Starting with Genesis 3:8-10, “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God moving about in the orchard at the breezy time of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the orchard. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, Where are you? The man replied, I heard you moving about in the orchard, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid” (NET – Emphasis mine throughout).
In 2 Samuel 11-12, we have the story of David and Bathsheba, wife of Uriah the Hittite. Earlier, in 2 Samuel 7, God made a covenant with David that his dynasty would be permanent, which indicated his seed (Jesus) would rule forever as a continuation of the covenant with Abraham. Even with this, and all the wives and concubines David had, he saw Bathsheba bathing, and did not resist the temptation; and as a result, she became pregnant.
Try as he might to cover up his sin, David had Uriah brought in from the battlefield and tried to convince him to sleep with his wife. However, Uriah was an honorable man and would not do so as long as his fellow soldiers were in the field of battle fighting for their king. David arranged to have Uriah killed in battle, and then took Bathsheba as his wife.
He couldn’t conceal his sin from God who sent Nathan the prophet to confront David. As a result, David admitted his sin, and accepted responsibility for it. Although the child conceived in the sin died, God kept His promise, as Jesus’ parents descended from two of David’s offspring – Solomon by the wife of Uriah (Matthew 1:6), and Nathan (not the prophet) in Luke 3:31.
So far, we have two definite failures, but the outcomes are different. If we continue the Genesis story with Chapter 3:11-12, “And the Lord God said, who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from? The man said, the woman whom you gave me, she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it” – the difference between these sins against God is, Adam tried to push the blame elsewhere – even toward God Himself – and David accepted the blame as “his sin.”
Because of Adam not accepting responsibility, sin and death entered the world, by which we all still suffer. Because David repented and confessed his sin, God kept His covenant that his blood line would always be there to eventually rule and reign from Jerusalem.
I have wondered, what if Adam had accepted that what he did was wrong, and confessed and asked for forgiveness; would the outcome have been the same? I’m sure there would’ve been discipline, but would it have been as severe? Satan already had fallen, and there was no path for forgiveness for the Heavenly Host who turned against God. As a matter of fact, the Lake of Fire, currently unoccupied, was made specifically for Satan and his demons (Matthew 25:41).
On numerous occasions, people have tried to hide from God, but to no avail. Hebrews 4:13, “And there is no creature hidden from God, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we must render an account.”
Jeremiah 23:24, “Can a man hide himself in hiding places, so I do not see him, declares the Lord. Do I not fill the heavens and the earth, declares the Lord?”
Revelation 6:15:16, “Then the kings of the earth and the great men and commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They said to the mountains and to the rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of the One who is seated on the throne and from the Wrath of the Lamb.”
Job 34:22, “There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.”
And, finally Psalm 139:1-6, “O Lord, you examine me and know. You know when I sit down, and when I get up; even from far away you understand my motives. You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest; you are aware of everything I do. Certainly, my tongue does not frame a word without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it. You squeeze me in from behind and in front; you place your hand on me. Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension; it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it.” (Verses 7-24 continue with the idea that God is everywhere at the same time and sees everything that takes place.)
These aren’t the only verses throughout the Bible that tell us hiding from God is an “Exercise in Futility.” It Just Can’t Be Done! When we sin, God looks for one thing – acceptance of responsibility. Our actions, or lack thereof, is proof of our heart’s intent.
For everyone who has accepted God’s Son, Jesus, as their Savior, He has provided a specific pathway to be forgiven. In 1 John 1:8-10, “If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin (like Adam), we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But, if we confess our sins (as with David), He is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from ALL unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned (Romans 3:23), we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”
This cannot be made plainer. Nothing we think, say or do is hidden from our Father, so don’t even try to hide it.
For all who accept Jesus as their Savior, God knows we will slip and sin until we are off this earth, and in our new “forever” bodies with the absolute new mind-set. Therefore, He gave us 1 John 1:8-10. This does not mean we will totally escape from any consequences for our actions. Hebrews 12:5-6, “And have you forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons? My son, do not scorn the Lord’s discipline, or give up when He corrects you, for the Lord disciplines the one He loves and chastises every son He accepts.”
Remember how God disciplined David, yet He still loved and gave him honors.
He also knew that nothing we could ever do could cover our sins to meet His perfect standards. That’s why Jesus became our perfect sacrifice that the Father would accept. That’s also why Jesus could say with complete authority, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
False prophets and anti-christs are actively trying to turn as many people away from the Trinity as possible. They would have you believe that God is a very old man that sits on a throne, and gives gifts like Santa Claus when someone asks for them. How about 1 Corinthians 1:25, “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human’s strength.” And to say Jesus is not a part of God; John 10:30, “The Father and I are One.”
The season Jesus spoke of when He would return for His Church is rapidly approaching. It could be at any time and even while you are reading this. Therefore, call on the Savior if you already haven’t done so, to forgive you and to thank Him for the gift He gave for us at Calvary. He will turn no one away, but He won’t force His will on anyone either.
By accepting the gift and having Jesus as your Savior, you will in no way have an exercise in futility. If you reject Him, you will have all of eternity with Satan and his demons in the Lake of Fire to regret that decision (Revelation 20:11-15).
L’Chaim, Tovum Ul shalom (For good life and Peace)
Shalom Alechlem (Peace be with You)