Genesis3_8-10

Genesis 3:8-10

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. 

And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

The phrase “the cool of the day” is translated from the Hebrew word רוּחַ (ruach), which can also mean wind, spirit, or breath. This suggests that something had changed in the spiritual realm after humanity’s first fall. Since God Elohim had given humans authority to reign, the natural environment may also have changed after the fall. Perhaps Adam and the woman had not encountered God for a long time, and the Lord God already knew what had happened to them. God came into the garden to look for them. They were afraid of His presence because sin had defiled them. The woman took the lead over Adam, and they hid themselves; in this way, the woman overcame the man.

The Lord God called to them to announce good news, but they could not receive it. The Lord God was seeking them not with anger or condemnation, but with mercy and love. If God Elohim had wanted to punish or destroy them, He could have done so immediately. The question “Where are you?” expressed deep love toward the man, like a father calling to his child. As the Creator, He already knew where they were, yet He approached them in a way suited to human weakness, as a father deals with his young son.

Adam responded to the Lord God. The holy voice of God brought fear to a sinner. Adam recognized his wrongdoing and hid himself. This shows how terrible the power of sin is—it destroys human beings in body, soul, and spirit. Therefore, we should repent and turn to God Elohim, because we cannot overcome sin by ourselves.