Gen. 3:1-5
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ”
“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman.
“For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
We all know this bible passage--the few moments preceding the Dawn of man's sin. How often have we read it? Many of us have been told it from our earliest days. Perhaps that's why few of us actually read it with fresh minds. We know what's going on, why take a closer look? Indeed, why? Let's do so now.
"Now, the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman..." STOP! Did you see that? Let's look one more time. "He said..." HOLY COW! We've got a talking snake here! What's with that?! Is this a literal description of a talking snake, or just a metaphor?
Either case is quite interesting to ponder. If in fact the snake *did* speak, was that an isolated occurrence? Was that particular serpent just the devil in disguise, and no other animals could talk? If so, Wouldn't Eve have been rather surprised? Or, what if talking animals were commonplace? That's really cool too. We get into the realms of Narnia and other fantastical tales. (I would have wanted to ask a bee what she thought of the phrase "busy as a bee")
But then, some people don't take this seriously. They say that the serpent didn't really say anything (Note, that's what the serpent said, "Did God really say...?"), but it was something else. Such as just the serpent eating the fruit, and the devil prompting her to eat it. Or some such thing.
So. What are your thoughts? I look forward to your comments.
12 comments:
I believe it was lucifer, as he and his angels were the only evil at that time.
As do I. I don't think it could have been anything/one else. But I'd like to know what you think about the talking aspect of the snake.
Well, Baalam's donkey spoke. AND satan does try to imitate whatever God does.
Why wouldn't animals have been able to talk?? I would like that question answered...
After all, after Adam and Eve sinned, the Bible says that everything changed dramatically...so it was obviously a lot different then than it is now! *sighs* I wish I could have seen everything back then...
:)Ian(:
Maybe they could talk. I don't know.
Where does it say everything changed drastically?
You don't think sin entering the world was drastic enough? Well, thorns, rain, seasons, carnivores, herbivores, and the ever-popular omnivores were born from that moment onward.
Perhaps I'll make a blog on that later.
I don't actually agree that God didn't make carnivores before the fall (I think he did). I don't agree with the common opinion that there was no death before the fall. Now, before you label me a heretic and burn me at the stake, I'll state that I can back up my opinion.
Really? I think that there was death only after the fall.
"The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
So she ate the fruit, sin entered, and death came as a result.
You know, God meant for people to live forever on earth or something like that...It says that somewhere in Genesis, I believe...I'll look for it.
:)Ian(:
Hmm, I would be interested in that verse.
*sigh* I couldn't find the verse in my Bible yet, but I specifically remember reading a verse that said "Even the vegetation changed"...I'll keep trying to find it.
:)Ian(:
Oh yeah, thorns popped up and stuff! Genesis 3:18!
But I still say death was a result of the fall, as God said that if they ate of the tree, THEN they would die. But then, it could mean they would've lived out a natural life then get taken into Heaven after a time. Hmmm...very eye-opening post, Nuntius.
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