Adam Where you at?

“Adam, Where You At?

It was a simple enough assignment: “Here’s your garden. Work here to cultivate it. Take care of it and protect it.” Pretty simple. But in Genesis 3 everything went haywire.

Read Genesis 3:1-7. Who was tempted in these verses?

Now read Genesis 3:8-9. Whom did the Lord look for in the garden?

If Eve initially ate the fruit, why did God look for Adam?

It’s true that Eve ate the fruit. But curiously, when God came looking for the responsible party, it was Adam he called out to instead of his wife. Evidently, Adam was ultimately responsible. We read in the text, “The LORD God called out to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ ” (3:9). Notice that by using the name LORD God, the writer reasserted God’s authority that Satan had tried to subvert. But also notice that God didn’t call out, “Adam? Eve? Where are y’all?”

Even though Eve sinned first, the question was posed to Adam because he was the one responsible. Adam was accountable as God’s assigned representative to carry out His agenda in the garden.

“Instead of cultivating and protecting, Adam was the first man to exhibit a persistent problem that plagues the men of our day: silence. Up until this point Adam had been doing a lot of talking. He had been naming birds, cows, and fish. But when the snake showed up, Adam had nothing to say.

Now I know what you’re thinking: He wasn’t there! What was he supposed to do, watch his wife day and night?

You sure about that?

Read again Genesis 3:6. Where was Adam when Eve was facing temptation?

The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”

“Does that verse change your view of who was responsible for the first sin? How?

Despite the pictures you might have seen in a children’s Bible, Eve wasn’t alone and vulnerable. Her husband was standing right beside her. The whole time the snake was rapping, Adam was there—silent. Even when Eve turned to him and effectively deposed him as the leader of their home, Adam didn’t say a thing. He just ate.

The disease of silence still afflicts men today. Who is speaking about the discipline of children in the home? Women. Who are the vocal leaders volunteering for leadership in the church? Women. Who is willing to take a stand against immorality in their families? Women. There are exceptions, but too many men operate just like Adam. When it’s time to take a stand, they simply have nothing to say.

Do you feel tempted to remain silent when critical issues arise? Why or why not?

What does a man’s silence say about his view of his role in the world?

“First Adam was silent. Then he hid. In both cases Adam refused to embrace his God-given identity to rule well. Abdicating his authority, he became a follower instead of a leader. Then, when the responsibility finally caught up with him, he resorted to blaming his helpmate.

Read Adam’s response to God’s inquiry in Genesis 3:12.

The woman You gave to be with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate.

What are some ways men today try to shift blame to others?

The problem keeping many men in our culture today from being kingdom men is that they have relinquished their God-given right to rule, either through silence or blame. Instead of loving the fact that they are men and therefore are responsible by nature, they flee from their responsibility. And they always seem to find a reason not to own up to what it means to be a man. As a result, men have given up their opportunity to approach the Christian life as a challenge to conquer and rule well.”

“The problem keeping many men in our culture today from being kingdom men is that they have relinquished their God-given right to rule.

Ask God to show you any areas of your life in which you are not taking responsibility. Record them in your notes.

Can I share the truth with you, friend? You’re a man. As a man, you’re responsible. You’re to take the full responsibility to rule, under God’s authority, for the blessing and benefit of everyone within the domain of your influence. You were created for this. It’s time to reclaim your destiny.

Confess the areas you identified in which you have not taken responsibility. Ask God to forgive you and to give you boldness and wisdom to rule responsibly under His kingship.”

Excerpt From

Kingdom Man (Member Book)

Tony Evans