The First Impossible Mission: Hiding from God

“The first ‘Mission Impossible’ attempted by a human being was the attempt to hide from Almighty God.” — R. C. Sproul

The Bible begins the story of humanity with a beautiful picture of fellowship between God and man. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve lived in the presence of their Creator. There was no fear, no shame, no guilt, and no reason to hide. They enjoyed unhindered fellowship with God. But everything changed when sin entered the world.

After Adam and Eve disobeyed God's command and ate of the forbidden fruit, their eyes were opened. For the first time, they experienced shame. Their innocence was gone, and their relationship with God was broken. Genesis 3:8 says, “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.” This was humanity's first attempt at an impossible mission: hiding from God.

Adam and Eve had lived in God's presence before. The same God whose voice they now feared was the God with whom they had previously enjoyed fellowship. The difference was sin. Sin changed their perception of God. The presence that had once been their joy became something they wanted to escape. The voice they had once welcomed became something they feared. Sin does that. It causes sinners to run from the very One they most desperately need.

Adam and Eve thought they could hide among the trees, but they were forgetting a fundamental truth about God: there is nowhere we can go where He cannot see us. David expressed this truth beautifully in Psalm 139:7: “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?” David understood what Adam and Eve had failed to understand. There is no hiding place from God.

We can hide from people. We can conceal our actions from our friends, our families, and even from those closest to us. We can create secret accounts, private conversations, and hidden places that no human being can access. But we cannot hide from God. He sees what no one else sees. He knows what no one else knows. He searches the heart and tries the inward parts.

Adam's attempt to hide from God was not the last time humanity tried it. People have been trying to hide from God ever since. Some hide behind religion. They attend church, sing hymns, pray prayers, and perform religious duties while keeping their hearts far from God. Others hide behind morality. They compare themselves with people they consider worse than themselves and conclude that they must be acceptable because they are “good people.” Some hide behind busyness, filling their lives with work, entertainment, social media, and endless activity so that they never have to stop and think about God. Others hide behind intellectual arguments, wealth, success, relationships, or personal achievements.

But all these hiding places are as ineffective as Adam's fig leaves. Proverbs 15:3 says, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” You may hide your sin from your parents. You may hide it from your spouse. You may hide it from your pastor. You may even hide it from yourself. But you cannot hide it from God.

One of the most remarkable things about Genesis 3 is that after Adam sinned, God came looking for him. Genesis 3:9 says, “And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?” God knew exactly where Adam was. The question was not asked because God lacked information. It was a call to Adam to come out of hiding. “Where art thou?” It is one of the most important questions ever asked.

God was not asking Adam about his geographical location. He was confronting him about his spiritual condition. Adam had been created for fellowship with God, but now he was hiding from Him. The same question comes to every sinner today: Where are you? Where do you stand before God? Are you hiding behind religion? Are you hiding behind your good works? Are you hiding behind excuses? Are you hiding behind the sins you refuse to surrender? Are you hiding behind the belief that you have plenty of time?

The good news of the Gospel is not that you can successfully hide from God. You cannot. The good news is that the God from whom you cannot hide is also the God who offers mercy and forgiveness. After Adam's sin, God did not simply abandon humanity. Even in the midst of judgment, God gave the first promise of redemption. Genesis 3:15 points forward to the coming Seed of the woman who would ultimately crush the serpent.

The Bible's story from Genesis to Revelation is the story of God's redemptive work in Christ. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. He came to do what Adam could not do. Where Adam failed, Christ succeeded. Where Adam disobeyed, Christ obeyed. Where Adam brought condemnation, Christ brings justification. Where Adam hid from God, Christ opened the way for sinners to come boldly into God's presence.

The answer to our sin is not hiding. The answer is repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. We do not need to pretend before God, because He already knows everything about us. We cannot successfully conceal our guilt, but we can confess it. We cannot save ourselves, but Christ can save us. We cannot make ourselves righteous, but Christ offers righteousness to those who trust in Him.

The first “Mission Impossible” failed because hiding from God has always been impossible. Yet there is another mission that is not impossible: coming to God through Jesus Christ. You do not need to hide. You do not need to pretend. You do not need to trust in your own goodness. Come acknowledging your guilt. Come confessing your sin. Come trusting in Christ.

The God who called, “Where art thou?” is still calling sinners today. The question is not whether God sees you. He does. The question is whether you will continue hiding, or whether you will come out of hiding and run to the Savior. You cannot hide from Almighty God, but through Jesus Christ, you can be reconciled to Him.