God Shows Mercy From The Start

God warned Adam that in the day he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he would die. In doing so God established ground rules which still apply today. As in the garden the punishment for disobedience (sin) is death. Is Adam's survival after eating a sign that God got it wrong? But we teach that God never makes mistakes. How is it that Adam ate and did not die? I believe two things happened during and after the fall: Adam suffered spiritual death and God was merciful.

Genesis 3:1-7

Adam did continue his physical existence after eating the forbidden fruit but from that point on it seems as if he was a very different person. I'm not a theologian but Adam's actions, as recorded in the Bible, give the impression that while physically alive something was very wrong spiritually.

For starters, his relationship with his wife changed. He suddenly felt the need for a barrier between himself and Eve. His desire to put on clothes shows he was no longer as comfortable around her as he was before. Perhaps he felt vulnerable. Perhaps he had grown insecure. Whatever the reason, his putting on clothes represented a change in his relationship with his wife. They no longer accepted each other as they had when God first created them. Now they needed to cover up.

How we love others is a sign of where we are spiritually. The change in how Adam and Eve saw each other is evidence that Adam's spirit had changed. I suspect he still loved Eve but his love was no longer the unconditional love of a living spirit. His fig leaves represent both a change in how he saw Eve and a change in his ability to live spiritually as God originally designed.

"...and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden."

Genesis 3:8

If you are hiding from God something is wrong spiritually. In this case not only did they hide in the trees but they also found a blind spot where the all knowing had to ask where they were. In college I was asked to explain why God asks this question. I gave an answer for which my opinion has not changed over the (many) years. We know that sin separates from God yet we say all are in His presence. This is what we see upon God's return to the garden, Adam was physically near but the spiritual connection he once had with the Father was no more. This is also what we see as Christ, under the weight of our sins, asks why His Father has forsaken Him (Matthew 27:46). I believe God knew where Adam was physically but Adam was lost to God spiritually. In fact if not for what God does next, Adam would be eternally lost.

After speaking with Adam and Eve God sacrifices animals. As with the law given to Israel an animal sacrifice was used to atone for sin. The lives of the animals were given in place of the lives owed by Adam and Eve because of their sin. This was acceptable in the eyes of God, foreshadowing what would happen on the cross many centuries later where One who was without sin gave His life in place of the lives we all owe.

Like Adam we all have sinned. By law our being found guilty comes with a sentence of death. With His death on the cross Jesus offered Himself as a substitute giving His life in place of ours. Because of His sinless nature His payment is sufficient to cover all our sins, a sacrifice which is acceptable in the eyes of the Father. Now God can forgive without violating the law of righteousness.

Even in the Old Testament we find God being merciful. By all rights He could have and should have poured out His anger because of Adam's sin. Instead He blotted out their sins with the blood of  animals. If not for this act of mercy and compassion Adam and Eve would have perished, being dead to God in their sins. Today’s believers can live knowing our sins are washed away in the blood of Jesus Christ who died for all of our sins. In this we see God’s mercy.