He asked first. The first search was divine; it came from Him.
“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, Where are you?” (Genesis 3 v 8-9)
God had been trying to find man long before man began his search for God. From the moment sin entered the garden, it was the Lord who came walking, seeking, pursuing. While Adam and Eve hid in shame, covering themselves with fig leaves and shadows, God was already moving toward them with purpose and intention.
God knew separation from man long before man, through his many works, would try to bridge the gap. He understood the chasm that sin would create. Long before humanity built towers, constructed temples, or devised religious systems to reach heaven, God had already seen the futility of our efforts and planned His own solution.
God called to man long before man recognised the need to call on Him. His voice echoed through the garden before we even understood we were lost. He initiated the conversation, extended the first invitation, and made the first move toward reconciliation.
Before we shout out “where are you?….. Where are you in my pain? Where are you in my disappointment? Where are you in my fears?” Remember, God was asking “Where are you?” first. His question wasn’t born of ignorance. He knew exactly where Adam was hiding. Rather, it was an invitation to come out, to step forward, to be honest about our condition and receive His grace.
God would ask it again, not of Adam, but of Himself later. He sent His Son, and while hanging on the cross, cried out the words of Psalm 22, asking, “Where are you?” Jesus was forsaken, alone and forgotten. He said what Adam should have said because of his own sin. He said it because sin separates us from God, and Jesus was becoming sin for us, taking our place. In that dark hour, the innocent one experienced the abandonment that the guilty deserved. The separation God felt in Eden when man hid became the separation Jesus endured on Calvary when the Father turned away.
Today, God is still asking, “Where are you?” In that question, there is a desire to walk with man again. It resonates through every generation, every culture, every human heart. It’s not an accusation but an invitation.
There is no reason to feel forsaken, alone, and forgotten when Jesus has stood in that place for you. He has absorbed the full weight of abandonment, so you would never have to experience true separation from God’s love.
God will not ask this question of you, as you worship Jesus, as you acknowledge the work of Jesus on the cross for yourself, as you bow in humble submission to His Kingship. The question has been answered by the cross, settled by the resurrection, and sealed by your faith in Him.
Missions Paul 