*Genesis 3:9*
_“Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”_
*A RHETORICAL QUESTION*
Surely GOD knew exactly where Adam and Eve were. So then why did HE ask the question?
Let's consider what happened :
- The previous verse tells us that Adam & Eve "heard the sound of GOD walking in the garden ....." and further that they "*hid themselves from the presence of the LORD* ......".
- The original Hebrew says that they hid themselves *from the face of GOD*.
Why would they try to *hide* from GOD?
_They had sinned in disobeying the commandment of the LORD_.
*The sin was not as much as in eating the fruit as it was in disobeying the commandment of ADONAI*.
In fact, GOD had not even mentioned anything about eating the *fruit* of the tree. GOD had said that they were not to eat *anything* from that tree. That included the fruit, the root, the leaves, the bark etc........ *EVERYTHING*.
_The entire tree was off-limits for them_. So ideally they should not have been even roaming around anywhere near that tree, so as to avoid temptation!
*But they did not listen to HIS voice* and at the first opportunity they fell into sin.
*James 1:14 & 15* tells us that each one is tempted when he is *drawn away* _by his own desires_. This indicates to us that *Adam and Eve were really attracted to that very tree* which the LORD has said not to have anything to do with.
_How often are we like that?_ When we know something is forbidden or not good for us, all the more we are excited to get a glimpse of that very thing. And then it eventually results in plunging into sin.
In the Garden of Eden there were two trees that were mentioned specifically :
- *Tree of Life* which represents the life in the SPIRIT with YESHUA as the leader,
- *Tree of knowledge of good & evil*, which represents a carnal flesh dependent life.
Adam and Eve had the very tree of life in front of them. *But they chose the flesh over the spirit*.
_What are the choices that we make?_
*SIN CREATES DISTANCE*
When GOD asked Adam the question “Where are you”, it was a challenge to him to *recognise where sin had led him*. A separation had got created between man and GOD. Adam was now standing where he *should not have been* - He had crossed over to the other side! Thus out of shame, he his from the face of the LORD!
Yet, by asking the question, GOD was not pointing the finger, but GOD was simply enabling Adam _to introspect first_. And *introspection is what we all should do*.
As we have started the new Gregorian Year 2026, _this same question is a challenging question to us to enable us to look into our own lives_ ....... *Where are we standing*? Consider this :
- Am I standing in a place of unforgiveness?
- Am I standing in a place of anger?
- Am I standing in a place of hurt?
- Am I standing at a place where I only keep judging others?
- Am I following the calling that GOD has placed upon my life?
- Am I walking according to HIS laws and ways?
- Where do I stand with regards to love for Israel and Biblical Zionism?
_Adam was standing in the wrong place_!
*Are you or I standing in the right place?*
GOD was willing to bring Adam back to where HE should be. But that needed Adam to first open his own eyes. It required Adam to “repent”/ do Teshuvah.
*If you are standing where you should not be* it only takes one sincere prayer of repentance to set your relationship back on track with GOD again. _Don't delay_.
Shalom! - Pastor Nicky Chandra
Published on: 2026-01-14 11:23:21