Thoughts On The Love Of God And Adam and Eve

It hasn't been until the last two centuries that the love of God that, instead of His holiness helping define His love, His love has defined His holiness. In other words many Christians believe and present the notion that God is holy because of the way He loves. The idea says that God loves us the way no one else can and will. Therefore, in large, that is what makes Him holy.

It is true that God loves sinners in a way that only He can. But that is a far cry from understanding His holiness. It is one thing to say that God has infinite love and compassion on people that cannot be experienced elsewhere. But it is quite another to identify His holiness or His being in primarily (or only) those terms.

It has never been that way biblically and historically. Men have always had a difficult time understanding how an absolute holy God could love people of whom He says, "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds" (Je 17:9–10). 


Adam and Eve post fall were no different. Before the treachery, the great rebellion, the act of defiance they enjoyed the interaction they had with God. He loved them and they loved Him and interacted with Him. But after they sinned and betray their God we find that they fear Him. They attempt to hide from God in fear and terror:

Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 

 And 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. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself” (Ge 3:6–10 emphasis mine). 

Oh, something changed. Now they were hiding in fear of God. I believe it was genuine fear. Not as some assert that it was they were embarrassed only because they disappointed God. Although I believe that has some bearing but they really did now fear God. The act of sin changed everything. They (and all humanity with them) became "dead in their trespasses and sins." Their hearts, thoughts, emotions all effected by sin. They became corrupt. They defied their Maker. The One that loved and created them. He kept them in His presence and interacted with them. Then they become turncoats. Traitors. Committing evil against Him.

That is why they cowered in fear. They knew how infinitely holy He is. They know nothing evil or wrong resides in His being. He is pure, righteous, just and good. They on the other hand mad themselves the exact opposite.

What was God's  response? It wasn't just to brush it all aside and say, "don't worry I love you." No, His holiness takes precedence in the account. He immediately brings justice and pronounces curses on all guilty parties:

The LORD God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” 

To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”

And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return "(Ge 3:14–19). 

Clearly the holiness of God is emphasized here. It is on display. He acted for His own sake. He brings swift justice and judgment so that we may know He is the Lord. God's concern is for His glory because He is, "holy, holy, holy." There is none, nor will ever be, any like Him.

After the display of His holiness in there judgement we see Him turn and act in love. After bringing curses upon them He then turns and provides a temporary atonement to foreshadow the ultimate atonement of Christ. A promise given back in the curse of the serpent (Ge. 3:15). They needed to be clothed (proof of the need for the imputed righteousness of Christ). We find God lovingly, graciously and mercifully providing it through through the killing of an animal and covering them with the skins. Of course this was to foreshadow the killing of His own Son to glorify His name in the salvation of His people; by washing them in His blood and clothing them with His righteousness (imputation).

Do you now see how much more God's love is meaningful viewed in light of His holiness? How much more glory He receives in lavishing it upon His sheep? How much more loved we are than the overly humanistic idea of what passes for "love?" How much more His love says about Him than us yet does not nullify the meaning of His love for us?

This is why we can plead to the stead fast love of God. Why we can at the same time plead that He do it for His own goodness. That it is about His glory but yet He glorifies His name in His love for us:

   Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD! Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. For your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great (Ps 25:7–11 emphasis mine).

The problem we are encountering today is the notion of "self-love" from understanding God's "love" for us.
Here Alistair Begg notes:

Consider the preoccupation so many have with finding a church that will "meet their needs," matched by the feverish attempt of many churches to find out what their "customers" want and then to supply it. And what about the almost wholesale acceptance of the notion that learning how to love ourselves is the key to loving God and others? What the apostle Paul described to Timothy as an essential problem-"in the last days [people] will be lovers of themselves" (2 Timothy 3:1-2)-has come to be seen as a solution. How different this is from the perspective of John Calvin: "Man never achieves a clear knowledge of himself unless he has first looked upon God's face, and then descends from contemplating Him to scrutinize himself."*

The sovereign Lord is indeed, "holy, holy, holy" and his love must be understood in light of it. His holiness should not be understood in light of His love. May we say along with David, "For your name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great."


Soli Deo Gloria!

For His Glory,
Fernando

*Alistair Begg. Made For His Pleasure: Ten Benchmarks of a Vital Faith (Kindle Locations 74-75). Kindle Edition.