Genesis 3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
Adam heard the voice of God walking in the garden. A voice walking is a strange mix of metaphors: voices don’t walk. The Man knew the Presence of God was nearby, whatever that meant to Adam in his new state of sin and separation (death).
The voice of God asked, ”Where are you?” Of course God knew where he was, and why, but the Lord wanted to give Adam a chance to turn and repent. If he had, God may have forgiven him and restored him to Paradise Life. We don’t know, but, in any case, the Man did not admit his guilt and repent of his sin. Instead of repentance, Adam chose to blame God for his situation and make excuses. He was afraid!
He was afraid of God because he was naked. ”Naked before God” is a symbol of the impossibility of our standing before Holiness only with our Sin. And Adam felt that shame: he was afraid. But we sing: ”Nothing in my hands I bring; simply to Thy cross I cling,” and ”Naked come to Thee for dress.” I come into the Presence under the Cross, washed in the Blood, and clothed in God’s Righteousness.
If God appears to me while I remain in my own pride and righteousness, exposed in my sin and shame, I should be afraid. But if I stand in the Blood and Righteousness of Christ I am bold, confident, and unafraid. We confront two opposite understandings of fear: in Adam, I am afraid; in Christ, I fear God. “Fearing God” in the Bible means believing God and driven to trust God’s mercy for Christ’s sake. Afraid of God hears only the Law. True Fear of God hears also the Gospel. Fear is the wrong response, but proper fear is the right response.