The Question Is...

The first three chapters of Genesis are packed with powerful and transformative words.  With Genesis being the "beginning", we see many firsts.  The world was created, the sun and the moon, night was separated from day, earth was separated from the sky, the first animals were created...the book moves through the early history of planet earth swiftly.  The first people were created in God's image.  While they did not share His power, the were created with His communicable attributes...his ability to love, to communicate, to think, to reason and to choose.

The ability to choose played a huge role in Eve's rebellion and Adam's compliance.  They had a chance to maintain perfection but gave it up after being coerced into rebellion by the architect of sin, Satan.  Man's sin set a pattern of destruction in motion that continues to this day.  The corruption that we see in the world happens not because of God's absence but because of man's presence and man's propensity to sin.  Evil entered into the world because of Adam and Eve's complicity with the devil.

When evil entered the world, the choice to do evil also entered.  After their sin, Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.  Previously, they knew no shame because of their nakedness...sin brought shame.  They heard God "walking" coming toward them and they sought to hide themselves.  Genesis 3:9 says "God called out to the man and said, "where are you?""

This is a puzzling question considering that God is omniscient and knows everything.  Neither Adam nor Eve could hide from God.  They could not hide their nakedness, their shame or their guilt.  But the question had nothing to do with their locality.  The question is a question that, if answered honestly, will lead any man to repentance!  When God asked "where are you?"  God already knew that Adam had sinned.  Honestly, God knew that Adam would sin before he actually did.  God knew that Eve would disobey before she did.  That's why Christ was slain "from the foundation of the world." (Rev 13:8).  God was asking, where are you?  What they had done had driven a wedge between Creator and the created.  The fellowship was broken because of this act of disobedience.

Adam had the choice to answer honestly and say to God, "God forgive me, I am here but I really messed up."  Instead, Adam said "I was afraid because I was naked and so I hid myself."  Adam's nakedness had not prevented him from communing with God before but sin opened his eyes and made him cognizant of his nakedness.  The question is...where are you?

When the question of "where are you?" is asked, we can't try to play games with God.   answering this question honestly is the first step towards repentance.  "God I am in a place that is bad and I know that it is bad!"  If we are willing to acknowledge a mistake and admit to and accept responsibility for sin, then repentance  (turning from that sin) becomes an inevitable response.  Knowing that we have sinned against God and God alone puts us squarely into His presence and His holiness.  It exposes our nakedness before Him and the proper response is the same one that Isaiah had..."Woe is me!  I am undone for I am a man of unclean lips! (Isaiah 6:5)"

Many throughout history have been used to ask this question for God, "where are you?"  Joshua asked in this way:  "Choose this day whom you will serve (Joshua 24:15)."  Joshua was saying to the Israelites..."where are you?"  Elijah asked it in this way: "How long will you limp between two opinions?  If the Lord be God , follow Him, If Baal is god, follow him."  Elijah was asking the people on Mt. Carmel..."where are you?"  John the Baptist preached his entire ministry with the following statement preceding all of his messages: "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand (Matthew 3:2)!  John came preaching a message that asked, "where are you?  Will you be honest and admit that you are sinners that need to repent?"  John's message of repentance was a slap in the face of the religious leaders who thought they had it together and did not need repentance.

"Where are you?" is a call to repentance and honesty before God.  The question is...will we answer it in a way that we lay every burden at the feet of Christ?  Will we answer it in a way that shows that we accept responsibility for our sins and realize that there is no way out except Christ?  Will we answer in a way that is transparent and that says to Jesus, "I need you and I cannot do this without you!"?  Or will we be like Adam, sewing fig leaves together trying to hide and trying to conceal things from God that he already knows about?  This is obviously the wrong approach.  There is nothing hidden from His sight- what God desires is for us to be honest and accountable.  The question is...where are you?  The answer that is given will determine if we live a life of repentance or a life of hiding behind fig leaves.  God's grace and peace be upon you.