Following Adam’s disobedience to God, Adam was asked three astonishing questions. Ones you need to answer, for time is running out.

Where Are You?

God knows all things and the end from the beginning, Isaiah 46:10. He asked, ‘Where are you?’, even though He knew where Adam was. This first question exposed Adam’s changed relationship with the Creator, the I Am That I Am, Exodus 3:15.

Adam had walked openly with God but now hid because of his loss of innocence. It created an instant separation from God.

This same question has echoed across humanity ever since. Where are you in your relationship with God? Are you lukewarm, or middle of the road? Or are you totally sold out to following Jesus Christ no matter the cost?

Who Told You?

No one told the couple they were naked, except their own burning guilt. Prior to the fall the couple were clothed in the light of God, innocent in all that they were. Following the fall, they felt shame and fear and a desperate need to cover themselves. This second question exposed their new awareness of who they were, accompanied by an inability to face a holy and righteous God.

They had trusted another voice above the voice of God. Satan, who was once one of the top three angels in heaven, is a liar and a thief, John 8:44. His one aim is to deceive even the very elect, Matthew 24:24, and destroy anything that belongs to God.

Our world is full of strident voices competing for our attention. You have to sift through the noise to hear the still small voice of God, 1 Kings 19:11-13. He does not shout over the noise of those who constantly seek to influence us and gain control over us.  Adam learnt the result of evil control, for he went from a perfect condition into total disaster.

Have you Disobeyed?

God gave Adam a commission, Genesis 1:28. He also told Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge evil, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die, Genesis 2:17. Adam was given the responsibility to either obey or disobey, just as a third of the angels had when Lucifer deceived them.

Instead of confession and repentance at the third question, Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. Fallen man’s new condition was eager avoidance of responsibility for his own decision.

Every person has the God-given gift of the responsibility of making his or her own choice. Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve, Joshua 24:15. It is a choice that will ultimately decide your eternal destination. There will be no avoidance of personal responsibility the day they stand before the great white throne of judgement, 2 Corinthians 5:10.

Three Astonishing Questions in the Wilderness

These three astonishing questions mirror the three questions Satan asked Jesus, Matthew 4. First Satan challenged Christ’s relationship with the Father, but the Son was firmly secure in that relationship. Satan tried to challenge Christ’s pride before offering Him a way to gain the world without obedience to God’s eternal plan.

Jesus came not to do His own will, but only the will of the One who had sent Him, John 6:38. We must diligently seek the will of the Father every day of our life, for things both small and big, and thus firmly defeat the enemy.

Influencer

Satan was attempting to be a voice of authority and the influencer through what he thought were powerful words. Christ answered, ‘It is written’. He was the Word, John 1:1, and as a believer we must be securely anchored in the Word of God, the real power. Christ is the absolute reference point, and when faced with temptation we need to answer the tempter with the Word of God.

The death and resurrection of the Last Adam reversed the first Adam’s failure. The Son of God came to provide the Way back to God, give fallen man the truth and the gift of eternal life, John 14:6.

The Result

Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden. As an act of God’s mercy, the way back into the Tree of Life was guarded by the cherubim and a flaming sword, Genesis 4:24. Had the couple eaten of the Tree of Life there would have been no salvation for fallen mankind.

Following the encounter with Christ, Satan slunk away defeated, knowing he had finally come face to face with God’s Messiah. This was the One he had been searching for since the Garden of Eden, Genesis 3:15.

Angels ministered to Christ, Matthew 4:11. This wilderness experience was the foreshadow of what was to come at Calvary, when Satan was sure he would have the final victory. Instead, Christ would restore man’s relationship with God, reveal truth over deception and do so in perfect obedience. Every human being must answer these three amazing questions, Where are you, Who do you listen to, Are you living in obedience to the Word?

Fourth Question

There was a fourth astonishing question. God turned to Eve and asked, What is This You Have Done? Genesis 3:13. God asked the same question of Cain, following the murder of his brother Abel, Genesis 4:10.

The first three questions reveal the fall of humanity. First there was belief, then an action, followed by devastation. The fourth question reveals the depth of the consequences of sin. In Genesis 3 sin entered the human heart and separation from God. Sin that destroys human relationships, Genesis 4.

The fourth question exposed the global damage of sin. Man moved from an internal fall to external violence. Today’s major theme of entertainment is based on man’s violence to man and said to be more destructive than the numerous sexual scenes on television.

Cries from the Ground

Both Adam and Cain responded to God’s question with deflection, Genesis 3:12, Genesis 4:9. ‘The woman you gave me’, ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ Humans instinctively deflect so as to hide sin, blame someone else and deny fault.

The voice of Abel’s blood cried to God from the ground, Genesis 4:10, revealing that sin is never private. It always produces consequences that cry out before the Creator.

Christ’s shed blood is eternal, for He is the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, 1 Peter 19:20, Revelation 13:8. His blood cries from the ground, calling mankind to recognition of Him and repentance. In Christ’s redemptive act of obedience at Calvary, He bore our sin, carried our judgement and reconciled us to God for all eternity.

Answer To Four Astonishing Questions

Christ alone is the answer to these four astonishing questions, for they frame the entire human story. The message of the Bible can be wrapped up in these four questions. They deal with the human struggle of Identity, Authority, Responsibility, and eternal Consequence.

God did not discard humanity when Adam sinned, for He so loved the world He sent His only Son to redeem, or buy back fallen man from the deceiver, John 3:16. Christ gives fallen man the opportunity to move from awareness to truth. Be responsible and repent. Receive full redemption through the death, resurrection and glorification of Jesus Christ. Four questions become just one question. What have you done with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? This will be answered in eternity for all eternity.

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Dr. Wendy Stenberg-Tendys is a servant of the Lord who enjoys researching Biblical topics and sharing words of encouragement from the Word of God. She asks the hard questions.

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