Battle For The Truth (Part 29)

Genesis 3:8–13 KJV 1900

8 And 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. 9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Introduction

The legal system in the United States and most nations around the world are designed to hear testimony, consider the evidence presented, and based on established law, render a judgment of guilt or innocence. Under penalty of perjury, all testimony is to be the Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth. In the US there are local laws and ordinances, state law, and federal law. It is the obligation and responsibility of each person within the jurisdiction of the local municipality, state, or nation to know and obey the law. Ignorance of the law is no excuse! And, commensurate with a popular axiom constantly repeated by many politicians today, “No one is above the law.” Laws are established to be obeyed, and violation of the law will not go unpunished.

In reviewing this pivotal portion of the historical narrative, I am amazed at the power of temptation and the vulnerability of humanity to it. Imagine taking the risk or gamble of certain death for the “possibility” of achieving godlikeness. Somehow, living in a custom-designed utopian garden especially for them, just was not good enough for Adam and Eve. Not only was the Garden of Eden abundant with food and beauty, but they had peace and perfect harmony with God, one another, and the animals. Nevertheless, their lust for the forbidden fruit and the prideful desire to live life on our own terms put them in conflict with their Maker. This is either true or not.

This is what makes reading and being onboard with Genesis 1:1 so very important. Since God is the Creator of heaven and earth, and all that is contained therein, He alone has the divine right and authority to impose obligation upon His creatures. The obligation He imposed upon Adam and Eve was obedience to one command—not to eat the fruit from tree of the knowledge good and evil. This was not a riddle or some obscure myth that they had to figure out for themselves. This was a clear and simple command. In addition, to show how gracious God is, He even gave them the reason why they should not eat the fruit from the forbidden tree, because in eating its fruit they would “surely die.” Amen somebody.

Having now eaten of the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve are experiencing the immediate consequences—shame, guilt, and fear. Well, shame, guilt, and fear are enough to cause a person to want to hide, and most people I know would agree with that statement. Now, as a disclaimer, I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist, or trained mental health professional, but through college courses, seminars, and workshops, it is my observation that these three mental attributes [shame, guilt, and fear] are at the core of most, if not all mental illness. Right here is where mental instability originated, and to varying degrees, all humanity struggles with the weight and tension of shame, guilt, and fear, which causes us to hide in various and sundry ways. This was part of the “…evil” that was in the fruit of the forbidden tree. Amen somebody.

So, did God tell the truth or not about the consequences of disobedience? The short answer is an astounding, yes. However, although physical death did not immediately occur, something immediately died within Adam and Eve. What died? Good question. The answer: their innocence and righteousness died.

Side note: Shame, guilt, and fear are an inescapable reality of the human experience. The guilt of shameful behavior and has caused many people to abandon family, friends, political office, and church. It has even driven some to kill and/or commit suicide. Countless counselling hours, untold fortunes spent, and numerous medications have been prescribed to deal with the problems associated with shame, fear, and a guilty conscience. Nevertheless, despite man’s best effort, guilt remains deeply embedded in the human conscience. This indeed is sad, but true. But thanks be to God, He has not left man on his own to figure things out or overcome his problems but has provided help for man’s troubled soul. There is one, and only one hope for man’s plight—the Lord Jesus Christ. Addressing these issues, the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6-9, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (8) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (9) Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” Amen somebody.

V.8 – “And 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.”

As usual, the Lord God came walking through the Garden in the cool of the day to commune with Adam and Eve. However, instead of running to meet Him, they hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. As previously mentioned, hiding is the offspring of guilt and shame. This same tendency is prevalent in human behavior to this day. Man is still trying to cover-up his sin with a fig leaf of his own invention and attempt to hide from God among the trees of philosophy and world religion. However, because God is omniscient and omnipresent, it is foolish and futile to try and hide from Him. David speaks to this in Psalm 139:1-12:

“O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. (2) Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. (3) Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. (4) For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. (5) Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. (6) Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. (7) Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? (8) If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. (9) If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; (10) Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. (11) If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. (12) Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.”

V.9 – “And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?”

What a simple yet profound question, “Where art thou?” The narrative reads as though it was a normal and daily occurrence for God to commune with Adam and Eve. Apparently, God is in the same place where he usually met with them, but now something has changed, and it is not God. Since Adam and Eve are missing in action, God calls for Adam by asking “Where are you?” Now if you know anything about God you know that He already knew exactly where Adam was. Furthermore, notice who God calls. He did not call the serpent who fathered the lie, nor did He call Eve who initiated the transgression. But rather, God called Adam, the one to whom He gave the responsibility of tending and watching over the Garden.

Side note:

To this day, God is still calling men. God asks, “Where are you?” In other words, you are not where you are supposed to be. You are missing from the family, the fellowship of the saints together, from prayer, from Bible study, and from worship. “Where are you?” Some of us are at the house, some are on the golf course, at the park, or the beach. Some are at the bar or the dope house, at the ballgame, or any other place you may mention. The question is, are you trying to hide from or ignore God’s call? Are you taking the time to commune with God and fellowship with the saints in the place that God has appointed? Now, don’t shoot the messenger. I am not the judge; I am only the messenger. You see, everybody must answer these questions for themselves. Amen somebody.

V.10-11, “And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. (11) And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?”

Here we discover by Adam’s own admission that he had an awareness of God’s presence and expectations, but for the first time because of his disobedience, he was overcome with fear, shame, and guilt because of his nakedness. This prompted God to ask, “Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?” The truth of Adam’s disobedience is now exposed.

Vv.12-13, “And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. (13) And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.”

Notice Adam’s response to God’s direct questions to and about him, “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” Instead of asking forgiveness for his disobedience Adam immediately placed the blame on Eve for seducing him and on God for giving her to him. In other words, Adam was saying, “I am not responsible.” “It’s not my fault.” “In fact, if you would not have given this woman to be with me, I would not have disobeyed.” Instead of taking personal responsibility for his actions, Adam threw his wife Eve under the proverbial bus. I can only imagine the look on Eve’s face when her husband and protector accused her before God. I could hear her say, “Oh no he didn’t!”

God then turns to Eve and asked, “What is this that thou hast done?” She, like her husband, did not take personal responsibility, but blamed the serpent and said, “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” Eve was correct. The serpent did indeed trick her, but that was only a reason and not an excuse for her disobedience. She was still accountable. This is mankind’s predicament today, that there are no excuses for disobedience, and each person Must Give an Account to God concerning His imposed obligation to obey His word. Amen somebody.

Conclusion

Let me close with this. Someone may complain that God should have cut Adam and Eve some slack, by giving them another chance. My response to that charge is that as a fallen creature your finite views are tainted by sin. That said, here is where you and I come in. Just as Adam and Eve had a choice to obey or disobey God’s word, so do we. Moreover, just as Adam and Eve had to Give an Account to God, so must we. Amen somebody.

Here is the bottom line. This is a Battle For the Truth and people can complain and find fault all they want. Their complaints about and rejection of the truth of God’s word does not dismiss nor nullify the requirement that they too Must Give an Account to God. Ignorance of God’s law is no excuse; and no one is above nor stands outside of God’s law.

The Bible, which is God’s word to man contains enough information for each of us to make the right choice, which is to believe the truth of His word. Furthermore, because God so loved man that He indeed has provided another opportunity for man to obey Him by sending a Redeemer in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, His Only Begotten Son. As Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:16-21, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (18) He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (19) And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (20) For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. (21) But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

Let me leave you with the first verse and refrain of Bro. Robert Lowry in his hymn, Nothing but the Blood, he wrote:

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Refrain: Oh! precious is the flow That makes me white as snow; No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

So, until next time, may God richly bless you my beloved.