The chapter begins with the adversary. Satan and his ability have been so watered down in our day that many people either do not take him seriously or do not believe he exists at all. But the Bible presents Satan as real, personal, deceptive, and dangerous.
At this point, Satan has already fallen from heaven. Isaiah 14:12 says, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!” He was a created being who rebelled against God.
The phrase “Now the serpent” is used for emphasis. This serpent was not exactly like the snakes we see today. Part of the curse later in the chapter is that the serpent would go upon his belly, which suggests this creature was originally different in appearance. It may have been beautiful and impressive.
The Bible says the serpent was “more subtil” than any beast of the field. The word has the idea of being crafty, clever, or wise. There is something interesting here: the Hebrew word for “subtil” is very close to the Hebrew word used for “naked” at the end of Genesis 2. There is more going on than first meets the eye. Adam and Eve were innocent and unashamed, but the serpent was crafty and dangerous.
The subtilty of the serpent came from another source. Satan used the serpent as his instrument.
Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:3, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
Notice Satan’s first attack. He attacked the mind. He did not overpower Eve with strength. He came with a question: “Yea, hath God said?”
That is still one of Satan’s favourite tactics. He questions the Word of God. He tries to make people doubt what God has clearly said.
He also twists God’s command. God had given Adam and Eve great freedom, but Satan made it sound like God was restrictive and unfair. He suggested that God was holding something back.
Satan did not use the covenant name LORD in his question. He spoke of God in a way that distanced Eve’s mind from God’s personal authority. This is Satan speaking through the serpent, and Jesus said of him in John 8:44, “He was a murderer from the beginning… he is a liar, and the father of it.”
Satan assaulted our first parents, to draw them to sin, and the temptation proved fatal to them. The tempter was the devil, in the shape and likeness of a serpent. Satan's plan was to draw our first parents to sin, and so to separate between them and their God. Thus the devil was from the beginning a murderer, and the great mischief maker. The person tempted was the woman: it was Satan's policy to enter into talk with her when she was alone. There are many temptations to which being
alone gives great advantage; but the communion of saints tends very much to their strength and safety. Satan took advantage by finding her near the forbidden tree. They that would not eat the forbidden fruit, must not come near the forbidden tree. Satan tempted Eve, that by her he might tempt Adam. It is his policy to send temptations by hands we do not suspect, and by those that have most influence upon us. Satan questioned whether it were a sin or not, to eat of this tree. He did not disclose
his design at first, but he put a question which seemed innocent. Those who would be safe, need to be shy of talking with the tempter. He quoted the command wrong. He spoke in a taunting way. The devil, as he is a liar, so he is a scoffer from the beginning; and scoffers are his children. It is the craft of Satan to speak of the Divine law as uncertain or unreasonable, and so to draw people to sin; it is our wisdom to keep up a firm belief of God's command, and a high respect for it. Has God
said, Ye shall not lie, nor take his name in vain, nor be drunk, &c.? Yes, I am sure he has, and it is well said; and by his grace I will abide by it. It was Eve's weakness to enter into this talk with the serpent: she might have perceived by his question, that he had no good design, and should therefore have started back. Satan teaches men first to doubt, and then to deny. He promises advantage from their eating this fruit. He aims to make them discontented with their present state, as if
it were not so good as it might be, and should be. No condition will of itself bring content, unless the mind be brought to it. He tempts them to seek preferment, as if they were fit to be gods. Satan ruined himself by desiring to be like the Most High, therefore he sought to infect our first parents with the same desire, that he might ruin them too. And still the devil draws people into his interest, by suggesting to them hard thoughts of God, and false hopes of advantage by sin. Let us,
therefore, always think well of God as the best good, and think ill of sin as the worst evil: thus let us resist the devil, and he will flee from us.
The chapter begins with the adversary. Satan and his ability have been so watered down in our day that many people either do not take him seriously or do not believe he exists at all. But the Bible presents Satan as real, personal, deceptive, and dangerous.
At this point, Satan has already fallen from heaven. Isaiah 14:12 says, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!” He was a created being who rebelled against God.
The phrase “Now the serpent” is used for emphasis. This serpent was not exactly like the snakes we see today. Part of the curse later in the chapter is that the serpent would go upon his belly, which suggests this creature was originally different in appearance. It may have been beautiful and impressive.
The Bible says the serpent was “more subtil” than any beast of the field. The word has the idea of being crafty, clever, or wise. There is something interesting here: the Hebrew word for “subtil” is very close to the Hebrew word used for “naked” at the end of Genesis 2. There is more going on than first meets the eye. Adam and Eve were innocent and unashamed, but the serpent was crafty and dangerous.
The subtilty of the serpent came from another source. Satan used the serpent as his instrument.
Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:3, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
Notice Satan’s first attack. He attacked the mind. He did not overpower Eve with strength. He came with a question: “Yea, hath God said?”
That is still one of Satan’s favourite tactics. He questions the Word of God. He tries to make people doubt what God has clearly said.
He also twists God’s command. God had given Adam and Eve great freedom, but Satan made it sound like God was restrictive and unfair. He suggested that God was holding something back.
Satan did not use the covenant name LORD in his question. He spoke of God in a way that distanced Eve’s mind from God’s personal authority. This is Satan speaking through the serpent, and Jesus said of him in John 8:44, “He was a murderer from the beginning… he is a liar, and the father of it.”
Satan assaulted our first parents, to draw them to sin, and the temptation proved fatal to them. The tempter was the devil, in the shape and likeness of a serpent. Satan's plan was to draw our first parents to sin, and so to separate between them and their God. Thus the devil was from the beginning a murderer, and the great mischief maker. The person tempted was the woman: it was Satan's policy to enter into talk with her when she was alone. There are many temptations to which being
alone gives great advantage; but the communion of saints tends very much to their strength and safety. Satan took advantage by finding her near the forbidden tree. They that would not eat the forbidden fruit, must not come near the forbidden tree. Satan tempted Eve, that by her he might tempt Adam. It is his policy to send temptations by hands we do not suspect, and by those that have most influence upon us. Satan questioned whether it were a sin or not, to eat of this tree. He did not disclose
his design at first, but he put a question which seemed innocent. Those who would be safe, need to be shy of talking with the tempter. He quoted the command wrong. He spoke in a taunting way. The devil, as he is a liar, so he is a scoffer from the beginning; and scoffers are his children. It is the craft of Satan to speak of the Divine law as uncertain or unreasonable, and so to draw people to sin; it is our wisdom to keep up a firm belief of God's command, and a high respect for it. Has God
said, Ye shall not lie, nor take his name in vain, nor be drunk, &c.? Yes, I am sure he has, and it is well said; and by his grace I will abide by it. It was Eve's weakness to enter into this talk with the serpent: she might have perceived by his question, that he had no good design, and should therefore have started back. Satan teaches men first to doubt, and then to deny. He promises advantage from their eating this fruit. He aims to make them discontented with their present state, as if
it were not so good as it might be, and should be. No condition will of itself bring content, unless the mind be brought to it. He tempts them to seek preferment, as if they were fit to be gods. Satan ruined himself by desiring to be like the Most High, therefore he sought to infect our first parents with the same desire, that he might ruin them too. And still the devil draws people into his interest, by suggesting to them hard thoughts of God, and false hopes of advantage by sin. Let us,
therefore, always think well of God as the best good, and think ill of sin as the worst evil: thus let us resist the devil, and he will flee from us.