EHP Day 8-Joy In Meeting With God
Genesis 3:7-8
Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 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.
In Romans 2:15, Paul describes our conscience’s turmoil. “The work of God’s law is written on their hearts, while their conscience bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them…” Disregarding and disobeying God is no prescription for inner peace. Rather, it further ratchets up our soul’s chaos.
Chaotic guilt drives Adam and Eve from open freedom into closeted fear. Worse, God once again sounds his daily arrival. Crouching low, sin produces even greater foolishness. “Perhaps He won’t find us,” Adam whispers. As their grandchildren, we repeat the silliness when putting created things between us and a relentlessly searching Creator. Stuff never provides much of a hiding place.
Positively, Genesis implies that the LORD God came every day for warm, renewable, life-giving interaction with those He created in His image. The earliest weeks signaled what followed centuries later: God would incarnate. He loves being with people.
Negatively, the first couple forfeited the natural flow of holy joy at the prospect of seeing God. “Woe is me,” Isaiah lamented, “I am unclean” (Is.6). Generations would now all begin in hiding before being found (cf. Ps. 51:5, Rom.3:23).
Thankfully, Jesus has changed all that for the one who lives by faith in the Sacrificed Lamb. Clothed in His righteousness, we are invited to come boldly into the Presence (cf. Heb.4:14-16), every day, every hour, every moment.
Journal Notes