Gen 3:1 | KingComments | STEP | The untouched nature and the state of innocence in which man has lived have been short-lived. As soon as God has finished His work to bless man, satan appears on stage in the form of a serpent. It is his nature to destroy what God has made. The Lord Jesus calls him “a murderer from the beginning” and “a liar and the father of lies” ( ; cf. ). Through man’s unfaithfulness, satan has succeeded in breaking into the relationship between God and man. So it has been with all that God has entrusted to man in grace and blessing. The opportunity to do so always lies in the weak link in that relationship: man. If a man does not trust God completely, he will fall prey to the temptation of satan. However, there has been a Man on whom satan has not been given a hold: the Man Christ Jesus. This Man is the guarantee that everything God has made will be restored and become as He purposed. The deceiver comes in the shape of a serpent to Eve. Adam gave the animals names, thus showing his sovereignty over and his insight in the animals. Adam is along with Eve master of the animals and head of the whole creation. The fact that animals cannot speak and an animal speaks here should have been a clear signal to Eve that this is not the voice of God. Satan uses the serpent as a medium to hide himself. This is the first medium in the history of mankind. Here the world of occultism takes its hold. An important point is the nature of the serpent. Do we have to see the serpent literally or figuratively? A ‘figurative’ serpent leads to an artificial interpretation of the text: 1. The qualification that the serpent was “more crafty than any beast of the field” remains unclear. 2. The judgment about this animal then does not really make any sense. Just look at the parts of it: (a) he has been cursed among all the cattle and all the beasts of the field, (b) he shall go on his belly, (c) he shall eat dust, (d) there will be constant enmity between the serpent and man. 3. The use of speech in other passages that connect to this chapter must be violated ( ; ). When the Lord Jesus says to His disciples, “Be shrewd [or: wise] as serpents” ( ), He certainly does not call us to imitate the “old serpent”, that is, satan! 4. In the case of a ‘figurative serpent’ you can no longer say that the (literal) serpent has deceived Eve by his craftiness, as Paul states ( ). In short, we do not read the Scriptures as the open-minded reader does, who rightly takes the statements about the literal speaking of the literal animal as they are given here. Another question we can ask in this context is whether Paul is wrong when he compares the craftiness of the instrument used by satan in the garden of Eden – the literal serpent ( ) – with that of human instruments of satan ( ). However, there is no question about such a mistake. That becomes clear when we read carefully. He speaks of the craftiness of this instrument of the evil one as the opposite of false apostles, who are servants of satan. We also see a clear distinction between the literal serpent and the satan himself. It does not say that the serpent himself presents himself as an angel of light, but “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” ( )! If we say that in Genesis 3 the manifestation of satan would be a kind of mirage, something that took place in the brain of Eve, it undermines the historic fall into sin. In that case, this chapter only has an exemplary character, like: we are all tempted by satan and then we are faced with important choices. But then man is no longer a fallen creature! Satan chooses Eve as the interlocutor and not Adam. He knows that she is the weak link in the whole. In his teaching on the behavior of men and women in the house of God, Paul refers to what is happening here ( ). Satan opens the conversation with a cunning question. With his question he tries to sow doubt and mistrust in what God has said. His stratagem succeeds. Many times since then satan has asked the question: “Indeed, has God said …?” He has thus defeated countless people. Satan suggests that God has deliberately limited the blessing that man may enjoy in the garden by saying “do not eat of all trees of the garden”. Arithmetically this remark is consistent with what God has said to man ( ). Indeed, God has forbidden to eat from one particular tree, that of the knowledge of good and evil. The cunning way in which the serpent represents the commandment of God comes down to the fact that man may eat from all trees minus one. In this way he suggests a restriction of human freedom. But what exactly did God say? God has said: “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely” ( ). We can understand this as allowed to eat from the abundance of tree fruits. The serpent, however, uses a totally different, misleading formulation. He does not speak of the freedom and blessing of man but shifts the emphasis to limitation. But God did not say so.

‏ Genesis 3:1

Introduction

The untouched nature and the state of innocence in which man has lived have been short-lived. As soon as God has finished His work to bless man, satan appears on stage in the form of a serpent. It is his nature to destroy what God has made. The Lord Jesus calls him “a murderer from the beginning” and “a liar and the father of lies” (Jn 8:44; cf. Rev 12:9).

Through man’s unfaithfulness, satan has succeeded in breaking into the relationship between God and man. So it has been with all that God has entrusted to man in grace and blessing. The opportunity to do so always lies in the weak link in that relationship: man. If a man does not trust God completely, he will fall prey to the temptation of satan.

However, there has been a Man on whom satan has not been given a hold: the Man Christ Jesus. This Man is the guarantee that everything God has made will be restored and become as He purposed.

The Serpent

The deceiver comes in the shape of a serpent to Eve. Adam gave the animals names, thus showing his sovereignty over and his insight in the animals. Adam is along with Eve master of the animals and head of the whole creation.

The fact that animals cannot speak and an animal speaks here should have been a clear signal to Eve that this is not the voice of God. Satan uses the serpent as a medium to hide himself. This is the first medium in the history of mankind. Here the world of occultism takes its hold.

An important point is the nature of the serpent. Do we have to see the serpent literally or figuratively? A ‘figurative’ serpent leads to an artificial interpretation of the text:

1. The qualification that the serpent was “more crafty than any beast of the field” remains unclear.

2. The judgment about this animal then does not really make any sense. Just look at the parts of it:

(a) he has been cursed among all the cattle and all the beasts of the field,

(b) he shall go on his belly,

(d) there will be constant enmity between the serpent and man.

3. The use of speech in other passages that connect to this chapter must be violated (Isa 65:25; Mic 7:17). When the Lord Jesus says to His disciples, “Be shrewd [or: wise] as serpents” (Mt 10:16), He certainly does not call us to imitate the “old serpent”, that is, satan!

4. In the case of a ‘figurative serpent’ you can no longer say that the (literal) serpent has deceived Eve by his craftiness, as Paul states (2Cor 11:3).

In short, we do not read the Scriptures as the open-minded reader does, who rightly takes the statements about the literal speaking of the literal animal as they are given here.

Another question we can ask in this context is whether Paul is wrong when he compares the craftiness of the instrument used by satan in the garden of Eden – the literal serpent (2Cor 11:3) – with that of human instruments of satan (2Cor 11:14-15). However, there is no question about such a mistake.

That becomes clear when we read carefully. He speaks of the craftiness of this instrument of the evil one as the opposite of false apostles, who are servants of satan. We also see a clear distinction between the literal serpent and the satan himself. It does not say that the serpent himself presents himself as an angel of light, but “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light” (2Cor 11:14)!

If we say that in Genesis 3 the manifestation of satan would be a kind of mirage, something that took place in the brain of Eve, it undermines the historic fall into sin. In that case, this chapter only has an exemplary character, like: we are all tempted by satan and then we are faced with important choices. But then man is no longer a fallen creature!

Satan chooses Eve as the interlocutor and not Adam. He knows that she is the weak link in the whole. In his teaching on the behavior of men and women in the house of God, Paul refers to what is happening here (1Tim 2:11-14). Satan opens the conversation with a cunning question. With his question he tries to sow doubt and mistrust in what God has said. His stratagem succeeds. Many times since then satan has asked the question: “Indeed, has God said …?” He has thus defeated countless people.

Satan suggests that God has deliberately limited the blessing that man may enjoy in the garden by saying “do not eat of all trees of the garden”. Arithmetically this remark is consistent with what God has said to man (Gen 2:16-17). Indeed, God has forbidden to eat from one particular tree, that of the knowledge of good and evil. The cunning way in which the serpent represents the commandment of God comes down to the fact that man may eat from all trees minus one. In this way he suggests a restriction of human freedom.

But what exactly did God say? God has said: “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely” (Gen 2:16). We can understand this as allowed to eat from the abundance of tree fruits. The serpent, however, uses a totally different, misleading formulation. He does not speak of the freedom and blessing of man but shifts the emphasis to limitation. But God did not say so.