Gen 3:1-7 | 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 3:1-7

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.

The Fall

The serpent manages to mislead the woman by his cunning (2Cor 11:3). Eve no longer sees things as God has said, but as the serpent reflects them on her. Do we not often hear in connection with clear statements from the Word of God: ‘You have to see things differently’? He who surrenders to it loses God’s sight of things and becomes the prey of another. Instead of referring the serpent to Adam, she talks to the serpent herself. She is open to his suggestion. Her answer betrays that the suggestive speaking of the serpent has an effect.

Her answer shows that in her thinking the tree of the knowledge of good and evil stands in the middle of the garden (Gen 3:3), while God has placed the tree of life in the middle of the garden (Gen 2:9). If man has another center than God, it always goes wrong. Her answer betrays another thing: she adds to the commandment of God. God has said that she shall not eat of it; she changes it into not to eat of it and not to touch it. She makes the commandment of God heavier than He has given it.

In summary, we see that the woman says six things that differ substantially from what God has said and intended (Gen 2:16-17):

1. She conceals ‘eat freely’, and only speaks of ‘eat’.

2. She does not speak of ‘any tree’, but of ‘the trees’.

3. She speaks of ‘the fruit of the trees’ instead of the ‘trees’.

4. In her view she places the tree of knowledge of good and evil “in the midst of the garden”, while it is explicitly mentioned that the tree of life stands there (Gen 2:9).

5. She also says: ‘not touch it’, but God has not spoken about this with a word.

6. She says, “you will die,” while God has said, “you will surely die”, which is a much more powerful expression.

We can learn from this that we must follow the example of the Lord Jesus and respond to the enemy in the way He did. We must react spiritually alert and see where the twists and one-sidedness are, where the enemy “adds” or “takes away” (Rev 22:18-19). We may be aware of the power and presence of Him Who said: “The ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me” (Jn 14:30).

The woman’s reaction has given the serpent a wide opening to inject its deadly poison into her. He openly denies the goodness of God and presents Him as One Who withholds the good from man. In fact, he says: ‘God does not really love you.’ This is the greatest conceivable disgrace of God, Who is love: “God is love” (1Jn 4:8 ; 16). Satan has also achieved countless successes with this representation of God.

The woman is now so brainwashed that she takes over the ‘insight’ from satan. She entrusts herself more to satan, as if he has the best of intentions for her, than to God. She judges God according to satan’s lie. She looks at the tree and sees what satan has shown. It is indeed a beautiful fruit. And shouldn’t you be allowed to eat that? God can never have intended that. The desire to take from the fruit is born.

Through desire carried away and lured, satan’s desire for what satan has presented to her takes possession of her: to become wise and therefore to be like God. Desire gives birth to sin and sin brings forth death (Jam 1:14-15). She takes and eats and also gives her husband and he eats too. This is a tragedy with irrevocable, deeply tragic consequences. By their action, they express that they reject God for the enjoyment of a fruit.

Afraid for the LORD God

The result of their deed is that they now indeed know good and evil, as satan had said. Only from this moment on they are no longer able to do good, but only evil. Their eyes are opened, but they see only their nakedness, their own sinfulness. They realize that they can no longer face God in the same way they could before their deed. They find the covering they are looking for in homemade loin coverings of fig leaves.

These loin coverings of fig leaves are still made today by all who have a sense of God but think that they can exist before Him by observing religious obligations. But that is not a covering for God. In Gen 3:10, Adam says, despite his loin covering: “I am naked.” Neither dare Adam and Eve, despite their loin coverings, to face God. For fear of Him they hide when they hear the sound of Him walking in the garden that He is coming. God comes to seek fellowship with man, but sin has made this impossible.