Daily Manna, Year Two · Day 91 · April 1
Where Art Thou
“And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?”
Why does God ask a question when he already knows the answer?
They heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid among the trees. He is not searching the shrubbery. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? The question goes out to a man who has just made himself unfindable, and its shape means Adam speaks first or else stays hidden on purpose.
What comes back is honest about the symptom and silent about the cause. I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. Nothing about the tree. So a second question follows and closes the gap: Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
He keeps doing this. Where is Abel thy brother? put to a man standing on ground that had soaked up his brother. What doest thou here, Elijah? put twice, in a cave, to a prophet who had run for his life. Each time the person has to say their own situation out loud to God.
Whether the first question in the garden is mercy or summons, Genesis does not say, and it is worth refusing to settle. It comes after the eating and before the sentence, and what he opens with is a question, which is worth something.
Father, you know where I am and you are asking anyway. I have been answering about symptoms and going quiet about causes. Ask me again, and wait, and I will come out from among the trees and say the true thing about where I have been. Amen.
Daily Manna runs on a two-year cycle. The year one reading for day 91 is Spirit-Given Power (2 Timothy 1:7).