"Too often we recall that Adam and Eve were cast out of Paradise for disobedience and sin. In one sense this is true, but there is a subtle layer of meaning that we may miss. When God called out to Adam his response was to hide himself in the trees. The story would have been different if instead he had run to God crying out what he had done and asking for forgiveness. In his hiding Adam demonstrates a lack of faith in God’s love. His own sin had coloured even the perception of his Creator." (Father Spyridon Baily)
“One translation of Genesis 3:8 reads, “…Adam and Eve hid themselves within the tree in the middle of the garden from the presence of the Lord.” Notice it says tree and not trees. There were two trees in the middle of the garden. This tree would be the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil that they just ate from disobediently because God sends them from the garden before they could touch the Tree of Life. In a sense, they hid themselves from God within knowledge. We often cocoon ourselves in our own knowledge and intellect and miss either the simple truth of God or the sense of His presence.” (Sacramental Living Blog)
“Our Lord, Jesus Christ, praises His Father…for hiding the Truth from those who think themselves wise, and revealing it to simple children. Today we have more education and information available to us than ever before. We very often hear about, and perhaps know people, who have left Christianity because they think themselves too sophisticated or intellectual to have faith in Christ. The Truth which is Jesus Christ, however, is so simple that the smallest children can understand it.” (Father Stephen de Young)
“If man was to return to God, God had to take the initiative. If God had not sought man out, he would keep going in the same direction-away. This is very clear in the biblical story of Adam's hiding from God immediately after his disobedience. He and all his descendents would still be lying low there in the bushes if God had not come after him, inquiring, "Where are you?" It was not that God did not know where to find Adam. It was Adam who was lost, rather, not God. God knew where Adam was, but Adam didn't. God's query "Where are you?" was intended to wake lost man up to his real situation. As such, it was the first proclamation of the Gospel, the merciful word that began to reverse the direction of man's existence. Indeed, it was the first step toward the mystery of the Incarnation.” (Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon)
“O Lord, the depths of a person’s conscience lie bare before Your eyes. Could anything of mine remain hidden from You, even if I refused to confess it? I should only be shielding my eyes from seeing You, not hiding myself from You.” (St. Augustine)