For some reason, it seems that every kid loves the game, “Hide and Seek.” My siblings have always enjoyed it. My cousins have always liked it, and it is one of my nephew’s favorite games. The children of my friends always want me to play it with them as well. Kids love to hide, and then to be found. They get a rush from hiding in a spot and hearing you say, “Where are you?” They might even give you a hint when you say that by knocking or by giggling. When you have a good spot and they find you, they might even take it the very next turn because it is so good! There is something about “Hide and Seek” that not just kids, but people enjoy. Perhaps it is the thrill of finding that missing person, or tying to disappear by hiding. Maybe it is the desire to be the best at hiding, or maybe the pride of catching everyone when it is your turn to seek motivates you. People love the game of Hide and Seek. It is a game that humanity enjoys. As we look at our Genesis text this morning, we see a game of Hide and Seek going on in the Garden of Eden.
Our text unfortunately begins with trouble in Paradise. God had just created the world and made everything good. He made Adam from the dust of the ground and breathed into him the breath of life. He gave him the task of working and keeping the Garden of Eden. God gave him a purpose. He also gave him a companion, Eve, who was to be his helper and partner. They both were naked, and they were not ashamed. Adam and Eve were allowed to live in this garden, and they could eat from any tree of the garden except from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. For when they would eat of it, they would surely die, both spiritually and physically.
But now enter Satan, who slyly slithered toward them as a sweet-speaking serpent. With reassuring words, and empty half-truths, Satan hissed his lies to Eve, and she ate the forbidden fruit. When she saw it was pleasing to the eye and good for food, she gave it to her husband, Adam, who was with her, and he ate.
As they chewed, their eyes became opened just like the serpent had said. They now knew good, the good they had lost. And they now knew evil, the evil now within them. Sin had corrupted and defiled them and their nature. They lost their original righteousness, purity, and innocence. Their nakedness, a sign of the healthy relationship between them, now became something unpleasant and filled with shame. In fact, their nakedness reminded them of their sin and shame. So they tried to cover it up. My brother knows what that is like
My brother once took a piece of my birthday cake prematurely. One day, he walked out of the kitchen with a beautiful, mouth savoring piece of funfetti cake with vanilla frosting. Wanting a piece myself, I said, “Where did you get that?” He said, “The kitchen” “Was it from the pan next to the oven wrapped in tinfoil?” He said, “Yeah, why?” “Well, that is my birthday cake that is supposed to be for later! Put it back!!!” And so, he did. He put the slice back in the cake, and used sprinkles to cover up the slice marks. The only problem? It was the only spot with sprinkles on the cake! The cover-up had its limits. It wasn’t fooling anyone! It is the same with Adam and Eve.
Adam and Eve try to cover up their sin. Instead of going to God, they try to fix the problem themselves. Their guilt, sin, and shame lead them to a self-atoning, self-protecting, self-preserving procedure: they must cover themselves. They use fig leaves to cover themselves. It They put sprinkles on the cake. It works in hiding their nakedness from each other, but not before God. They later take it one step further. Once they hear God, they decide to hide in the trees of the garden. They use the old Hide and Seek logic of “If he cannot see me, he cannot find me!” But ultimately, that never works. You only fool yourself. You will be found. Man cannot cover-up, atone for, or pay for his own sin. Adam and Eve will find that out.
It is here that the game of Hide and Seek begins. As God walks in the garden at the cool of the day, they decide to hide themselves among the trees. So, God calls out, “Where are you?” It is normal thing to say when looking for people, or even animals. You might get the person’s attention, and they might say, “I’m over here.” Perhaps the animal might hear your voice and come running back. However, it is strange for God to ask this. Why? He is the Creator of the Universe. See Genesis 1 and 2! He knows exactly where they are. He is not clueless. Instead, it is a question meant for Adam. It is an invitation, not a condemnation. It is a call of mercy and love. It is a question of self-realization: where are you in your relationship with God, Adam?
And where are Adam and Eve? They are separated from God. They used to be in His presence but now fearfully flee from it. Separation from God in the Old Testament always leads to death, both spiritually and physically! And tragically, they are also separated from each other. Sin drives them apart. Just look at Adam’s response!
Hearing God’s call, Adam steps forward and speaks. He is found. Adam tells God that the reason he hid was because he was naked and afraid. To that, God says, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Here the rails come off. Adam takes no responsibility, but blames both Eve and God. “The woman You gave to be with me”, he says. But Eve follows suit and blames the serpent that God created. “He deceived me” she said. There is trouble in paradise! Where are you, Adam and Eve? You are away from God and away from each other. Sin separates! Stop hiding!
When you look at it, Adam and Eve aren’t the only ones who play hide and seek with God. We do, too. God calls out to us, “Where are you?” And we are eerily like our first parents. Like Adam and Eve, we too try to hide from God. We might think that our sin might be too big or bad to ever be forgiven. Maybe we can’t forgive ourselves for what we have done, and think that God might not either. Maybe we don’t even acknowledge our sin, and try to hide it from our sight. Perhaps shame and embarrassment for what we have done or said crashes over us like a tidal wave, and it can seem to overwhelm and consume us. As a result, we might try to distance ourselves from God, or evade Him altogether. We hide among the trees.
Like Adam and Eve, we also try to cover up our sin, too. We might ditch that empty bottle, delete the search history, or spin something in a different way to hide what we have done. We might succeed in hiding these things from others, but we can’t from God. We end up putting sprinkles on a plain cake, or tying fig leaves together. We only fool ourselves.
But still like them, we might even use the same excuses. We might say, “It’s their fault, God!” If they didn’t steal from me, I wouldn’t have taken revenge. If they didn’t….I wouldn’t have…. With them, we also say, “Its your fault, God!” If only You have would have….I wouldn’t have….fill in the blank.
Psalm 130:1-2 depicts the reality of our situation and hiding spot. It says, “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!” The psalmist gives us the image of drowning, of being overwhelmed by deep waters, which is what depth refers to. I remember almost drowning once. I kept asking my parents to take me to Magic Waters, which is a waterpark in Rockford, Illinois. While there, I went in the wave pool, which was actually quite deep. It was over eight feet deep in some places, minus the waves. As a young boy, I didn’t want to be in the shallow section, but the deep section, and so I went out with my Dad. Unfortunately, someone knocked us out of our tube, and that was at an age in which I couldn’t swim well. I remember just throwing my arms for dear life, paddling, and kicking. I inhaled much water and struggled for breath. The waves crashing over me was a frightening thing. Fortunately, someone pulled me out.
Our sin is just like that. We are trapped, bound, and sinking down. There is nothing that we can do. We can’t get out by ourselves. Left to ourselves, we will drown, we will die! Positive thinking, self-help, and self-improvement won’t do a thing, either. We cannot get ourselves out. We are separated from God. Someone has to reach out and grab us. It is in our brokenness, that we cry out with the Psalmist, “O Lord, hear my voice! God, where are you?”
And where are you, God? You are in a garden promising victory over the old evil foe, that deceptive serpent, the devil. Where are you, God? You are in the woman’s seed, taking on human flesh in Your Son, Jesus Christ, for you, and for me. Where are you, God? Jesus is on a cross, crying out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? In other words, “Where are you?” It is there on the cross, that Jesus paid for our separation through His separation. With His outstretched arms on the cross, we are welcomed into God’s family with open ones. It is at the cross that we see God’s plentiful redemption and where He has redeemed us from all iniquities. It is there that we see our salvation, loud and clear, and where it was won.
And where are you, God? You are in the depths with us, pulling us out with Your nailed pierced hands. No matter where we may hide, God can always find us, and will. You are in water and the word, baptism, where we are joined in Jesus’ death and resurrection. You are in bread and wine, where you say, “Take, eat; take, drink for the forgiveness of sins.” You are in the Word.
And where are you? You are with God and have a restored relationship because of Jesus Christ. You are part of His family again, and no longer are separated. You will one day be with Him in paradise, a paradise far greater than the garden of Eden. We may hide, but God will always seek, and always find. No wonder people love this game.
