If God is everywhere, how could Adam and Eve hide from the presence of the Lord in Gen. 3:8?

– Lesley, Bahrain

DR. GEORGY’S RESPONSE:

The Bible teaches that God is omnipresent, that He is present everywhere at the same time (Ps. 139:7–10; Jer. 23:23-24). Nevertheless, He has manifested Himself in certain places at certain times through things which could be experienced by the human senses, such as a burning bush (Exod. 3), the pillar of fire (Exod. 13:21), smoke in the temple of God (Isa. 6), etc. This verse in question is not speaking of the omnipresence of God, but of a visible manifestation of God. It is in this sense that one can ‘hide from the presence of the Lord’ or can be ‘driven out from God’s presence’ (Gen. 3:24).