1)In the story of Adam and Eve, “the most cunning of all beasts” tempts Eve into eating the fruit from the tree that God clearly stated not to eat from (Gen 3:1). The fruit was also shared with Adam and their eyes were opened, now possessing the knowledge of good and evil. This beast, the serpent, is often debated to be the devil amongst many scholars and theologians. Is this possible when there is no textual reference to Satan or Lucifer in Chapter 3 of Genesis? This difficult question contains many questions and theories within, making it one of the most interesting mysteries of the Old Testament.2) However, after truly understanding the context and clues surrounding the serpent’s role in this creation story, it can be stated that Satan uses the serpent as his instrument in tempting Eve to disobey the Lord.
3) The Bible refers to Satan as an ancient serpent, but does not identify him with the Genesis serpent. With this said, it would be safe to say that there is no connection between Satan and the serpent. However, according to conservative Christian teachings, the whole Bible is divinely inspired and so were those, in various Councils, who selected which books were to be included in the Bible. So, from this initial belief, it makes perfect sense to interpret earlier writings in light of later ones as well as vice versa. With this theory in mind, it makes it plausible to use future references of Satan presented in the entirety of the Bible as a basis of understanding of the manipulator behind the serpent’s acts.
Maybe the serpent had eaten from the tree of knowledge which would explain his knowledge of good and evil. It stated that Eve “saw that the tree was good for eating and lust to the eyes” (Gen. 3:6). How could she have seen this unless she saw the result of eating the fruit in the life of something that had already done so? It may be that Eve had had several conversations with the serpent before the one recorded in Genesis 3. The first recorded words of the serpent to Eve are, “Though God said...” (Gen. 3:2). This implies that this was a continuation of a previous conversation that is not recorded. Indeed, a strong argument but what is the purpose for the snake to tempt Eve? God did not create evil on Earth, however, mankind did after the temptation and original sin. This unknown evil force behind the acts of the serpent points to the only present evil at the time, Satan, even though it is not bluntly stated that he is present in the garden. It is also important to understand that the devil and other demonic spirits have the ability to present themselves in the physical world by inhabiting the physical beings, using them as their tools of temptations.
4) The serpent in the garden originally was a created being. The word to focus on is “created”. If the serpent was a created being by God, it would be of lesser dominion compared Adam and Eve, and furthermore, even named by Adam as part of his power over animal beings. Theoretically, Adam would have given the serpent instructions, not accepted instruction from it. As created, any suggestion from the serpent should have been instantly suspicious for two reasons. Firstly, Adam had informed Eve of his God given command over all animals. And secondly, God had always spoken directly to Adam and Eve. The serpent in the garden became a willing coconspirator with Satan in deceiving Eve. No other animal served his purpose so well. The Genesis context stresses the “cunning” of the serpent (Gen 3:1). The Devil’s use of the serpent portrays the serpent’s consent and cooperation. God cursed the serpent for its part in Eve’s deception as its punishment for working with evil.
In Genesis 3:14-15 we read of God’s promise of a Savior from the seed of the woman. The prediction of hatred and warfare between the seeds of the woman and of the serpent makes no sense if the serpent was merely a physical animal. The seed of the woman is a future male child. If only serpents and natural human descendants are in view here, then that means that snakes are doomed to go around biting men in the heels and then getting their heads crushed. As we will later see, this is clearly not the intent of the prophecy but rather a prediction of Jesus overcoming the evil of sin and Satan.
Lastly, the serpent in Genesis chapter 3 was Satan possessing the serpent to deceive Adam and Eve into believing that it was the serpent who was talking to them. Serpents do not possess the ability to speak or they would be seen as an equal to humans whom, as stated earlier, have dominion over all animals. While the Bible is not clear as to whether or not the serpent stood up or walked before it the curse, it appears likely that, in relation to other reptiles, it probably did walk on four legs. That would seem to be the best explanation to when God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed be you of all cattle and beasts of the field. On your belly and you shall go and dust shall you eat all the days of your life” (Gen. 14).The fact that the serpent was cursed to crawl on his belly and eat the dust of the earth forever is also a way if indicating that the serpent would be forever despised and looked upon as a tool of evil. The curse of the serpent can be understood as the future fate of Satan himself, forever despised and regarded and an evil force.
5)In conclusion, Genesis 3 teaches us about Satan’s deception of Eve, original sin, God’s judgment of the whole creation, and His first promise of the coming Messiah to overcome the work of Satan and the sin that infects us all, inherited from Adam. To know what good is, one must experience evil, otherwise there is no psychological way of understanding the difference between the two forms. A mere serpent has no way of interpreting the difference between the two. Also, an animal of lesser being would not have the ability to persuade mankind, especially when it is clearly stated that humans have dominion over the animal realm. This evidence supports the theory that Satan was the puppeteer, cleverly using the serpent as its tool to persuade Eve in the act of eating and sharing of the fruit.