Genesis 3:8 Daily Devotional & Meaning – Hiding from God and His Pursuit
- Benjamin Michael Mcgreevy
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Daily Verses Everyday! Day 15
“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.”
Verse 8 draws us into one of the most sobering scenes in all of Scripture. “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.” The wording here is fascinating: the voice of the Lord was walking. How can a voice walk? This unusual phrasing points us toward the mystery of God’s self-revelation. In John 1:14, we are told, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” The “Word” here is Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, who—according to John 1:1—was with God in the beginning and through whom all things were made. Likewise, in John 8:58, Jesus declares, “Before Abraham was, I am,” claiming His eternal existence and divine identity. Thus, what Adam and Eve encounter in the garden is likely the pre-incarnate Christ, the Word of God, walking in fellowship with His creation. This highlights not only God’s desire for relationship with humanity but also His willingness to draw near in tangible ways. It was never God’s intention to remain distant; His design was for intimate communion with His people. And yet, in this verse, we see the first rupture of that fellowship. Instead of running toward God’s voice, Adam and Eve hide among the trees. The presence that once brought joy and peace now evokes fear and shame. Sin has distorted their perception of God, making them flee from the very One who could provide forgiveness and healing. This is the tragedy of sin: it drives us away from God when what we need most is to run to Him.
Can we blame them, though? If we return to the paint scenario, the child who spilled paint and tried to clean it on his own only ended up making the mess worse. Now imagine the moment he hears his mother’s footsteps coming. What is his instinct? Fear. He knows the evidence of his mistake is everywhere, and his failed attempts at covering it up only made the problem more obvious. Instead of running to his mother for help, his natural reaction is to hide, hoping she won’t see what has happened. This is exactly what Adam and Eve experienced in the garden. Their fig leaves, like the child’s smearing of the paint, were inadequate attempts to cover their wrongdoing. When they heard the sound of God walking, their guilt and shame compelled them to withdraw. The thought of facing God, whom they had disobeyed, filled them with dread rather than comfort.
But notice how their perception of God had changed, not God Himself. The same loving Creator who walked with them before still came seeking them, not to destroy them but to call them back into relationship. This is where the story of humanity intersects with each of our lives. How often do we do the same? When we sin, instead of immediately confessing and turning to God, we hide behind excuses, distractions, or busyness. We avoid prayer, distance ourselves from Scripture, or push away fellowship because shame whispers that God will condemn us. But the Gospel tells us otherwise. God comes looking for us, not to crush us under the weight of guilt but to restore us by His grace. Hiding from God never solves the problem of sin.
True freedom comes not from avoidance but from confession. As 1 John 1:9 reminds us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Adam and Eve’s hiding reveals the instinct of fallen humanity, but God’s pursuit reveals His unchanging character: He seeks us even when we are running from Him.
If you would like to explore Genesis in a sustained, verse-by-verse way with space to reflect, journal, and trace how these foundational truths unfold through Scripture the Verse by Verse book expands these reflections into a unified reading experience. The book gathers these meditations into a structured journey through Genesis, designed to help readers linger in the text and engage God’s Word more deeply over time.
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