The First Rhetorical Question
But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:9 ESV
Where – Some time ago we learned that Hebrew has two words for “where.”[1] God’s question, the first question in the Tanakh, is not about Adam’s location. It is about God’s surprise that Adam is not where he is supposed to be. This fact alone requires us to re-examine the text.
First we notice that the sentence begins with a Vav attached to the verb qara’. There are two semantic domains for this verb. The first is “to call, to call out.” That’s how it’s translated here. But the second domain of the same spelling means “to encounter, to be against.” TWOT notes: “This root denotes a planned encounter wherein the subject intentionally confronts the object.”[2] Perhaps we could translate, “And YHVH Elohim encountered the man and said to Him.” Certainly God is intentional. He has expectations that are not being met by the other party in the relationship. Is covenant already broken? Do you imagine that God is searching for the man, calling out his name? Hardly! The choice of interrogative precludes that. God is confronting Adam. Even the translator’s rendition of the Vav seems unwarranted. This is not a chance meeting or an opposing circumstance. This is on purpose.
Now we must examine the question again. The communal relationship of YHVH and the couple has been disturbed. The expectation of transparent conversation and fellowship is absent. Adam has withdrawn, not God. YHVH is where He intends to be, but the man is missing. God’s covenant faithfulness continues. Man has turned away. The question presupposes that in this regard the purpose of the man’s existence is to be in the presence of God. Sin has not diminished God’s expectation, but it has defiled the man so that the man removes himself. The man steps away from relationship expectation and obligation and isolated himself. The fact that God, who certainly already knows the circumstances, uses the interrogative ‘ayyeh rather than ‘eypoh indicates that God has not abandoned the relationship. Adam has turned away from God, not the other way around. God expects an encounter, even after Adam’s sin. Adam flees from the presence of the divine because he is no longer equipped for community, even with his wife. Adam defiles himself by not engaging God in spite of his sin.
Too often we think that sin removes God from our lives. Just the opposite is true. We are the ones who hide, even from the God who expects us to encounter Him in our sin. We bring about our own isolation by denying the essential communal character of our existence. We fail to realize that alone was never part of the design.
Topical Index: where, ‘ayyeh, encounter, Genesis 3:9
[1] https://skipmoen.com/2009/05/26/where-are-you/
[2] Coppes, L. J. (1999). 2064 קָרָא. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (811). Chicago: Moody Press.
WHY do we hide? I know I hide because I am believing something, on some level, that IS NOT TRUE, which means I have already been listening to Radio Satan, and his accusing propaganda. I have already bitten the bait: some aspect of the yetzer ha-ra has been stroked; has risen its needy, greedy self from the ashes I consigned it to yesterday to feed again on the lies it must subsist on to maintain its very existence.
I am praising YHVH right now for the knit of this community! We can be dedicated to coming out of our collective woodwork TOGETHER, for it takes a community to achieve a true nudist colony (sorry!). What I really mean, not to shock anybody, but if you go take a long hard look at your (and I am right there with everybody else!) ‘natural’ (LOL!) aversion to the Truth, is it not because we are cringing from undressing in the presence of another Person? The problem of turning away from the Law is because it has the task of undressing us; of showing us the fig leaves we went and picked for our ‘selves’ – that artificial construct we came up with in an attempt to establish an unholy kingdom in this corner of the universe. Without that Law, however, we have no means to strip WITH. (Try confessing your sin if you cannot even define it, much less find it!) The Law is the mirror that shows us WHERE we are attempting to employ the fig leaves instead of the Blood (now HERE is a good use for the Blood! We knew there was one!) It is a fact that we cannot be correctly dressed in the robes of Yeshua’s righteousness for that Feast if we have not taken the fig leaves off first, and exposed our NAKEDNESS – not our ‘selves’ (now THERE is a spectacle for men and angels all right! At least from our perspective!) and taken a thorough mikvah (bath) in that Blood! Halleluah! (Side note – I mean, question! It is not a little curious to me that the mikvah, which included a ritual bath for women after menstruation – which is the blood of unfruitfulness – is HOW the Blood is offered for use to us. Can anyone elucidate on this one for me? Thanks! I know I have not read Crossword Puzzles, and I want to get it, but don’t have the budget yet! I am going to!)
If the Hebrew definition of the word perfection has to do with completion, then I must get the picture of an exquisitely drawn portrait out of my head (that would be that SELF – the yetzer ha-ra), and instead picture something more along the lines of those first puzzles we do with our children; I mean those simple pictures you cut in half and invite them to put back together. That’s it. No matter what wavy line we slice that picture with, all that is required is that we match that cut – that tear in the whole. If I have sinned, the tear is the line of confession. If I have benefited, the tear will be at the place of gratitude. If I am lonely, the tear is the place where I invite Him in to that loneliness. To dance well, we have to be able to figure out how to match the steps. Oh, and if I have attempted to put the yetzer ha-ra in the place where my tear is with Him, then I must tear again.
We push through the seething crowd
Hearts that ache with the echoing loneliness
Of a desert at midnight.
With no reference points, we pass
Like ships in the night.
So like a stranger I came
And like a stranger I gathered you
To your knees you fell
And on my knees I followed you
The way you could not see
So the Way I became for you
I saw your sight-blinding fears
With eyes filled with tears.
But you spat at my face
And clawed at my hair
Because you didn’t know that I was there
For you.
You set out to figure the problems of the universe
Because you could not see
The problem
Of you
Without me.
Like a hog-wild boar
Like a whore you tore
The veil of our sacredness.
Laurita,
You have the ability to put a magnifying glass to the teaching, and expose an additional way of applying it. I am inspired by your posts, and appreciate your transparency and ability to speak words that make me see myself.
This community is essential to my spiritual wholeness! Thank you all.
Thank you, Gayle; that means a lot to me. I don’t want to be out of order, or start any bunny trails. I just want to repeat the echoes I hear in this Beit. Thank you for yours.
Great thoughts well written and amazing poem Laurita! thank you for sharing it. Shalom to all 🙂
Really enjoyed this post, Skip, and your comments, Laurita. I’m busy reading Crossword Puzzles and highly recommend it. Would be happy to send you my copy when I’m done.
Rich, thank you. I would treasure the book if you did give it to me, and would want to share it too! I would be honored. If you want my address, you could email me at lauritahayes@gmail.com.
Bless you, brother.
When God “seems” far away.. guess who moved?
~ And lo, I AM with you (ALWAYS) even unto the end of the ages.. ~
~ He will tend His flock like a Shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young ~
He sought me, and He bought me, with His redeeming blood..
He loved me, e’re I knew Him and all my love is due Him..
He plunged me to Victory, beneath the cleansing flood.
Savior, like a Shepherd, -lead us..
Much we need Thy tender care..
~ For you have been bought with a price.. ~
~ If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;
– knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers..
but with precious blood, as of a Lamb unblemished and spotless,
the blood of The Messiah..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5XCE_NYr0A
Even in English we use the words, “Where is” to mean, “Why is”.
At a staff meeting, if John Doe is expected to be there but is not, the chairman might well ask, “Where is John Doe? even though everyone knows he couldn’t care less where he is but is really asking, “Why is John not here?”
Context is everything.
OMG! This one hit me in the gut like a grown man….you have successfully rebuked me and opened my eyes….THANK YOU Skip Moen!