“他说：‘我在园中听见你的声音，我就害怕；因为我赤身露体，我便藏了。’” - 创 3:10

想像一下这样的场景。一个孩子做了一些他知道不应该做的事情。也许他弄坏了不应该玩的东西。他知道一旦被父母发现就会有麻烦，所以他躲在壁橱里，或在后院，甚至可能躲在树上的堡垒里，希望能逃避他行为的后果。

亚当和夏娃得罪了神。他们知道神告诉他们不要吃园中那棵树上的果子。但他们受了诱惑，还是吃了那棵树上的果子。就像害怕父母的孩子一样，亚当和夏娃躲避神，希望能逃避他们行为的后果。亚当和夏娃害怕神会因为他们的不顺从而对他们说什么或做什么。

他们的罪当然有后果——我们今天仍然在经历这后果——但神也有宽恕和恩典。神继续照顾他们。祂并没有让他们自生自灭。事实上，从他们犯罪的那一刻起，神就开始塑造历史，让亚当和夏娃以及他们所有的孩子与自己和解。

虽然神憎恶罪恶，但祂爱我们，并不遗余力地使我们回到祂身边。

宽恕和恩典是神每天给祂子民的礼物。

祷告

仁慈的神，我们经常犯罪得罪你。但你的恩典和怜悯在我们的生活中比比皆是，所以我们不需要害怕。为此我们献上感恩。阿们。

创世记 3:1-13

1耶和华神所造的，唯有蛇比田野一切的活物更狡猾。蛇对女人说：“神岂是真说，不许你们吃园中所有树上的果子吗？”
2女人对蛇说：“园中树上的果子我们可以吃，
3唯有园当中那棵树上的果子，神曾说：‘你们不可吃，也不可摸，免得你们死。’”
4蛇对女人说：“你们不一定死！
5因为神知道你们吃的日子眼睛就明亮了，你们便如神能知道善恶。”
6于是女人见那棵树的果子好做食物，也悦人的眼目，且是可喜爱的，能使人有智慧，就摘下果子来吃了；又给她丈夫，她丈夫也吃了。
7他们二人的眼睛就明亮了，才知道自己是赤身露体，便拿无花果树的叶子，为自己编做裙子。
8天起了凉风，耶和华神在园中行走，那人和他妻子听见神的声音，就藏在园里的树木中，躲避耶和华神的面。
9耶和华神呼唤那人，对他说：“你在哪里？”
10他说：“我在园中听见你的声音，我就害怕，因为我赤身露体。我便藏了。”
11耶和华说：“谁告诉你赤身露体呢？莫非你吃了我吩咐你不可吃的那树上的果子吗？”
12那人说：“你所赐给我与我同居的女人，她把那树上的果子给我，我就吃了。”
13耶和华神对女人说：“你做的是什么事呢？”女人说：“那蛇引诱我，我就吃了。”

I Was Afraid

"He answered, 'I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.'" - Genesis 3:10

Picture the scenario. A child does something that they know they aren’t supposed to do. Maybe they broke something they weren’t supposed to play with. They knew they were going to be in trouble when a parent found out, so they hid in a closet, or in their backyard, or maybe even in a tree fort, hoping to escape the consequences of their actions.

Adam and Eve sinned against God. They knew that he had told them not to eat from one of the trees in the garden. But they gave in to temptation and ate the fruit of that tree anyway. Like children afraid of a parent, Adam and Eve hid from God, hoping to escape the consequences of their actions. Adam and Eve were afraid of what God might say or do to them because of their disobedience.

While there certainly were consequences for their sin—consequences that we still experience today—there was also forgiveness and grace. God continued to care for them. He didn’t just leave them to themselves. In fact, from the moment of their sin God began to shape history toward reconciling Adam and Eve and all of their children to himself.

While God hates sin, he loves us and has gone to extraordinary lengths to bring us back to him. Forgiveness and grace are God’s gifts to his people every day.

Prayer

Gracious God, we sin against you all too often. But your grace and mercy abound in our lives, so we don’t need to be afraid. And for that we give thanks. Amen.