![[#39] Genesis 3:1-7 – The Shrewd, the Food, and the Nude](https://redeeminggod.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/the-serpent-150x150.jpg)
Why was the serpent in the Garden? If the serpent was Satan, as some New Testament passages teach, why did God allow the serpent to be there in the Garden, knowing that it would tempt Adam and Eve? What’s going on here?
It is these sorts of questions we consider today in this episode of the One Verse Podcast. Listen to this discussion about Genesis 3:1-7 to learn more!
The Text of Genesis 3:1-7
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; “but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”
Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 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 coverings.
In this discussion of Genesis 3:1-7 we look at:
- The cultural background to Genesis 3:1-7
- The symbolism of the serpent in other religions
- Two stories from Babylon about sacred food from the gods
- Why we should not think of the serpent as Satan
Resources:
- Gilgamesh Epic
- Adapa and the Food of Life
- Adam and Adapa: Two Anthropological Characters
- Heiser, The Unseen Realm – Amazon
- Walton, Lost World of Adam and Eve – Amazon
- Wenham, Genesis 1–15 – Amazon or CBD
- Zevit, What Really Happened in the Garden of Eden – Amazon
- Genesis 1:28 – Let Them Have Dominion
- Subscribe and Leave a Review on iTunes
- Partner with Jeremy Myers and RedeemingGod.com
Downloadable Podcast Resources
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An Orthodox Jewish friend of mind pointed out to me once that there is no “devil” in the Old Testament. There is only Satan and the name “Satan” (or “Shatan”) means “tempter” or “tester.” It’s basically a job description.
This is my interpretation: The angel who is named Satan is not a “fallen” angel; he is an angel who is on assignment to try to tempt humans to test our willingness to obey YHWH’s commands. (We don’t need to have our ability to obey tested because we are human and thus have limited ability to obey.) It’s all party of YHWH’s plan for us to fully experience life on Earth, which is a laboratory for us to use to learn something. (I do not have an answer for what.)
The idea of a “devil” who is an opponent of “God” is derived from a Persian idea and it only makes sense if both the “good” entity and the “evil” entity were equally powerful. No sane being would try to stand in opposition to an omnipotent god who could create a universe and everything in it. One might try to argue that “the Devil” is insane but even insane beings have a sense of self-preservation. I believe that the idea of a “devil” or “daemon” infiltrated Hebrew thinking from farther east. I even reject most of the statements made about “the Devil” in the New Testament, though I do accept the story of the temptation of Yehoshua by Satan because that is consistent with Satan’s job as a tempter.
I believe that YHWH wants us to want to behave rightly and do good because we love Him and want to obey, not because we fear eternal damnation. If YHWH really wanted to damn us, then why would he have sent his son, Yehoshua, to tell us that we are saved from damnation through grace? The idea of a “devil” that tempts people to commit acts that will cause their damnation and then torments them eternally after they’ve been damned makes no sense if YHWH is benevolent. The only reason that the teaching of a “devil” exists in my opinion is because it is a useful tool for religious leaders to use to frighten people into obedience to their edicts.
I have much in common with your Jewish friend. I don’t know about a being assigned to test our willingness to obey God, but I like the idea in general…
Satan and the Devil are one and the same.
“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” (Revelation 12:9)
Actually he is a fallen cherub (Ezekiel 28:12-17).
Jehovah didn’t send His Son to tell us that we are saved from damnation through grace. He came into the world and died a sacrificial death on the cross so that those who believe in Him would be saved (John 3:16). Salvation is a gift that is offered through grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), but each person must believe the gospel for it to be effective (Ephesians 1:13) otherwise they will experience Jehovah’s wrath (John 3:36).
One of the questions I have asked as well.
How about the 1/3 of heaven that followed Satan, there are plenty of demons in our world. You are right saying that Satan will probably not cause oppression , but his demons certainly will.
I like Heiser’s interpretation of the ‘Nachash’ actually being a divine being instead of a ‘snake’. The fact that Eve wasn’t thrown off by the fact that an animal was talking to her, I think, helps give evidence to that interpretation (which I’ve heard on the Naked Bible Podcast and also read in Unseen Realm).