The Fall (Part 2)

The physical death that Adam and Eve would now experience was hardly the worst consequence of their sin.  The rebellious couple was faced with the prospect of eternal separation from God.  Their disobedience had caused almost irreparable damage to their once intimate relationship with their Heavenly Father.  Sin and death had come to the garden.  Paradise was ended.

Adam and Eve saw that they were naked as they stood before God and one another.  It wasn’t that they hadn’t noticed this before, but now they felt guilt.  What was meant to be beautiful took on an ugliness all its own.  The couple hurriedly gathered fig leaves and sewed them together in rudimentary attire.  They desperately tried to cover their bodies, soon discovering, however, that no amount of clothing could compensate for the shame they felt.

Adam and Eve heard the familiar sounds of God walking in the garden, so they did what children so often do when they’ve done something wrong – they hid.  Imagine attempting to deceive the all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful God of Creation.  This informal game of hide-and-seek was doomed from the start.  As Adam and Eve cowered behind the trees of the garden, God called out to them, “Where are you?”

This question must have penetrated Adam and Eve to their very core.  A strange concoction of fear, shame, and uncertainty gripped the couple.  How God’s heart, too, must have been breaking as he called out to his fallen children.  The question, “Where are you?” demanded a response, and Adam could not delay.  Should he be honest and face the consequence of his sin?  Or, should he further attempt to deceive?