.... Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat” (Genesis 3:11)? Adam had been hiding because he suddenly knew he was lost, naked, and he was afraid. The Lord had asked Adam where he was (3:9), He now followed up with this morning's questions. Many people see God as always angry, and just waiting for you to mess up so He can condemn you. And you can read this view of God into the text, because after all we don't hear the tone of His voice, whether gentle or harsh. It's one of the problems I have with audio versions of the Bible, they're not neutral!
As mentioned yesterday God is longsuffering and not willing that any should perish, but all come to repentance. It's hard to come in repentance to One you think is always angry. And if this is you, then you like Eve have been deceived by the serpent (3:13). I say this, because it was God the Father who so loved the World that He sent His beloved Son Jesus to die on the cross. And He did this so He could be both just and merciful to forgive us when we fess up (John 3:16; 1 John 1:9; 1 Peter 3:18). Indeed God was in Christ reconciling the World to Himself, not counting people's sins against them. And Christ came into the World to seek and save you and me, like Adam, the lost (Luke 19:10). So let's read this later revelation of God's character into the tone and manner of how He approached Adam. In particular in God, “mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed” (Psalm 85:10).
If you tell your young child “If you so much as put your big toe over that line, you will be punished,” and she looks at you defiantly and puts her toe, and only her toe, across the line, what do you do? You can unilaterally forgive without following through. But if you do, you will be merciful, but you will be teaching you child to push the limits, you will be encouraging bad behaviour, you will be an enabler! And God is not an enabler! To be just, sin has to be punished. And the Father laid on Jesus the punishment for us all (Isaiah 53:5, Acts 8:35).
God took an awful risk in committing to give us free will. He does not send anyone to hell, but in Christ spreads His arms wide on the cross essentially saying “You will go to hell only over my dead body!” The unforgivable sin is surly simply rejecting the free gift of forgiveness (Romans 3:23). There can be no sin in paradise, so we do of course, have to repent (choose with His help to turn from our wicked ways) and so be being transformed and made ready for heaven - Mark 1:15).
Father, since You are longsuffering and want all to be saved, I hear sorrow, grief and love in Your voice as You spoke to Adam. I sense that part of Your sorrow was that You had to follow through, for You are indeed just, and You are not an enabler. Thank You that You turned Your righteous anger on Jesus, so that You could be both faithful and just to forgive us. In view of Your tender mercies Lord I commit again this morning to present myself to You as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) in Jesus Name Amen
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