A few nights ago while I was praying I felt God pushing me to reread the book of Genesis. So, the next morning I opened my Bible and began to study the beginning of all things and when I came to Genesis 3, I knew why God asked me to read this book. I read and reread the words “where art thou?” over and over again, searching for the true meaning of God’s words.

Knowing that God is omniscient, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and good” (Proverbs 15:3), I questioned why he would ask “where art thou?” in verse 9. But right after I questioned that verse God gave me His answer. God already knew where Adam and Eve were, the phrase “where art thou?” is the heartbreaking call of a heartbroken Father.

God already knew what His children had done, He knew they ate from the tree of life, and He knew that they fell victim to lust and pride and were now in bondage to the sin they committed, and the darkness that comes with sin. But He wanted them to understand what they had done and take accountability for their actions. God was mourning the pain He knew His children would endure now because of their choices. And this is what got me; God was calling to His children even though He already knew they disobeyed Him.

When I first read the words “where art thou” it was like I could almost hear God saying the same words to me. God knows my sin, He knows that I often turn away from Him when things don’t go my way, He knows me entirely. God was calling to me from a place of godly sorrow and He let me feel His godly sorrow for me when I read this chapter. He knows when I mess up, but He still calls to me and says “where art thou?”, He still wants me even though I disobey Him. He wants me to take accountability for my actions.

What a perfect Father we have, that no matter what we do he calls to us back to Him. He sees your struggle, He sees your sin, He hears your prayers, and He knows where you are. He calls to us and asks “where art thou?” when we fall into sin and lose our way. He calls us back to Him and He puts us on the path He has for us, the path of redemption in Jesus name. He is merciful and good, and this passage displays His perfect love for us so well.

But it’s important to note that Adam and Eve tried to blame their sin on others. And this is where we get into God holding us accountable for our actions. God knew that Adam made the choice to eat from the tree of life on his own even if the fruit of it was offered to him by Eve. And God knew that Eve made the choice to sin out of her own interest. But God asks them questions He already knew the answer to because He is trying to make them aware of their sin and what it has caused. God is a perfect Father and everything He does is for the good of His children and not for His own good.

I know God led me to this passage because I’m guilty for making excuses of my sin and blaming it on others. And though I confess my sins, God wants me to take accountability for my actions when I repent. At the end of the day if I choose to sin, its no ones fault but my own, and the blame game doesn’t work with the all-knowing God. So no matter how many times I confess if I’m not taking responsibility for my actions I’ll never learn and that’s what God wants so badly for us, to learn from our sin. “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13).

God will always lead us to confessing our sin and taking accountability of our sin because that is how we learn from our choices. God doesn’t want us to live in bondage to our sin, God wants us to be free through Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us. That’s why the first promise of the messiah is right after the fall of man. God always has a plan to restore us and save us, thats something we can always count on.

“The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:14-15). “The first promise of the Messiah: Jesus, the seed of the woman (Mary), destroyed the “head” or authority and power of Satan by His redemptive death on the cross. The cross is the second tree established by God whereby men might leave the government of death and darkness and go back into the government of life and light.” (Smith, 2006).

From the very beginning of mankind, God already had a plan to save us all through Jesus Christ. If that’s not a reason to rejoice in the mercy of God, I don’t know what is! How blessed are we that no matter what God will always call to us and that our sins are forgiven because of Jesus! In first John, it says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). So even though the promise of Jesus is given to us by God in the first book of the Bible we still need to confess our sins and take accountability for our sin to receive forgiveness of our sins.

I hope this post encourages you to read Genesis and study it for yourself. I pray that God will give you hope through this message and you will be assured in His plan for you. Trust Him always because His perfect will is to prosper you and He loves you.

Smith, C. (2006). Study Guide for Genesis by Chuck Smith. Retrieved November 06, 2020, from https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/smith_chuck/StudyGuides_Genesis/Genesis.cfm