The Redemption of Man, Part One

A Devotional Series from Genesis

Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)

3/22 Reading Portions: Exodus 33; John 12; Proverbs 9; Ephesians 2

Genesis 3:9-10

But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”

CALLED

YHVH God calls out to man, asking him where he is. It’s not because He didn’t know. God is perfect and complete in Himself. He cannot learn and does not need anyone to teach Him or inform Him. He is all-knowing and everywhere-present. So, why does He call out to the man? When Adam sinned, neither he nor the woman went out looking for God to rectify the wrong. They hid in the trees when they heard His sound in the garden (Gen 3:8), as mentioned yesterday. Unless YHVH God called out to the man, the man would have remained hidden in the trees. This is the gospel truth concerning every salvation. Jesus said of His own ministry,

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10

Spiritually speaking, this is the first step in the redemption of fallen human beings. By His inquiry, the LORD God causes the man to face his guilt and shame, and even to confess such. In our own salvation, we may not have verbalized our own guilt or shame, but there is an acknowledgment of it. The New Testament helps us to understand the spiritual work that is going on here:

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10

Our two verses today carry with it the “godly grief” portion of redemption: or what another English version calls “godly sorrow” (KJV). Keep in mind that it is godly sorrow. It comes from heaven above, from the very calling out of the LORD God. Therefore, it is all of God’s grace, and not the result of man’s decision or efforts. The best fallen man can produce apart from God’s grace is a worldly grief or sorrow, which could not produce a confession of repentance.

But in the sinful state of fallenness from which we have been redeemed, our godly sorrow is still a bit tainted. Re-read the man’s confession of his guilt and shame again. No tears or weeping. No contrition in humble worship. Jesus, however, was the true Man of Sorrows (Isa 53:3), and His contrite sorrow is placed upon our account. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Notice also that what the man does here is not a confession of his sin. We will see this in the next few verses.