What more could you ask for?

We’re starting out in Genesis again this week – what a surprise!

I can’t pin down this attribute with just one word – they’re all inadequate. Friendly, sociable, genial, approachable–they all fall short in describing the King of Creation who genuinely enjoys hanging out with us.

When we think of Genesis 3, we tend to either get a sinking feeling about the serpent enticing Eve to sin or the promise of Jesus found in Genesis 3:15. But I also see in Genesis 3 a Father who genuinely enjoys the company of his children.

Now they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. – Genesis 3:8

Yes, Adam and Eve hid, ashamed to let Yahweh Elohim know what they’d done. (As if he didn’t already know.) But back up. We’re not told that the Creator frequently walked with them in the garden, but I think that’s understood.

I love stories, and I’m always trying to flesh out details. At this point, Adam and Eve are the only two people on the planet. They weren’t created as completely helpless babies, but they had a lot to learn. I don’t think they had some download of knowledge. Who were your first teachers? Your parent(s), right?

Who would Adam and Eve learn from? God. Luke’s genealogy of Jesus affirms that Adam is the son (little s) of God. Just think. Who taught them everything they knew? Yahweh! Everything from taking care of the garden to taking care of themselves. And I think He enjoyed it! I bet that just as He got his hands dirty fashioning Adam from dirt, He got dirty showing them how to plant vegetables and clean up after the animals. (I think this was probably a Christophany, an appearing in the flesh of the preincarnate Jesus.)

Not convinced?

Here are some more Old Testament examples of God enjoying His interactions with people:

• With Abraham. He accompanied the angels to Abraham’s tent in Genesis 18 delivering the promise of Isaac. He lingered and ate a meal with Abraham. He gently chided Sarah for laughing – he teased her instead of berating her. And he even promised to come back when Isaac was born. (Genesis 18: 10, 14) Can’t you just picture Yahweh singing Isaac to sleep?
• With Jacob. He wrestled all night with Jacob in Genesis 32. Don’t you know he had a blast?
• With Moses. So the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. – Exodus 33:11a
• With Joshua. He appeared as the Captain of the Lord’s Army  in Joshua 5.
• With Jeremiah. Jeremiah suffered terrible persecution, but Yahweh was his champion.

But the LORD is with me like a powerful champion;

Therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.

They will be put to great shame because they have failed,

An everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten. – Jeremiah 20:11

Why would you choose to worship anyone else?

What about you? What are some of your favorite examples of God’s kindness?