God’s First Question Genesis 3:1-24: “But the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you?” (v9)
6th February 2022 | | sermon source |
Recall that we started with knowing why God asks us questions and we used the life of Patriarch Job to learn this all important lesson with reason and in it we saw that God ask us questions in other to let us see our folly, foolishness and our stupidity in certain actions and decisions that we take in life and in that show us that His way of dealing with us once we are in such errors of life is to let us know that we lack true wisdom and understanding and that the only way to attain to true wisdom and understanding is for us to realize and know that He God is the true wisdom and understanding and as such we should endeavour to know Him God and know who He is which is why He asked ‘’who do men say that I am and who do ye say that I am’’? Having learnt why God asks question it is time now to consider the first of what we are calling ‘God’s Questions’. Following Adam and Eve’s decisive decisions in choosing to disobey God not minding that they were detailed instructed not to do so, just as we too have detailed instructions in the word of God of things we should do and things we should not do, God asks Adam, ‘Where are you?, which is exactly the question God is still asking us through some of the ill things that happens to us whenever we do the things that warrants those questions to be asked us. An important observation must be made here in relation to this and other four questions God asked: the questions are prompted by God’s concern, but the questions are occasioned by human sin, which is our sin, our wrong actions and decisions in life circumstances because we do not seek God before deciding and acting.
The picture many of us hold in our minds of the Garden of Eden is of an idyllic paradise of innocence and perfection. The meaning of IDYLLIC is pleasing or picturesque in natural simplicity where extremely happiness and peaceful condition exist. And, of course, in a sense it was. But, unlike our idea of paradise, there was the potential for things to go wrong which is the same as when things are fine, peaceful and happiness are everywhere in our homes and we get carried away enjoying our bliss not realizing that it is a time to be at alert, a time to be wise and be fast at learning our environment especially the people around us because the devil lurks around seeking who to devour instead we let our fences down for Satan and his agencies to penetrate and come in, just as Adam and Eve did. Yes agreed there was innocence at that early stage of things because God Himself said He saw everything He created was good and fine but that early innocence as figured in Adam and Eve was still untested, there was perfection yes, but it was incomplete and not yet beyond failure as it has not yet passed the test of time, it is not yet a matured perfection and innocence. All the innocence and perfection that was in Adam and Eve then have not yet matured or in other words these attributes of God (true innocence and perfection) in Adam and Eve has not yet passed the test of time, they have not yet passed through the type of circumstances and situations in life that Job passed through and yet did not talk or go against God, Adam and Eve were still very young which is the same thing that is happening to us today, many of us have not seen days yet we boast of this and that and when situation, life circumstances challenges us we collapse and fall-the fall of man! When God created space for His human beings to occupy, there was the potential to walk with Him or walk away from Him in other words, there was the freedom of will to obey Him or disobey Him. The truth of it all is that the first human pair on earth needed divine revelation, which is an implicit God’s presence and guidance but they did not know or need to know everything; they were created to live by trust –trust in God’s word and keep following it daily. Sadly, they failed to do that and entered into sin, which is they resorted in seeking guidance through another means and were misguided. As under-managers of God’s estate they were given tasks and responsibilities for which they were accountable just as we all today have tasks and responsibilities for which we are accountable, but they squandered their God-given gifts in the service of self rather than God. That too was sin. And seeking to find emotional wholeness and wellbeing outside of God’s loving will was also sin. Is this not what we all are doing today even including our leaders, squandering our God-given gifts and resources of our land (garden) in services of self rather than in services of humanity which is God. All these errors of life and more are the sins which we all are suffering in terms of hardship, pain, hunger, health breakdown, lack and deprivations which is why Ojukwu said ‘I have nothing to lose other than your pains and when God seek to remedy the situation for us by raising up individuals in our midst who have His attributes as did Job, Joshua, David, Jesus Christ, Dim Ojukwu, Nnamdi to reverse the errors for us, we fight them seeking to kill them still in our ignorance we give Lucifer and his agencies advantages to go against these God sent humans in a bid to destroy them rather than giving Jesus Christ in His sent the advantages to reverse the errors and bring goodness in place, too bad and when will man learn?
God created humans to be in relationship with Him, but He honoured them with the freedom to choose whether to love Him or live independently of Him. One of the most devastating consequences of sin is not merely that it breaks God’s law, but that it breaks God’s heart also by bringing hardship to His people because God do not like seeing His people suffer in the midst of His abundant supplies. God’s first five questions must not be regarded as accusations, but as the loving entreaties of a Father who has His people’s welfare at heart and wants them to excel.