#12 "the Serpent" Genesis 3

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'? " And the woman said  to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.' " But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when 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, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin cloths. Genesis 3:1-7 ESV

Enter the dragon. We are now introduced to a serpent, who is described as crafty, and he approaches the woman in the garden to ask a simple question. Now, unlike us, Eve has not been exposed to a lie. She is still in her innocence when she speaks with the devil. He, on the other hand, is a master manipulator and familiar with the truth, which he has no quams about using in part. Eve knows only what God said, and that being not to eat of the fruit of this particular tree. Satan already knows this, and there is no genuine interest in the woman, but he is here to deceive her. He is one intoxicated with his own person, and he his the enemy of God. This is a creature that did not make himself, but would like to be exalted as God.

How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer , son of the morning! How are you cut down to the ground,  You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation. On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High. Isaiah 14: 12-14

"You will not surely die," and he was telling the truth, right? They did not drop dead in their tracks. The fruit was not poisonous, and they did have a new sort of knowledge, but were they like God? Apparently not, for God knows evil as from the perfect state of holiness and truth. Adam and Eve now no evil from from disobedience, and it is interesting that Adam was there "with her." Eve was obviously deceived, but it would appear that Adam was there as a witness to the conversation, but does not interject or oppose. He also eats the fruit.

When I was a child I use to hear this story and think how foolish they were, but as a man I see that is often easier for us to believe the lie and take only the portions of truth that we like. I see it often in the corporate world where men actually teach one another that lying is a necessary part of doing business, and that to think otherwise is naive. The delusion is so strong in humanity that one believing a lie will consider himself more wise than the one who believes in God and follows the truth.