THE SNAKE
I meant where in Genesis 3 this morning with flying people.
We've been looking at a Biblical worldview from Genesis 1 2 3 we started with asking the question of environment. What does the scripture say about the question? Where are we what is the world about then? We moved to the question of essence our identity. What does it mean to be a human being made in the image of God in the Imago Dei this morning? We're going to begin to look at the third significant questionable world you the question of evil what is wrong? So if you got your Bibles, I'm going to go ahead and read the entirety of Genesis chapter 3.
Starting in verse when it says now the serpent was more crafty than any other Beasts of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman did God actually say you should not eat of any tree in the garden. 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 you die. the serpent said to the woman 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 it it's fruit and ate and she also gave some to her husband who was with her and he Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they knew they were naked together and made themselves loincloth. They heard the sound of the Lord God Walking In The Garden in the cool of the day in the man and his wife killed themselves from the presence of the Lord God Among the Trees of the garden, but the Lord God Called To The Man and said to him, where are you? And he said I heard the sound of you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself He said who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat. The man said will the woman who gave to me she gave me fruit of the tree and I ate Lord God said to the woman. What is it that you have done? The woman said? Well the serpent deceived me and I ate Lord God said to the serpent because you have done this curse that 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 between you and the woman in between your Offspring and her Offspring. He will bruise your head. You will bruise his heel to the woman. He said I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing in pain. You shall bring forth children your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you because you have listened to the voice of the tree which I command you shall not eat of it curse. It is the ground because of you and paying you should eat of it all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you and you eat the plants of the field by the sweat of your face. You shall eat bread till you return to the ground for out of it you were taken for you are dust and to dust you shall return the man called his wife's name Eve because she was the mother of the living and the Lord God made for a demand for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. Then the Lord God said behold the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil now lest he reached out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live forever. Therefore the Lord God sent him out from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken he drove out the man and at the east of the Garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turns every way to guard the way so the tree of life this is the word of the Lord. It's weird, right? This is one of those texts that is commonly used to ridicule any sort of belief in the Bible or God as a Creator you want to tell me that there was a man and a woman naked in the garden and then there was some talking snake. What's going on with that? Why wasn't he freaked out when she saw a snake let alone a talking snake. Why would God this talking snake in the garden in the first place? What's going on?
As a gun each week for the last several. I want to remind you of essential truth. The Bible is written for us but not to us. We cannot read the story of Genesis 3 through our modern scientific materialistic worldview. When we try to read it this way, we start doing all sorts of weird things. We got a serpent talking but as far as I know serpents don't talk. So what are we going to do with that what you know what you want before the fall mini all the animals talked. I've heard that preached.
We we come up with us. We look like this is the Narnia weird talking pet zoo or something and and the Bible was written for us but not to us. It was written to an ancient Israelite Audience by an ancient Israelite author. In their worldview in their understanding for us to understand what's been communicated here. We have to learn to think like they think they would not have been surprised by a park in smoke at all. And I'm going to try to explain that to you this morning. The Bible is written for us but not to us. The message is theological not scientific. If I could make you all get tattoos of that, I would write just remember maybe right on your forearms every time you read in the Bible you like. Oh, yeah. This is what we're supposed to find here. The message is still a logical not scientific. So what's going on here in Genesis chapter 3. This is not a talking snake, but a Divine being. If you were with us when we were in Genesis chapter one, we looked at the creation of the universe. We saw that God created not only the Earth in the material world that God created the heavens and and the spiritual Supernatural World on the earth. He created a family men and women man time to be his imagers and in the spiritual realm he created beings Divine beings In His Image to be his Imager. The texture is a lot weirder than a talking snake. It really is but it's also more profound. You got to remember what is happening in Eden. God created the universe to be his Temple his dwelling-place and God's plan with the have Divine imagers and his human images partner with him as one family to bring chaos into order and spread his Rule and his Rants and His glory throughout the cosmos.
with his sons He's got the spiritual Divine Suns and he's got the fleshly Earthly sense. We see that right from the beginning eating. Is the garden of God in the temple place it is where God is dwelling you think about that in in in in in the ancient near Eastern context? The temple is where the God would dwell and where his Council would gather. To rule and execute judgment and plan and strategize and implement the rule of the king. We think about eating that when she farts you off and we think about eating the Garden of Eden like, it's Adam and Eve's home. Now they might have dwelt there, but the text doesn't say that they lived in the garden. Does a man that God placed him in the garden to work it to be a part of what's happening in the gardens? It's not the garden of Adam and Eve. It's the garden of God. God's welfare, his council is going to be there with him if his council is going to be there with him. It's going to include both the supernatural Council and the natural Council the spiritual Divine sons of God and the human sons of God.
When we think about Eden and it's actual contact with the text is actually trying to describe for us. It makes complete sense. But he's in the garden come across. a Divine VA Council member, not of the material playing not of the physical world. But I'm the spiritual of the heavens. She doesn't respond strangely at all when the snake the serpent begins to speak to her. It looks like the first one again.
And it's not here.
strange Hold on, hold on.
That's three.
No sense there. Thank you. Well now I can't post this recording.
Now the serpent. Was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made a said to the woman that God actually say, she's Nutty Buddy tree in the garden the serpent the word there in like in Hebrew as a noun. It's Natasha. It means serpent. The way she Brew Works at there weren't vowels, right? You have three major continents and then depending on what valves you put in there. You can get nouns you can get verbs you can get alternate now and see if it's an interesting language. So we take that word that those three consonants and and and we get the noun and the cops that mean serpent if we if we look at it as a verb. It means the diviner. It means one who reveals information one who utters a judgment or or or or prophecy the diviner. There's a third there's an alternate noun. That's that's used in the Old Testament the Hebrew scriptures as well with this word and it means The Shining one. It means bright and shiny. And I personally think that the author went when it chose to use this word in the Cosh serpent actually wants his audience to be thinking about all three of those possibilities. It is a serpent, but it's a diviner as well. Not just a diviner. It's a shining one, which is a imagery towards a Divine being the serpent is more than just a snake. It is a Divine being. Well where else might we see Divine beings in the Old Testament like this. Thank you for asking Isaiah chapter 6 Isaiah is granted this incredible vision of the throne room of God sees the Lord high and lifted up and then he sees these Divine beings be spiritual supernatural creatures and they got wings and their Champions and they're guarding the throne and do you know what he calls them? He calls them Sarofim the interesting cuz if you read if you realize a 6 in your English is going to say seraphim. Which is interesting because that's just the Hebrew word transliterated. They don't do that with the other words and Isaiah 6, right? I mean, it's not you don't just get the transliterated words of cheaper that would make any sense to you at all. The why is that interesting? What does seraphim mean? What does Sarah mean just the plural? It means snake. That's what it means serpent. Isaiah have this vision of a throne room of God and what does he see around the throne room of God species flying snakes. Guarding the glory of God who are proclaiming his wisdom his Beauty and his eternal reign.
interesting to me That what what she sees is this serpent? This Divine being and it says crafty. Then any other beast in the field to read that negatively crafty crafty is bad. There is absolutely neutral proverb its which is where that word is used more than any other place. It's it's used in a good context far more often than a bad contact. Why would the serpent be described as crafty again? It's a play on words in the Hebrew. We ended chapter to the man and his wife were both naked. I felt no shame. They're both naked the word therefore naked in. The Hebrew is a ROM. Now we get in the next verse the serpent was more crafty the word in the Hebrew for crappy is a room. They were naked of Rome. He was trapped in a room. Play on words never see it in the English is not going to see it there. But it's there that the point there's being a contrast made between the innocence and the purity of Eden Adam and Eve and now we have this other the contrast is being set up between the two different spheres the two different halves between the Earthly realm in the spiritual Realm. Serpent was more crafty. This is this is fascinating. We look at that. Let me continue to develop this concept that it's a spiritual being. It's in the text itself. Let's go to 35. It says for God knows this is the Temptation the serpent speaking. God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil, I spend some time in Genesis chapter one talking about this word Elohim the word that uses to describe a citizen a Denison of the spiritual Realm. So God is an L. Okeme angels are an Elohim. The Watchers are an Elohim the seraphim are an Elohim but God and God Alone is the Elohim of Elohim.
When we when we come across the word Elohim in order to understand who are what it's talking about. We have to let the contacts do it. the Temptation listen to it from the perspective of it being a spiritual Divine being
But that won't happen. You will not surely die. When you eat of it. You will be like the gods plural. It's a low-key meme. Pearl you will be like the gods you'll be like us you'll be like me is what he say.
We know throughout the scriptures. But the supernatural beings created in the image of God are vastly vastly more more more powerful. There's stronger wiser the difference. temptation
we give you a hard time. Nnn, these texts have been used to Abused Women in countless ways throughout the ages. When we put it in its context it makes perfect sense. You've gone one of us and we're here and we're working together. We're on the council and that you're telling me there's some new information that I can actually be. Not pulling out on me or something more.
Got himself verifies this in Genesis 3:22 after they eat of it. Look what the text says. This has been the Lord God said behold. The man has become like one of what does it say?
talking to oneself Why is Bob Dole talking about himself in the third person? No, he's talkin Council exactly what the serpent said you will become like one of us has now actually happened.
I got this now left. Less I keep eating from the Tree of Life and he's in this state continually. I need to send them out. So I think text Julie not just in Genesis 3, but throughout the Old Testament, it's clear. We're not dealing with a talking snake. We're dealing with a spiritual Supernatural Divine being. now the New Testament takes out and runs with it. It's all over the New Testament the the the affiliation of the serpent with the Satan the adversary is constant and consistent. Jesus makes the connection between the Satan and the serpent called us. My favorite place is actually the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation Revelation chapter 12 verse 9 actually pulls all these metaphors together was talking about the birth of Christ. Actually it says in the Great Dragon. Which is a flying snake. I was strong down that ancient serpent who is also called The Devil and the Satan the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the Earth and his angels were thrown down after.
Let the text speak to us in its own way what the text is describing for. Is that this temptation? This conversation that results in absolute tragedy was instigated not buy some snake.
the by the vine v ancient in the ancient world very common to describe Divine beings in terms of animals. common
The point of Genesis 3 is not to inform us about ancient zoology. It's the tallest profound ideas. But the world you experience was created by an all-powerful God human beings are created as his representative. Eden was his home. He was accompanied by a supernatural host one member of that Divine Entourage was not pleased by God's decisions to create humanity and give them Dominion. All that leads to has Humanities gotten into the mess. It's in It's setting up a story. a battle a conflict
but this great explanation to the mess that we're in a very quickly look at two other passages in the Hebrew scriptures going to look at it first and then Isaiah 14 and both of these packs are directly connected to Genesis chapter 3 and to the garden and they give us more information and more details that they clearly articulate and portray that what's happened in Genesis chapter 3 is the class of a Divine being with a material day. So let's go to Ezekiel chapter 28 interesting texting and these are both difficult text to really dig into an Exogen understand because they operate on two levels. This is starts out. The word of the Lord came to me. Son of man. Say to the prince of Tyre. So this is God communicating through his Prophet to ecumen King. The prince of Tyre got us some things to say to him and it at the beginning. This is what he says that says the Lord God because your heart is proud and you have said I am a god. This is this is this human Prince has become so full of himself that he he literally says I am L. I am God. I am because your heart is proud. And you said I am a God. I sit in the seat of the Gods in the heart of the sea.
Yeah, you are but a man and no God, but you make your heart like the heart of a guy.
I think we probably all met some people.
The start walking down that road. But it does now you got a lot going for you. You're wiser than Daniel no secrets hidden from you, but your wisdom and your understanding you've made well for yourself you gather gold and silver into your treasure by your great wisdom of your trade you increase your wealth in your heart has become proud in your well you become a victim of your own success.
Is there for us that the Lord God because you made your heart like the heart of a god behold. I will bring foreigners upon you the most ruthless of the nation, they will draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom and they will defile your Splendor. They will thrust you down into the pit. And you shall die the death of the slain in the heart of the sea. Will you still say I am a God in the presence of Those Who Kill You Nobody can rebuke I got I love it. Oh your God right. You still going to say that?
So you're Ben Amanda? No God in the hands of those who slay you shall die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of foreigners fried spoken declares the lord it's weird. Now gets right now he begins to compare the story of this King and his pride to another being and his pride.
What are the some of the words said to me? Son of man raised a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him thus says the Lord God you were the Signet of perfection full of wisdom and Beauty you were in Eden the end of the day, he's beginning to reference something else something bigger up pattern. Does an extended metaphor you're following in the footsteps of your spiritual ancestor? You're you're making the same mistake that that Divine being the serpent in Eden made. It was noticed that you were needing. The garden of got every precious stone. Was your covering sardius topaz Diamond Barrel Onyx Jasper Sapphire or Emerald carbuncle who doesn't love a good carbuncle.
Crafted in Gold when your settings in your Engravings on the day that you were created. They were prepared. So now he describes this like gem-encrusted be right like which is gems. What do you think of when you think of shining you think of Brilliance? You think I remember that third alternate noun of the cast of The Shining one? This is the Skype describing a Divine being. It goes on it says you were an anointed Guardian cherub. I mean just flat-out said you weren't I'm not talking about the human anymore. I'm talking about the anointed Guardian cherub. That's what you were I placed you. You were in the Holy Mountain of Gods in the midst of the stones of fire you walk you were blameless in your ways from the day. You were created to unrighteousness was found in you give me abundance of your trade. You were filled with violence in your midst and you sinned so I cast you as a profane thing from the Mountain of God and I destroyed you or Guardian cherub from the midst of the stones of fire.
Your heart was proud because of your beauty your corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your Splendor. I cast you to the ground. And I exposed you before Kings to Feast their eyes on you. The ground are the Hebrew word has it means both literally the ground the Earth dust, but it also refers to she all the Land of the Dead.
Hang on to that will come back to it and say let's go to Isaiah 14. Similar exact same kind of setup God's delivering a message now to the king the king of battle. It says this when the Lord has given you rest from your pain and turmoil in the hard service was what you were made to serve. You will take up his taunts against the king of Babylon the insolent Fury ceased the Lord has broken the staff of the wicked the scepter of rulers that struck the peoples in Wrath with unceasing blows their rule the Nations and anger with unrelenting persecution. The whole earth is at resting quietly Break Forth in the same as the king of Babylon has been a despot a tyrant. He's been abusing and victimizing the people around him. I got those I'm going to strike him down twice strike him down peace will come
Cyprus is Rejoice that you the Cedars of Lebanon same since you were laid low, no Woodcutter comes up against us. She Albanese is stirred up to meet you. When you come at Rouses the shapes to greet you all who are leaders of the earth. It rises from their Thrones all four Kings of the Nations. All of them will answer you to become as weak as we wish you would become like us no matter how great you are king of Babylon to dust you return.
Think it's weird. Your pomp is brought down to sheol the sound of your hearts maggots are late as a bed beneath you the worms are your covers are falling from the heavens.
Yo, hold on.
When was he in the heavens? Now then we've moved from just the human king of Babylon to the power behind the king of Babylon.
the story picks up again you're just repeating what's already happened you're following in the trajectory you are the descendant of the seed of the serpent you are doing exactly what she did how you falling from the heavens o Day star son of the Dawn
when we when we start talking about the devil Devil's got lots of different names in our culture right in our culture if you want to talk about the devil we've all sorts of personal names Interesting little fact the devil is never given a personal name in the entire scripture. In fact, it's always the same time. The Satan the adversary has never given a name. Where do we get these names names like Lucifer? That's probably its most common. Where do we get the name Lucifer? Thank you for asking. Let me tell you. It's right here. The spring is here Morningstar the son of David that is an English rendering of a Hebrew helel ben-shahar. Which literally translated shining one? Actually talking, you know when the sun is rising some of you are up to see that regularly. I pay you but sometimes when the sun's beginning to rise you still see the last few Stars, right? You see the last you start that those that just hang on those are the morning stars and actually the one that hangs on the longest in the ancient world and in our world too, if you actually get out of light pollution, I can see it. It's actually not to start off the planet. That's actually what it's referring to is referring to the Venus or Jupiter. Whichever one it is that you can see that last one in the morning right son of the morning now.
Where do we get Lucifer from that well, when the when the scripture was being translated into the Latin Vulgate, so it's being translated from Hebrew and end from Greek into Latin because Latin was the primary language of the Roman Empire Jerome was doing the translation on this text translated. Hello Ben sacar The Shining one the son of the morning translated it with the Latin word Lucifer s which means shining one. I'm somehow throughout history. We took liuciferis and turn it into Lucifer and we turned it into a a name when it's not a name. It's a title description. That's how we get the name Lucifer Lucifer. You're welcome. You can win something.
How you were falling from the heavens all day star some of the Dawn how you are cut down to the ground you who laid the nation's low over and over again in the story how you were cut down to the ground how you were cast down to the ground. Are you cast down to sheol over and over and over again? We see this you were in the heaven you are a shining one you had divine power you were in the counsel of God. You ain't got presents, but you thought You could take on God. That's exactly what it says here. You said in your heart. I will Ascend to the heavens above the stars of God. I will set my Throne on high. I will sit on the Mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north. I'm not going to be a part of the Divine Council. I'm going to leave the council. I'm going to put my throne above.
I will send above the heights of the clouds. I will make myself. like the most high
but you are brought down to sheol to the far reaches of the path. Ezekiel and Isaiah. It's so much and I just touched the surface of the connections between these two passages and Genesis chapter 3 connections of language connections of pipe connections. Just so deep. And they both tell this story they retell this story of the serpent tempting Eve in the context of other humans. Being deceived or deceiving themselves and making the same mistake. Did we look at Genesis chapter 3 the fall of Man trying but it's actually describing to false describing the fall of mankind and the fall of this Divine being.
In fact when we get to the consequences at the end of the chapter. Adam and Eve are not cursed they're judged. But they're not cursed. You know whose curse is two things their cursed at the end of the chapter. Serpent and the ground Serpent and the ground but look at this with me Lord God said to the serpent because you have done this person. Are you above all lights. Going above all Beasts of the field on your belly. You shall go and dust you shall eat all the days of your life about a snake snakes eat.
Not trying to communicate the dietary habits of reptile.
Then don't eat just I wish they did. We did leave us alone. What you saying? You wanted to be higher than me. Now, you're going to be lower than the lowest. I'm going to put you under the feet of the cattle and I'll put you under the feet of everything. You wanted to be the highest now. You're the lowest you're in the dust you're in the ground. And we already saw that Dustin ground is theologically symbolic immortality death. The serpent we know in the New Testament this return the adversary it goes from being in the counsel of God ski is passed down to the ground and is sent from the Divine Council to the realm of death. That's what this text to say that saying that the serpent had legs and then God just dropped off their legs and now they're going to eat dirt.
Genesis chapter 3 is setting up for us the rest of the scripture.
But I think it's the biggest hurdle to understanding. Any part of the scripture? Is getting this beginning part, right? When we don't get this right when we don't understand it in its context we will by definition misinterpret and misunderstand the rest of the text.
What Genesis chapter 3 is explaining for us is the world that we live in the conflict that we experience on a daily regular basis not only externally but internally. We've been judged and found wanting we've been separated from God. We've been cast out of his presence.
And and and we're going to spend some time next week or maybe two weeks from now to looking at the Judgment upon Adam and Eve and its connection to how they were created.
But there are cast out of the garden. And they're separated, but it in Genesis 3:14 and 15. in the curse placed upon
the serpent with it if it finishes this way it says I will put enmity. I will put Strife I will put Warfare between you and the woman. He's not saying women hate snakes. Now that may be true. But that's not what he's saying. The serpent is not animal. The serpent is a Divine being that saying there is now going to be constant conflict. That doesn't say between me and you. Do I have any constant conflict? Between your Offspring and her offspring.
I read the Bible a lot. I've never seen like snake people.
Alright The Offspring of Eve humans and offspring of the serpent snake people.
It's not what he's saying why cuz that's not what it's describing. It's describing a Divine being a supernatural being and hold on to it. Cuz when we get the Genesis chapter 6 that's going to actually mean something. What he's saying is there's going to be a manatee stripe Warfare between your Offspring and her Offspring and then we get this incredibly beautiful promise and it's so vague and I think it's vague on purpose and he will bruise your head even though you bruise his heel.
I was going to be this conflict between the seed of the woman. Between the seed of The Serpent and the battle in the world is not just the battle between people but it's the battle between man made in the image of God. And a fallen supernatural being also made in the image of God who rejected God and rebelled against him and dragged us into a stupid Rebellion with him. but now
we're going to be conflict.
I might can't. Can't talk about this without going to Jesus.
Because Jesus actually only makes sense in this context. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise. I'll walk you through this here in a couple weeks. The Theology of the seed of The Offspring from Genesis all the way to Jesus. Jesus is the Fulfillment of Genesis 3 15. So you bruise his heel he will crush your head.
Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise. Listen to how the Apostle John describes it in 1st John 3. He says little children.
Let no one deceive you whoever practices righteousness is righteous as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the work of the devil.
What work what they talking about? He's talking about Genesis 3.
Jesus came because of the work of the devil speak of the devil rebelled and dragged us into his Rebellion. Because death took on its rain because we were cut off from our access to the life of God.
Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.
How about Hebrews chapter 2 since therefore the children share in flesh and blood. He himself likewise partook of the same thing that through death. He might destroy the one who has the power of death. That is the devil. Deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. Translate that sink in this morning. We put Jesus. in this little box Jesus has sent so that we can believe upon him so that we don't have to go to hell when we die and we can float off to some place called heaven and that is not the storyline of the Bible. The storyline of the Bible is that God is absolutely committed to his creation being established with his family. Irritable and material and God's plan is to use a human beings to partner with him. To establish his kingdom and every human being after Adam failed until Jesus came along and we're the first Adam failed the last Adam Jesus succeeded. Jesus is not just your get out of hell tickets.
Is that just here to wash you clean? Jesus is here to set everything right to overturn evil to undo the work of the devil. Take away from him the power of death that he's held over all of us.
Oh how great Jesus said we're going to we're going to celebrate that together right now in communion.