1. Introduction
The work presented here began as a private reflection on the first few chapters of the first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis. As I read through chapter 3, I was struck by the curious absence of God on that tragic day when Satan, the ultimate embodiment of evil in the universe, made his first appearance in biblical history to deceive Adam and Eve. Where was God on that day?
God’s absence was especially notable considering that Adam and Eve, freshly created by Him, likely had not yet gained the experience or maturity needed to resist the devil’s temptation. After all, doesn’t the Word of God tell us that it is through practice and training that one matures and acquires the discernment to recognize the devil’s deception? This is stated in the Epistle to the Hebrews: “Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong” (Hebrews 5:14 NLT). But how much training had Adam and Eve really received, given that they had been created only recently? Wasn’t God setting an impossibly high standard for them if He had expected them to fend for themselves successfully against such a cunning adversary?
This tragic event in the Garden of Eden has plunged the whole world into misery and chaos. And God was apparently doing next to nothing on that day to prevent this calamity from taking place. That God was negligent is out of the question. For His Word reminds us that He “never slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalm 121:4). He constantly watches over His people. So, why was God absent or hidden on that tragic day?
In contemporary Christian apologetics, the hiddenness of God is a common topic for debate. This debate generally revolves around the question that if God truly exists, why His presence isn’t more tangible and obvious, especially to people who would not resist a relationship with Him?[1] However, God’s hiddenness in Eden is irrelevant to the issue of His existence or non-existence. This is because God’s existence was clearly not in doubt to Adam and Eve (and certainly not to Satan). What needs to be investigated, presupposing God’s existence, is the reason for His absence and apparent non-intervention on that fateful day.
As we delve deeper into this, an important insight from Paul K. Moser is worth highlighting. He notes that divine non-intervention in human affairs, for various reasons, is actually quite commonplace throughout the Scriptures (for example, Deuteronomy 31:16–19 and 32:19–20, Psalm 10:1, 30:7, 44:23–24, 89:46, and 104:27–29, Isaiah 45:15 and 59:2, and Micah 3:4).[2] Even Jesus Himself experienced God’s hiddenness and absence when He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34).
However, God’s absence in regard to Satan’s temptation of the first humans in the Garden of Eden stands out as a unique event because it was the sole event that resulted in the sweeping curse of Genesis 3:16–19 for the whole world. Ever since, humanity has been thrust into chaos and misery because of this singular primordial event. And if we are seeking the meaning of life and trying to understand the reason for our existence in this world of suffering, our search must begin with this event in which God was conspicuously absent to forestall the global calamity. So, why was God absent?
Other questions began to emerge as I pondered this crucial event. For example, why did God warn Adam and Eve about the danger of eating from the forbidden tree (Genesis 2:16–17), but did not warn them about Satan who would show up later to tempt them into sin? And why does God bless Christians today with elaborate teachings about Satan and his evil schemes (for example, 2 Corinthians 2:11, 1 Peter 5:8 and Ephesians 6:11–12), but did not offer the same teaching to Adam and Eve? Did they not need such teaching as much as Christians do today, if not more?
And what if God had told Adam and Eve about His willingness to forgive sinners, prompting their repentance after their disobedience? Could the divine curse of Genesis 3:16–19, which resulted in untold suffering for all future generations have been averted? But as we well know, God was once again completely silent on the crucial matter of forgiveness and reconciliation that day. This is indeed striking if we consider that, long before Christ shed His blood on the cross for the forgiveness of sins, God was already offering forgiveness to His people in the Old Testament (for example, Leviticus 16:30, Numbers 14:19–21, Psalm 103:8–12, Proverbs 28:13, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Isaiah 43:25, Jeremiah 31:34 and 33:8). So, why was this message of divine forgiveness not conveyed to Adam and Eve? The sin of Adam and Eve could have been easily removed from them “as far as the East is from the West,” as Psalm 103:12 suggests.
By all accounts, it certainly looks like God could have done just a little bit more before pronouncing that dreadful curse of Genesis 3:16–19. So, why didn’t He? Why did God treat Adam and Eve so differently compared to people of later generations?
The issue at hand is not whether Adam and Eve were responsible for their rebellion—they clearly were. They were created with free will and had freely made the conscious decision to rebel against God. That they should bear full responsibility for their decision is not in question. Also, because of their free will, God cannot be implicated in their disobedience. However, as an omniscient Being, God surely must have known from the very beginning that Adam and Eve would sin against Him, resulting in untold misery for all generations yet to come. Nonetheless, it seems God must have considered it worthwhile to create this world—a world that turns out to be but dystopian.
And so, here is the crux of the problem we must resolve. Can we be convinced to agree with God that our existence is meaningful despite the tragic consequences for humanity He must have foreknown would be initiated so shortly after creation? Is there any reason that could compel us to accept God’s creation is worthwhile, justifiable and reasonable? Can we be persuaded to share God’s sentiments?
These questions have challenged me to deepen my reflection on the character of God and His rationale for creating us in the first place. For surely, if my aim is to better understand His ways and the reason for my existence in this world of turmoil, then I would be remiss as a student of the Bible not to probe deeper into these issues and attempt a response. Moreover, if I claim that God is the ultimate answer to the problem of human suffering and the meaning of life in this world, then it is incumbent upon me (or, for that matter, any follower of Christ) to respond adequately and intelligibly to these issues inherent in the early chapters of the biblical narrative.
At this point, it is appropriate to consider Paul Moser’s words of advice, and that is, we must not “presume to know how a loving God should or must intervene in our world…. A loving God would not, and should not, be bound by superficial human expectations.”[3]
Moser’s advice is well taken. Indeed, we should let God speak for Himself and whatever reasons He might have for being absent on that day in Eden, these reasons must not contradict what He has already revealed in Scripture.
To this end, I put my thoughts in writing to be shared with my fellow believers and comrades in Christ. I have in mind as I write, readers who might have found these issues not only puzzling and unsettling but also to be obstacles that prevented them from giving credence to the Christian Faith.
I must admit that this work is hardly a scholarly treatise by any measure, but a personal reflection on the subject of divine hiddenness in Eden and how it might fit into our understanding of the meaning of life. My prayer is that what I have presented in the following pages might be more than just “two cents’ worth,” perhaps even benefiting a few readers as they seek to make sense of their lives in this troubled world. However, if readers find my presentation implausible or unconvincing, I hope they will understand that my aim is not to persuade anyone to adopt my perspective, but only to stimulate an even deeper conversation and debate. And as we humbly work out our “salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12), may we also bring glory to the One who sacrificed Himself on the cross for our sins.
[1] It was J.L. Schellenberg who famously developed the landmark argument on God’s hiddenness in support of atheism. See J.L. Schellenberg, Divine Hiddenness and Human Reason, Cornell University Press; revised edition, 2006.
[2] Paul K. Moser, Why Isn’t God More Obvious?: Finding the God Who Hides and Seeks, RZIM, 2000, page 4.
[3] Ibid., page 6.