From Dust To Life Series: The Life No One Expected

Genesis 1-2 begins with the orderly creation which forms the content of the scriptural vision for the future. Genesis 2 is a more detailed account of the creation narrative where we see Adam and Eve in paradise, in the midst of an incredible garden prepared for them by God Himself.

At the end of chapter 2 the Bible makes it clear that marriage is between a man and woman, is divinely ordained by God as an institution where a husband and wife are to be united, committed exclusively to each other, and a relationship to be prioritized over any other human relationship. They were one flesh, equals, and bearers of God's image. They accepted their design and there was no shame in their nakedness - neither physically before each other nor spiritually before God. God created man and woman and blessed them with everything that was very good, everything was the way it was meant to be. They were created innocent and they had nothing to hide nor to protect. Up to this point we can see they had only spoken with each other and with God. But the time of innocence was not to last.

Genesis 3:1-7

1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! 5 For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves waist coverings.

We aren’t sure how long Adam and Eve were in the garden before the serpent suddenly appeared and started a conversation with Eve. Some scholars speculate that since the serpent was already among the animals that the Lord had made, it was in their midst but didn’t stand out in the story until it spoke. Who was this serpent?

In the ancient Near East, serpents could symbolize different things: they could be a symbol of protection, of evil, or of continuing life (shedding of its skin). The serpent’s name in the Hebrew is Nachash, translated = Diviner: someone who foretold the oracles of God on His behalf. Nachash, in this case, would have been a false diviner associated with darkness. Although the serpent is never directly identified as Satan in Genesis 3, it is treated as a personal being who will be at war with the woman and her seed. He is the adversary of God and humankind. His actions are consistent with Job’s adversary in chapter 1 & 2.

The Hebrew brings out that though it was among the other animals, it was not like the other animals. The serpent was described as more cunning, in a sinister sense, than any of the other beasts. The serpent knows divine matters and is wiser than humans using speech to introduce confusion in order to bring humanity under his rule.

The serpent opens a conversation with the woman with Adam standing next to her. He asks her, “Did God really say you (plural) can’t eat from any of the trees in the garden? If God were good why would He give you such a prohibitive command?” The serpent makes God’s words out to be harsh and restrictive. And we see that Eve’s response to the serpent’s accusation wasn’t accurate either. She said, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat but she left out the words “any” and “freely.” The serpent knew how to draw her away from the truth by simply removing a word or phrase and without realizing it her heart was being influenced by his viewpoint. He influenced her into diminishing God’s goodness, to adding to God’s command - making it more stringent, then to downplaying the seriousness of the consequences by leaving out “you will surely die.”

The serpent questioned God’s integrity, goodness, and justice, and portrayed God as somewhat deceptive. God wasn't being completely upfront with them, didn’t really want the best for them, and was keeping the man and woman from reaching their full potential. God was holding something back from them and His plans and ways couldn’t be trusted.