Genesis 3:8, God Walks in the Garden

And they heard the sound 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 among the trees of the garden.

//Many times I’ve mentioned, always a bit tongue-in-cheek, that I miss the God who used to play hide-and-seek with his humans in his garden. But what do you really picture as you read this verse? Although I’ve never polled anyone, I suspect every Christian has a little different image in their head when they think of “the sound of God walking.”

Martin Luther, for example, thought it ridiculous to imagine that God actually walked around on feet. Something else must be meant. Adam and Eve heard the sound of wind and animals, which before had seemed benign, but now, because of their fallen state, had become something to be afraid of.

Has Luther gone too far in de-personifying God? Are we still taking the Bible seriously when we don’t take it literally? More on this topic tomorrow.