1. Introduction
The work presented here began as a private reflection on the early chapters of the first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis. As I read through chapter 3, I soon noticed that God was curiously absent on that tragic day when Satan, the ultimate evil in this universe, showed up for the first time in biblical history to deceive Adam and Eve.
Where was God on that day? God’s absence was remarkable given that Adam and Eve, whom God had just created, would likely not have sufficient time to gain the needed experience of mature adults “who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:14 ESV). Therefore, wasn’t God setting the bar a bit too high for them if He had expected them to fend for themselves successfully against Satan? Indeed, it was largely due to this momentous event in the Garden of Eden that 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 it is indeed true that God exists, why isn’t His presence 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 investigate, an insight by Paul K. Moser is worth mentioning. 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, “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. Humanity ever since has been thrust into chaos and misery because of this single primordial event. And if we are struggling for the meaning of life and searching for 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 on 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 is it that God would 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? Didn’t Adam and Eve need such information as much as Christians do, if not more?
And what if God had told Adam and Eve about His willingness to forgive sinners and thus elicited their repentance in the wake of their disobedience? Could the divine curse of Genesis 3:16–19 that resulted in untold suffering for all future generations have been averted? But as we well know, God was once again completely silent in regard to this crucial topic of forgiveness and reconciliation on that day. This is indeed striking if we consider the fact that long before Christ shed His blood on the cross for the forgiveness of sins, God was already offering forgiveness for 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). The sin of Adam and Eve committed in Eden could have been easily removed from them “as far as the East is from the West” as suggested in Psalm 103:12. By all accounts, it sure does look like God could have done just a little bit more before pronouncing that dreadful curse. So, why didn’t He? Why did God treat Adam and Eve so differently compared to people of later generations?
The point at issue here is not the culpability of Adam and Eve for their rebellion. They were created with free will and had freely made the choice 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, God who is omniscient obviously had known well in advance even before creation 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 to attempt a response. Moreover, if I claim that God is the ultimate answer to the question 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 on my 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.