In Genesis 5:1 it says: He called their name Adam. In other words, when God formed Eve, Adam and Eve were one. There was no division, there was disunity, there was no hiding, there was no deception, there was no dishonesty, there was nothing like that. Actually they just walked in love and openness, and they had a relationship that was intimate, and close with one another, and with God. Every day God would come into the Garden, and they would walk and talk with Him, and enjoy it. They actually had heaven on earth. What an amazing experience, tremendously amazing experience - and so he lived in intimacy, lived in closeness, lived in a most amazing environment; and then the devil came. The devil is the one who wants to orphan us, and this is what he had in mind: I've been orphaned, I'm going to take away these kids of God, I'm going to take away His children, I'm going to destroy His family. So he was subtle. God had given Adam some warnings, given him some boundaries. He gave that, He gave him opportunity to be a steward, and to grow in authority and wisdom and stature.
So He gave him an assignment, a place to work out that assignment, some boundaries around that assignment, and within that, he was to grow up - but of course you remember the story in Genesis 3. We read it there; the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. Well really? Did God say don't eat every tree of the garden? The woman said: well we can eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, but the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden, God said you shall not eat it, nor touch it, you'll die. The serpent said: oh, you won't die. God knows. He knows something that He's not telling you. The day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, you'll be like God. Now that was the very thing that was in Satan's heart: I will be as God; and so he says: oh, you'll be as God. What he's saying, simply is this: you really can't trust God, He's a hold out, and He's not telling that you'll eat that fruit, you know what's going to happen? You'll be like Him. Oh? Oh I don't need God, I could eat the fruit, and I'll actually just be able to be like Him? Whoa, this is awesome!
Now remember, the plan of God is we become like Him, that we grow into His nature. But it's growing through relationship, and walking with Him - but he's saying: here's another way. You don't have to trust God. In fact, I wouldn't trust Him at all. He knows you're not going to die. There are going to be no consequences of sin! Come on, He's holding out on you. What you need is to take this, you need to do this. You need to let go Him being your Father. You need to step out and do something for yourself, just like the Prodigal Son. So they took it and they ate of it, and the moment they ate of it, their eyes were opened; and now suddenly some things have happened. The glory that was on them vanished. That's why they looked and saw they were naked. There was a glory of God's presence upon them; they were not conscious of themselves, they were not conscious of one another, they were conscious of God's love. And what happened, in a moment of time, guilt came in, shame came in, fear came in. They began to cover, they began to hide. When God came, they ran away and hid, and God came and visited them, to find them.
Notice the question that God asked them. He didn't ask them: have you guys broken my laws? He didn't ask them: have you done something wrong? What have you done? He asked them a relational question: where are you? He did not come with judgement in His heart. He did not come with condemnation in His heart. He came as a loving Father, to find His children: where are you? Adam and Eve were hiding, so then He asked a second question: well who told you you were naked? Who have you been talking to? Have you eaten of the tree of knowledge of good and evil? And immediately, Adam, now Adam was faced with this opportunity: He could be responsible, and own his actions, and ask his Father to forgive him; or he could deny responsibility, blame someone else, and refuse to repent, and come back into relationship with his Father. In that moment, he did what men do. Men find it really difficult to say: I was wrong, I am sorry, will you forgive me? It comes right back to Adam.