Setting the scene: We have a garden planted by God; we have Adam & Eve, created by God; we have the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, both placed in the Garden by God, and we have the Serpent. Where did he or it come from? We can all agree that this is a unique garden (Genesis 2:8), but God didn’t plant it. The Hebrew word “nata’ means to establish. God caused this garden to be established in Eden. This was a special place where God would spend time with the man and the women he formed from the earth.
I wrestled with where I wanted to go with this study. There is so much I can talk about in Genesis 3, but I don’t want to get into a discussion that we’re not ready for yet. I don’t want to say something that can be misunderstood. So, I decided to discuss some questions surrounding the most controversial character in the Garden: the serpent.
First question: Was the serpent a literal snake? This snake walks and talks. Did God create walking, talking snakes (Genesis 3:1)? In this verse, the Hebrew text has the definite article attached to the snake. So it’s “the serpent” (ha-nachash). The snake indicates the role or function of “The Serpent,” not a creature named “The Serpent.” The serpent is a deceiver or trickster in the garden story.
Writers often use animals to symbolize something that affects our lives. Owls represent wisdom; foxes are sneaky, and cats are mysterious and independent. Let’s look at another passage that uses animals descriptively in Isaiah 65:25. In this prophecy, Isaiah explains the new creation. He says the wolf, a predator, will graze with its’ prey, and the lion will become a vegan. The nature of things will be transformed, except the serpent; his food will still be dust because God’s judgment is on him. Here are some additional passages to consider: Revelation 12:9, Revelation 20:2, Isaiah 27:1.
The next question is: Who was the Serpent? Look at Job 1:6-12. So Satan left the LORD’s presence, and he went and took everything from Job, but Job didn’t stop worshipping God. When God asks Satan about it, he responds by saying, “Skin for skin, a man will give up everything he owns in exchange for his life.” My point here isn’t what happens to Job, but who this Satan character is. This is the first time the name “Satan” is used in scripture. It also has a definite article before “Satan” (ha-saton), “The Satan.” In Job, the role of “The Satan” is as an accuser and a prosecutor of Job, but also an adversary of God and Job. He wants to prove God wrong before the divine council, the Sons of God. It doesn’t say here that Satan is a Son of God but that he shows up when the Sons of God came into God’s presence. The Satan was with them. So, to answer the question about who “The Serpent” is, he is “The Satan,” a celestial adversary of God and man, as we saw in Revelation 20:2.
Where is the Serpent today? He’s roaming the earth and walking around on it. In Matthew 4:1-11 Jesus is tempted in the desert by “The Satan.” In Job, “The Satan” spends his time roaming the earth. In 1 Peter 5:8, Peter tells believers; Be sober-minded, be alert. Our adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. “The Satan” is an adversary, “The Serpent” is an adversary, and “The Devil” is an adversary. And where are these adversaries? Prowling the earth.
What is the Serpent’s mission today? In Matthew 16, Jesus tells his disciples what he will suffer and about his death. Peter was angry with Jesus for talking about his death, and Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan” (Matthew 16:23). The Serpent’s mission is to prevent God’s plan. Peter was deceived into thinking the Messiah couldn’t die. He has to live so he can lead Israel against Rome. The mission of the serpent is to deceive and seduce believers and non-believers alike not to follow or believe in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3).
What is a believer’s response to the Serpent (Luke 10:17-20)? From the Luke passage, we have demons, Satan, snakes, and scorpions. These all represent “The Enemy” of God, Christ, and believers in Christ. But the enemy can’t overpower God or Jesus, and he can’t harm us because our names are already written in heaven. Our response to the Serpent is to remain strong in our faith in Christ and share God’s plan with the world.
In conclusion, what is the Serpent? The Serpent represents a celestial influence that deceives, seduces, prosecutes, accuses, and confuses humanity. The Serpent isn’t one being; it’s an army of celestial beings spiritually influencing humanity to fear, doubt, hate, condemnation, and confusion.
Who is the Serpent? The serpent is the enemy of God and mankind. Just as Jesus called Peter Satan, Peter was speaking Satan’s words to challenge the destiny of God’s plan through Christ. Who is the Serpent? Anyone who thinks more about human concerns than the concerns of God.
Where is the Serpent? The Serpent prowls the earth, influencing humanity according to all his roles and functions as God’s adversary. He never sleeps.
What is the Serpents Plan? To cause disorder, confusion, fear, doubt, and hate. But what he can’t do is cause people to disbelieve God. Belief and unbelief are choices. The serpent can influence, but we have the power to overcome that influence.
How is the Serpent defeated? By believing in the power that Christ has over all the serpents, devils, dragons, snakes, scorpions, Satan, Leviathans, wolves, and lions in the world. And believers have access to that same power. We defeat the Serpent by Faith. We defeat the serpent by not letting anything prevent us from bringing God’s plan of salvation to the world through faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This hasn’t changed. If Adam and Eve believed in God, they would have beaten the Serpent in the Garden. Job believed in God, and Satan wasn’t able to get him to curse God.
