Sermon Tone Analysis

*Genesis 3:8-10…* And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

9 Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of Thee in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”

*Commentary*

            After Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, their eyes were opened, and they realized they were naked.

Only minutes before they were without shame and sinless, but now they are not only afraid of the scrutiny and humiliation from their respective mate (symbolized by sewing fig leaves together) but are suffering from a spiritual deadness – a state of alienation from each other and from God.

In verse 8 the man and woman hear the sound of God walking in the garden “in the cool of the day.”

Literally, that phrase is “in the wind of the day” and might possibly be translated as “in the wind of the storm” (word for “day” associated with an ancient cognate meaning “storm”).

The second translation makes the scene far more dramatic and has God, instead of taking a leisurely stroll through the garden, coming in a great windstorm to confront the man following his sin.

This is an accurate picture of God when confronting rebellion in the Bible, but it’s a stretch to make “day” mean “storm” in the Bible.

The traditional interpretation of God walking through the garden in the cool of the day (“breezy” part of the day likely denoting the late afternoon) pictures the pre-incarnate Lord Jesus Christ walking through the lush garden to meet up with Adam and Eve for their daily fellowship with one another.

However, the man and his wife, like a soldier dressed in fatigues so as to go unnoticed in the thick brush, are hiding from the Lord God (Jesus Himself).

They are wrapped in leaves to cover themselves, and they’re also hiding among the trees of the garden.

The only explanation for this behavior is the shame they feel over their sin of disobedience.

Prior to this they met up with God each day feeling no embarrassment among themselves and no shame in meeting the Lord God face to face.

God’s question to Adam in verse 9 of his whereabouts does not show God’s ignorance but is the method He uses to induce Adam to confess his guilt.

In verse 10 Adam tells God that he is afraid of Him because of his nakedness.

In other words, Adam knew he had sinned, and facing the very One he sinned against was his greatest fear because he knew he couldn’t hide his guilt.

His nakedness before God was far too evident.

Like a child with a guilty conscience facing his mother so was Adam facing his Maker.

It was in that day that he died spiritually.

*Food for Thought*