What Does God Know?

And they heard sound of YHWH walking in the Garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of YHWH among the trees of the Garden. But YHWH called to the man and said to him,

“Where are you?”

Genesis 3:8-10

The first question found in the Bible comes from the mouth of God, the Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. He spoke, and by his word existence was woven into being. But here he is, walking in a Garden, perplexed.

“Where are you?”

I’ve often heard it said, “You know if God is asking you a question, he’s not asking for his sake, he’s asking for your sake.” While I can appreciate that sentiment, I have a hard time believing that, especially in Genesis 3. That response is like the deus ex machina, the easy solution to a hard problem to which a writer couldn’t find a way out. I think these responses are born from fear, because we can’t have a God who is unpredictable. It’s easier to keep our minds contained around a God who knows every single detail. And a God we can comprehend is a God we can control, even if we wouldn’t admit it. It’s this fear that, I believe, led to doctrines like the Perpetual Virginity of Mary. We were so afraid of the possibility of Jesus having some sort of imperfection, that we had to invent in illogical, or at least unnecessary, doctrine about Mary.

When YHWH asked the question, “Where are you?” I think he meant it.

Adam and Eve and God shared a union that echoed Triunion. When Adam ate the forbidden fruit, that union was broken. Something within the fellowship of God and humanity was ruptured, and Adam was lost to himself, and to God.

Maybe he knew exactly which tree to find Adam and Eve cowering behind, but that’s not really important, is it? What does it matter if God knew, physically, where Adam was? In the moment they ate from the Tree, God experienced loss. Adam and Eve disappeared from his line of vision, and he went looking for him.

Adam, and through him, humanity, had run away from home, and God grew…nervous? Scared? Anxious?

The Fall was rebellion, but it was more than that. It was losing our way. Adam wandered away from Life, from Union, and into death and fear and loneliness.

And God felt it.

He knew that Adam and Eve were now in danger. Yes, they had done something wrong. Yes, they had disobeyed God. But these were children. They were learning about life and existence along the way just like we do. And God is a Father. He’s a good Father. And good father’s don’t unleash their full rage on their children when they make mistakes. Adam/Humanity would have to bear the consequences of that decision, but I don’t think God was marching through the Garden saying, “Adam! When I find you, so help me!”

I think God was scared for the children he loved so dearly because they were now lost in an existence that was bent on their destruction. And when they fell out of his line of vision, his heart dropped, and he did what any loving Father would do, he dropped everything and went searching for them.