The Serpent (Genesis 3)

Does sin begin with temptation? When we begin to think that disobeying God looks pleasant to the eyes and desirable to make one wise, are we in trouble? Let’s discuss this in Genesis 3.

How did a mysterious and subtle being called the serpent begin his seduction of the woman?

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.’” (Genesis 3:1-3 NIV)

Is the devil referred to in similar terms? Was this walking talking snake therefore possibly that dragon, Satan himself?

He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years (Revelation 20:2 NKJV)

What was the serpent’s lie? Do today’s door-to-door sales people still prefer to talk to the woman of the house, because she’s easier to sell to?

“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5 NLT)

Did looks deceive them? Was the man also deceived? Was shame immediate?

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 some of its fruit, and ate. Then she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate it, too. Their eyes were opened, and they both knew that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together, and made coverings for themselves. They heard Yahweh God’s voice walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:6-8 WEB)

Why did they hide? Were they suddenly afraid of God?

The Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” The man replied, “I heard your sound in the garden; I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree, which I commanded you not to eat?” (Genesis 3:9-11 CEB)

Was there any deflecting of the blame onto someone else? Do we still do this?

“It was the woman you put here with me,” the man said. “She gave me some of the fruit, and I ate it.” The Lord God then asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The snake tricked me,” she answered, “and I ate some of that fruit.” (Genesis 3:12-13 CEV)

What did God tell the serpent? Is there a prophecy here, mysteriously pointing towards Jesus?

The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:14-15 ESV)

What did God say to the woman? Was the man being in charge meant to be a curse or a blessing to prevent future being led astray?

To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pain in childbirth. You will bring forth children in pain. Your desire will be toward your husband, but he will rule over you.” (Genesis 3:16 CJB)

What did God say to the man? Was food production meant to be a lot easier?

And He said to Adam, “Because you listened to your wife’s voice and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘Do not eat from it’: The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. You will eat bread by the sweat of your brow until you return to the ground, since you were taken from it. For you are dust, and you will return to dust.” (Genesis 3:17-19 HCSB)

Was Eve the mother of us all? Did God have to kill some animals for their skins?

Now Adam had named his wife “Eve,” because she was to become the mother of everyone who was living. The Lord God fashioned garments from animal skins for Adam and his wife, and clothed them. (Genesis 3:20-21 ISV)