Saturday 30 September 2017

Psalm: Psalm 92

Background

God called to the man in the garden saying, "Where are you?" (Genesis 3:9). The response from Adam was thathe had hidden out of fear of God and from the recognition that hewas naked.

In a way this question, "Where are you?" is God's perpetualquestion to human beings, who, from the very start, have insistedon going their own way. Yes, God's creatures insist on going theirown way, but as both Old and New Testament Scriptures bear witness,God does not, at any point, give up on them but seeks them out andcares for them.

God went the extra mile to make leather garments for the nakedAdam and Eve (Genesis 3:21) having taken pity on them andtheir paltry efforts to make clothing out of fig leaves (Genesis 3:7).

Yet this chapter also provides an explanation of why human lifeis not easy or comfortable. The effects of human disobedience,according to Genesis 3:16-17, impact differently on men andwomen. For Eve and those who followed her, the penalty ofdisobedience will be the pain of childbirth and for Adam and thosewho follow him, it will be that work will (at times) become awearying toil.

Then at the end of the chapter there is a reference about theother tree in the garden, the tree of life.

Adam and Eve seem not to have touched this tree - perhaps theywere waiting and would only be tempted to do so when they felttheir life coming to an end. God, we read, stopped them from eatingthe tree of life … and this is hardly surprising. How deeplytroubling it would be if people who had declared their independenceof God went on living for ever.

To Ponder

• Do you experience moments when God is seeking you and asking,"where are you?"? What is your response?

• The tree of life - it seems we are now trying to manufacturethe fruits of this tree so that we go on living longer and longer.Do you see this as a benefit or as a problem? Why?