And The Serpent Said

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die (Genesis 3:4)

Our fore-parents appeared to have had everything: a home, food, occupation, instruction, all in the presence of God. Often when the blissful state of Adam and Eve is examine, one concludes, “I would have never given up what they had.”

However, a more careful observation of this passage reveals that there is something they did not have. They did not have “knowledge” or “maturity”. No! Adam and Eve were not zygotes wearing fig leaves. They were created with the appearance of age. It was as if they were old when they were in fact brand new. It seemed as if they had been here, when they had actually just arrived. They were fully grown infants. And they wanted what they did not have; they wanted to know.

And we too want to know. Every toddler is on a great exploration from one thing to another. This desire does not cease by one simply coming of age. As teenagers, the longing to know the world away from our parents’ oversight, instructions, and restrictions, seems to overwhelm us. We all want to know: to see, to hear, to feel, to taste, to touch for ourselves. And the Genesis 3 cycle is repeated in the microcosm of our own lives, as we are attracted to Satan’s suggestions, romanced by his reason, and cuddle his alternative, assuming we will be the better having gone his way.

Whatever the variety of our temptation, it all boils down to a type of antinomianism: freedom from restriction, freedom to explore whatever we will, and freedom to eat from our own forbidden tree. Not even one restriction is acceptable. And therein is the serpent's subtle suggestion, “Any restriction is bondage; any limitation is God’s attempt to keep you from your potential.”

Moses warns of the subtlety of Satan’s approach: His craft employs the silky smooth disposition of a serpent. He shocks Eve into opening a door of dialog by making an overtly false statement that all the trees are forbidden. He then suggested to her the need for independent thought; because, God’s word is meant to hinder and not help. Finally he sold her on the idea that they would be better off after eating from the tree in spite of God’s command. And they got what they wanted, only to find their eyes opened to the fact that they did not need it.