It may have been quite a while since you read this particular Bible story, but you undoubtedly remember the story in Genesis 3, right? The scene is the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve are responsible for caring for the garden, which they do. In the evenings God comes to spend some time with them, maybe to hear from them all they had learned that day, perhaps to answer any questions they may have had throughout the day. And then one day when the snake, coiling around the branches of The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, initiated a conversation with Eve.

The serpent told Eve that eating the fruit wouldn’t lead to death. (He still tells people this today, claiming they have immortal souls.) He promised her wisdom and that she would become like God, knowing good and evil. Eve decided to eat the fruit and then gave some to Adam, who also ate. Let’s pause and reflect: Eve disobeyed God, seeking greater knowledge, and became subject to death. Adam, aware of the consequence, chose Eve over God.

That evening, when God came calling, the two weren’t waiting for him; they were hiding from Him. When he confronted the two with what they had done, Eve blamed her disobedience on the snake (that you created!), and Adam blamed his disobedience on Eve (the woman You gave me!). Ellen White had an interesting observation in one of her books: “If God hadn’t intervened Adam would have joined forces with Satan to oppose God.”

They, of course, were banned from the Garden, which kept them away from the Tree of Life. Because if they had eaten from it, would have turned them into immortal sinners. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that was the next thing Satan wanted.

What were the responses of the two to God’s discipline of them? They’d lost their home, and it wasn’t too long until they lost both of their sons with Cain killing Abel. Do you think perhaps they wanted to turn their “clocks” back?

A related question is, what was it that God wanted? I think the answer to that is He wanted the two of them back so they wouldn't run away when they heard Him coming. What would it take?

The first thing God did was to address their abominable leaf garments by providing them with animal skins to wear. What happened to the animals? They died, of course. I think God must have used a couple of sheep, which He could have used to teach them about salvation from sin. From that moment on every time there was sin to be dealt with they would offer an animal to shed its blood so they could be forgiven.

But that wasn’t the core lesson that God wanted. He wanted them to place their trust in Him, so that when He came calling, they wouldn’t be hightailing it into the woods to avoid Him. And as they discovered that the animals they were offering for their sins represented His Son, their lost trust would be restored, and they would never run away again.

Can we understand God’s inner emotions? The grief He experienced? The pain of loss? The incredible loneliness? The horrible disappointment?

So, how is all of this sitting with you? Are you able to trust Him? He’d love to have you trusting in Him. What do you think? If you know that He gave His only Son to die for you and your sins, isn’t He worthy of your trust?