Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.  But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”  (Genesis 3:8-9)

“Where are you?”  The LORD God called to Adam and Eve, the first man and first woman.  It wasn’t because the LORD God didn’t know where they were.  He knows all things.  Nothing escapes his notice.  Rather, he called to them so they would know where they were.  He had created them sinless like him.  He had created them to enjoy a relationship with him that would be their highest delight. 

But they had sinned by disobeying him.  They exchanged the truth of God for a lie of Satan.  So they cowered in fear as they heard God approaching and foolishly tried to hide from him.  They knew that because of their sin their kind and generous Father had now become their Judge. 

In love, the LORD God came and called Adam and Eve so they would know where they were.  Though still in Eden, they were no longer in paradise.  They were now far from God, living in sin and fear and death.  But he also came and called them to tell that he would rescue them and restore them to a right relationship with him.  He would send the Seed of the woman, a descendant of Eve, to take away their sin, remove their fear, and restore their life with him. 

In love, the LORD God still comes and calls us sinners today.  Through his Word, the Holy Bible, he comes and calls us so we know where we are—far away from him in the condition of sin and shame and fear and death.  But through his Word, he also tells us that he has kept his promise to send the Seed of the woman, who crushed the power of sin and Satan forever.  He sent his Son, Christ Jesus, from heaven to earth, to bridge the distance between the holy God and sinful human beings and draw us back to him. 

Where are you?  Through Christ alone, God gives us a new answer to that old question.  In Christ, God has reconciled us to himself, restoring us to a right relationship with him.  In Christ, we don’t need to run from God.  Rather, in Christ we not only want to—but are able to—eagerly run to the LORD God daily for the forgiveness we need, the fellowship with him we desire, and the faith that looks forward to a forever with him in paradise.

Graphic for Adam and Eve: Tree
The Tree of Life was God's gift to Adam and Eve, representing their eternal life through him. The forbidden Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil led to God’s plan of saving people from eternal death through Jesus.