of house...”

“Maybe we won’t be able to honor God with our finances but nobody else really does that anyway. It’s just the way it is living in America.

You can put as much paint on your sin as you want but it won’t change the sinfulness of your sin before God. A pig is a pig even with a dress and lipstick.

You can normalize it and justify to yourself and other people but what works on everybody else doesn’t really work with him.

Rationalize

The third and more brazen approach is to straight up justify or rationalize your sin.

The most popular reason people rationalize their sin is because they think the costs of confession/repentance outweigh the costs of continuing in your sin.

COST TO MUCH:

“If people ever knew this about me then I’d probably get fired. I can’t bring this out into the open now because the damage is too great.”

“I’d lose my marriage, my family, my reputation. It’s not worth dealing with right now.”

BETTER THAN BEFORE:

“I know this is wrong but at least I don’t struggle with it as much as I used to.”

“I know I still dabble in porn, drugs, getting drunk, etc but at least it’s better than it used to be.”

I’M GOOD EVERYWHERE ELSE:

“I know this is sin and it grieves the heart of God but at least I’m doing good in every other area of my life.”

“I know I’m dishonoring God with my finances / sexuality / relationships / free time - but I’m still going to church, tithing, raising my children, serving in the church.” Surely God understands.

Ultimate Deception

No matter the approach, we’re ultimately deceived.

We think we’re better than we actually are and we think our sin is not as bad as it actually is.

This gives us a false sense of righteousness and a false understanding of our wretchedness.

You may THINK you’re doing fine everywhere else but more likely your sin has blinded you to the reality of your actual spiritual condition.

We think we’re clothed when we’re naked. We think we’re hidden when we’re actually exposed. We are fools to think that we won’t eventually be found out.

We’re deceived.

We can’t and they won’t. No matter how hard you try and convince yourself otherwise.

It’s like lighting a fire in your bedroom and shutting the door thinking it’s not going to eventually burn your whole house down)

Playing Victim & Pointing Fingers

But that’s not the only thing sin makes us do. It drives us crazy in another way as well.

You see this in Genesis with Adam and Eve’s response to God’s question.

Genesis 3:11–13 (ESV)

11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Sin makes us fools then drives us mad.

Instead of running to God for help, we run from God to hide.

Instead of taking responsibility, we shift the blame and play the victim.

Instead of confessing our sin we cover it up. Instead of owning our sin we point the finger.

Excusing & Accusing

First, they excuse themselves. Then they accuse each other.

First, Adam blames Eve.

Remember this is Eve. “At last! Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh!” 30 minutes ago she was Adam’s greatest treasure. Now, because of sin, she’s the source of all his problems.

(That’s actually not a bad description of most people’s first year of marriage!)

I wonder how that went? God, I was doing just fine until you gave me this woman. I am missing the single life! This woman is out of control talking to snakes, twisting your Word, twisting my arm to eat this fruit.... What’d you expect?”

Eve doesn’t do much better. She blames the serpent.

Who made the serpent? Says it plain as day right there in verse 1. God made the serpent.

In pointing the finger at the serpent she’s avoiding her own culpability (of adding to God’s word and watering down God’s judgement). But she’s also blaming God because his serpent was the one who deceived her.

Sin makes us fools. Then it drives us mad. Who do we think we are to blame God for our problems?

How We Play The Victim

And yet, this culture of victimhood has been embraced by our culture hook, line and sinker.

None of this is to discount TRUE victimhood. The Bible is clear that God hates injustice and takes the side of victims against their oppressors.

But how many of us play the victim because we got caught with the bitter juice of sin dripping down our chin?

Who do we blame? Well, sometimes...

Like Adam, we blame other people for our sin.

If they had just been there... loved me better… given me a chance… not gotten divorced… not gone into debt… not

Like Eve, we can blame our circumstances.

I’m just stressed out because I’ve got a lot going on at work… Things at home have been difficult… I don’t get paid enough… I don’t have as much opportunities as the next guy.

If you had been through what I’ve been through you’d be doing the exact same thing...

It’s just my personality type… it’s how God made me… I can’t help myself.

Like Lamech, (Gen 4:24) we can blame a combination of both.

It’s just the way I was raised… I didn’t have chance.... It’s part of my DNA… I take after my mom/dad.

Is it nature? Nurture? Or both?

The End of the Trail

We try and find a way to blame anything or anyone other than ourselves for the sin in our life.

Our spouse? our children? our family? our upbringing? our circumstances? our workplace? our children? our personality? our finances? our government?

Here’s the problem - no matter where you point the finger, your ultimate accusation is against God himself.

If God hadn’t given me these people as parents…

If he hadn’t given me so many obstacles to overcome....

if I was just wired differently.... If I just had more money…

the buck stops somewhere and it’s usually God’s heavenly throne.

You know who’s voice that REALLY is? It’s the voice of the serpent.

The serpent, interestingly, never says a WORD during this entire exchange. And yet you can hear his lies coming out of their mouths.

When we blame God for our problems we join Satan in his lies.

Who do we think that we are? Sin makes us fools. Then drives us mad.

God’s Response

Sinners respond to God with two acts of madness.

We run from God and try to hide.

We play the victim and shift the blame.

God’s response to sinners is the exact opposite.

Instead of hiding, God pursues.

Instead of condemning, he offers grace.

Man’s response is to run and hide. God’s response is to seek and find.

Genesis 3:9–11 (ESV)

9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

Grace Upon Grace

God’s response to sinners displays grace upon grace: he walks, he calls and he questions.

God Walks

Verse 8 gives the first response: walking

“they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day...” (Gen 3:8)

God had every right to come sweeping in with a blade of judgment - quick, unannounced, giving just retribution for their actions.

But he doesn’t do that. He comes softly, gently, graciously inconspicuous.

James Boice

He arrives in the cool of the day (the most pleasant time) - not in the afternoon heat (when we are most weary) or late at night (when we are most afraid.)

He also comes gradually not suddenly. Degree after degree, calling gently as he moved.

They were terrified not because of God’s approach but because of their sin. When somebody has sinned against God even the most tender of voices can induce fear and hiding.

I think there’s a lesson in this for us as parents when our kids mess up. When our children understand their sin they do not need added fierceness in our response. Rather, a tender voice, and gentle questions are the mode of our heavenly Father.

God Calls

Verse 9 gives us the second response: calling.

“But the LORD God called to the man... (Gen 3:9)

This too is a demonstration of God’s grace. God is not asking this question out of curiosity or a lack of knowledge. He’s asking this question for their sake not for his.

And the fact that he even calls out to them is a demonstration of grace. He would’ve been perfectly within his rights to leave them in their broken condition. But he doesn’t. He calls.

That might be your story here this morning. You’ve been running from God and hiding for many years. But for whatever reason God has been working in your life to get your attention. What is that? He’s calling.

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, “Where are you? Come home.” “Why are you running? Why are you hiding? Come home.”

God’s call is an invitation for confession. Not an accusation of condemnation.

We know that because Adam responds. Unfortunately, his confession wasn’t total or completely honest. But at least he responded to God’s kindness.

God Questions

Finally, in verses 9 and 11, God questions Adam about his sin.

V9 “Where are you...”

V11 “Who told you that you were naked?

V11b “Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

Again, these questions are a demonstration of God’s grace.

Think of what God could’ve said?!

“How could you!? Are you stupid?! Did I not give you enough?!”

But he doesn’t respond in that way whatsoever. His questions are filled with truth AND grace.

The LORD is giving Adam an opportunity to repent. And these three questions are actually offered to us this morning as well.

“Where Are You”

This is a question of Adam’s current condition. “ARE.”

This question was an invitation for Adam to agree with God that I’m not where I’m supposed to be. I’m a sinner, separated from a Holy God, in need of salvation.

If God were to ask you this morning the same question what would you say? Where are you? Are you running from God? Are you hiding?

“Who told you that you were naked?”

This is a question of Adam’s ultimate authority. “TOLD.”

This question was an invitation for Adam to agree with God that God alone is the ultimate authority.

It was an invitation to confess his sin that he had dethroned God, deconstructed his Word, and put himself in God’s place to follow his own designs instead of God.

How would you respond to this question? “How did you get here? When did you stop trusting me and start trusting in yourself? Are you ready to put me back in the place of ultimate authority in your life?”

“Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

This is a question of Adam’s moral culpability. “EATEN.”

This question is an invitation for Adam to agree with God that he was personally responsible for the sin in his life. No more blame shifting. No more playing the victim. No more pointing the finger. I own the brokenness in my life for which I am personally responsible.

This is the most important question and the most important invitation. You can admit you’re a sinner and acknowledge God’s authority but unless and until you’re ready to take personal responsibility for that sin, salvation is still far off from you.

Unfortunately, Adam missed this opportunity. If God were to ask you that question this morning, what would be your response?

Conclusion

God’s gracious response to Adam’s sin acts as an invitation for Adam’s repentance. Even as sinners foolishly run from God, God graciously runs to our rescue.

Adam, however, missed his opportunity. What about us this morning? How do we receive God’s grace?

God’s grace in salvation requires genuine repentance: confession, surrender and a demonstration of faith.

Repentance is just agreeing with God about the facts but it’s very difficult for sinners to do.

We must agree with God that we’re sinners in need of salvation.

We must surrender our life completely to him.

Finally, we must trust God enough to do what he says.

In so many ways, repentance and faith is the counterpart to temptation and sin.

Sin starts out sweet but has a bitter finish.

Confession starts out bitter but finishes with the sweetness of God’s grace.

With sin we usurp God’s authority and do whatever we want.

Eventually, however, we’re left enslaved to our sin.

In repentance we’re required to give up our autonomy and submit to God’s authority.

Eventually, however, we’re liberated from sin and free to live as we most deeply desire.

As Jesus said in the Gospels, “whoever would attempt to save his life will lose it but whoever loses his life, for my sake, will find it.”

Looking to the Cross

You might be thinking, “I really want my sin to be bitter and I deeply desire for God’s grace to be sweet. But no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to make myself do it.”

I love how the old Puritan Thomas Watson put it, “Until sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.” To taste the bitterness of sin, we need only look to the cross.

At the cross we see Jesus taste the bitterness of sin FOR US.

At the cross we see Jesus die in our place for our sin.

Jesus doesn’t hide from the cross he endures it for our sake.

Jesus doesn’t run from God’s will but he embraced it with courage.

Jesus doesn’t shift the blame and point the finger where it belongs (US).

Jesus BEARS our shame and takes on HIMSELF the judgment WE deserve.

Adam blames his bride to save himself. Jesus takes the blame so he can save his bride.

When we look the cross we will see the bitterness of our sin and the sweetness of God’s grace.

And when you begin to taste and see those realities you are being given an invitation from your heavenly Father to receive the gift of salvation.

What will be your response?