God’s Presence Exposes Man’s Disobedience - Genesis 1-3

 Genesis 3:8 (ESV)

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.

God’s presence expooses man’s disobedience.   When Adam and Eve sinned, by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that evil brought shame upon them.  That shame caused them to have a heart’s desire to hide from God.   Sin causes us to break fellowship with God and hide in our own bushes, out of God’s site (what they believe is out of God’s site).   When men sin they like to get away from God’s presence.  Jonah tried to hide from God by jumping on a boat (Jonah 1).  Jacob tried to hide from God by running away to his uncle Laban at the request of his mother, Rebekah (Genesis 28).  David tried to hide from God that he slept with Bathsheba and killed her husband Uriah (2 Samuel 11).  Achan tried to hide from God by burying his stolen treasure under his tent (Joshua 7).  Anna is and Sapphira tried to hide from God what they actually sold their property for and lied about it (Acts 5).  The false teachers in the New Testament tried to hide from God their evil hearts and motives for unjust gain (Jude).   We cannot hide from God:

Hebrews 4:12-13 (ESV)

12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

The ironic aspect of this story is the contrast between where Adam and Eve were in their relationship before their disobedience and where they were after.   Note:

Genesis 2:25 (ESV)

25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

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Genesis 3:7 (ESV)

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.

Sin introduces shame into our lives.   Shame separates us from God and we attempt to hide among the bushes of life.   Yet, God still comes to pursue us.  That is the positive side of this story.  Despite disobedience God still pursues us to reconcile us to Him.