The Face of God and the Choice of Adam

As it has been said, according to common understandings, so that they might turn back. This fearful thing happens appropriately to those who have approached. For the light of truth flourishes in one existing in virtue, never occurring in a dark state—for indeed it is possible to hear the holy one saying: 'Out of the night my spirit breaks toward you, O God' (Ps 44:23), and 'God, my God, toward you I break toward the dawn' (Ps 57:8), and 'In the morning I will come to you and will see you' (Ps 43:4)—but then the hour becomes fearful and dark during the passing evening, when someone establishes himself outside the light, becoming in ignorance and wickedness, as the God says toward the sinning soul: 'I have made your mother like the night' (cf. Lam 1:2). And some become children of the night and of darkness, so that to the one sinning, the darkness from ignorance, impiety, and wickedness is present.

And it is shown how the light has not continuously abandoned them, in the saying that they heard the fearful voice of God walking. For those having the sense of perception receive a somewhat dim state, not having entered into complete ignorance, but being awakened by the philanthropy of God while the hidden thing still strikes them, so that from this they might come into knowledge, as to learn that 'weeping may tarry for the evening, but joy comes in the morning' (Ps 30:5), so that thus it might also be said concerning such people as if one were perceiving some evils: 'Late her voice cried out' (cf. Lam 2:19); for from this it will happen that the repentant come to the light, as to say: 'This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it' (Ps 118:24).

Having heard, therefore, the voice of the Lord walking, as it has been said, they fled from the face of the Lord God. But the face of the Lord God is not said to be anthropomorphic; for it has been said: 'God is Spirit' (John 4:24); and spirit is not composed of parts, such that one of them is called a face or something else of human members. For it is not proper to perceive the voices concerning God in a human way, because of our useful having said it thus. And it is nothing wonderful if these things are said concerning God, when we are thus taught even concerning sensible things. For in Proverbs it has been written: 'Death and life are in the power of the tongue' (Prov 18:21), and we do not understand it as the tongue having a hand, but as an energy, which was named its hand; and since it has been said: '...

Some of his own words justify him, and by his own words he is condemned; therefore he says that it is as if in the hand of the tongue—that is, by the word—'death and life' is, when one uses it well or badly. Thus they hid from the face of God, turning away from the pure thought concerning God, not as Cain did; for he went out from the face of God having prepared himself unseen, according to that which is said: 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God' (Ps 14:1). And all those entering into this thoughtlessness are of that concept.

But those hiding are not uncomprehending of the divine knowledge, yet because of the filthiness of sin they do not have boldness; some are being despised, but the holy, having a free conscience before the Lord, are as to say: 'The Lord lives, before whom he stood' (1 Sam 25:6); but concerning those sinning it is said: 'They turned their heads toward me and not their faces' (Ps 51:5), which it was necessary that they might happen to stand as priests and as angels, always seeing the face of the Father in the heavens. And it is possible by another sense to take 'And they hid from the face of God,' that our face is the Only-begotten Son, being his icon and character of the substance. For he having seen this one saw the Father. It is necessary therefore for them all to do things upon keeping the image according to the icon, according to which he was created. Wishing to transgress the commandment, they turned away from being enlightened from the icon of God. And rightly they flee under the tree, they who are in the midst of the paradise, which was the known good and evil. For he hiding the face of God, as to not work virtue but to be shaped, hides under hypocrisy. For he knowing good and evil, as to not distinguish and to choose the good, thus having a mind of indecision, hides God, shaping virtue.

And the Lord God called Adam and said to him: 'Where are you?' And he said to him: 'I heard the sound of you walking in the paradise and I was afraid, because I am naked, and I hid.' And he said to him: 'Who told you that you are naked, if not from the tree, of which I commanded you alone not to eat, from it you ate?' And Adam said: The...