Who is the Serpent?
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
Intro:
Luke I’m your father
Used car salesman
Where we have been
• God creates space and fills it
• He creates Animals
Gen 1:28-31
○ Gives them food to eat different from humans
○ Gives Humanity dominion (delegated authority) over them
• He creates deep authentic relationship between Adam and Eve
○ Read Gen 2:18 & Gen 2:21
○ Life long connection and mutuality/equality
God solving a problem with Adam gives Adam the proper perspective and place
Then who shows up?
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’?”
Fresh off the assembly line, shine, new, perfect, first human beings - sort of super humans. God tested these flawless creatures with a command just to see if they meant business and would obey God. They failed, rebelled and lost not only their perfection but also that of every human since.
What do we know about the serpent?
What do we know about the serpent?
What does the snake represent?
What does the snake represent?
Thirty-three species of snakes are known in Palestine and neighboring countries, 20 of which are poisonous. Two dangerous characteristics of the serpent noted by biblical writers are its inconspicuous way of moving and the ease with which it hides itself.
Can swallow animals several times larger in diameter than them
Shed their skin
Beast of the filed
Imagery of deceptiveness & evil
How does the snake trick Woman and Adam into evil?
How does the snake trick Woman and Adam into evil?
Crafty - Hebrew Word
11 times
8 times as prudent - A good thing
A prudent man conceals knowledge,
but the heart of fools proclaims folly.
Every prudent man acts with knowledge,
but a fool flaunts his folly.
The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,
but the folly of fools is deceiving.
The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
but the simple go on and suffer for it.
only 3 times as a bad thing twice in job and once here
Prudent is a positive - street smarts
Not tricked by email
Crafty is a negative
Car salesman
So how does the snake trick the woman and Adam? Twists the gift God gave him
Evil turns something good into something bad
Who is the Snake?
Who is the Snake?
And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
He is both the devil (the word means ‘slanderer’) and Satan. This latter is the older name. It transliterates a Hebrew word which means ‘adversary’.
In addition to accusing and slandering, the evil one deceives and John brings out the scope of this activity by saying that he leads the whole world astray
Beast of the field - something Woman and Adam have authority over
What does the presents of the serpent mean for us?
What does the presents of the serpent mean for us?
As the bible unfolds who God is, who we are, the problem of sin, we see the world being turned upside down.
God allows Evil in his world
God allows Evil in his world
God allows freewill
God allows freewill
Fully delegated authority to use his good gift
The serpent twists what God gave him and invites Adam and Woman to join him
God is not absent
God is not absent
The story of the bible is God at work
Eastern Orthodox view - Adam and the woman were not super humans but naive children.
Eastern Orthodox view - Adam and the woman were not super humans but naive children.
Not a fall from perfection but failure to grow up the way God wanted them to
God wasn’t keeping something from them because he is mean
True knowledge can only be gained by submitting to God, trusting, and loving him.
The serpent is a best of the field who twists his gift from God
Challenge
Is the Holy Spirit asking you to grow up in an area of your life?
Will you take the short cut or will be obedient to Christ?