Origin Story 14.1 of 21:

Did God say…? (Gn 3:1)

That’s the way of temptation—to question our trust in God’s Word. That’s what makes this such a cleaver and interesting conversation. The serpent is not an atheist. He’s not questioning the reality of God; or, that God created the heavens and the earth. In our choice of origin stories, between the one we find in the Bible and the one according to “modern science” as told by David C.; the serpent is on our side of the issue. Like us, the serpent believes God created the heavens and the earth. He apparently takes pride, that as creatures go, God created him as “the craftiest of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made.” He’s really something—cleaver and crafty.

He just raises questions about our trust in God’s Word:

Serpent:         Did God say, “You shall not eat from any tree in the garden”?

Woman:         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 middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.”

The serpent overstates what God has forbidden. The woman, no dummy herself, corrects the serpent: No, God didn’t says that; but, he did say we are not to eat of the tree “that is in the middle of the garden”.  It’s a discussion about God—a theological conversation. What exactly did God say? Why did he say it? What do you think God actually meant?  Are you sure God meant that you will die when you eat its fruit? The serpent is something of a theologian. He knows things about: “You will not die,” says the serpent, “God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

It’s a pious argument: “You want to be like God, don’t you?” Where did the serpent obtain this knowledge about God? John Milton, in his epic poem Paradise Lost, has a wild and creative explanation about how Satan, having a long antagonist history with God, knows things about God that man does not know. The serpent knows, for example, that maybe you won’t die; at least, not right away—not on that very day you eat of the forbidden fruit.

“God wants you to be like him knowing good and evil,” goes the serpent. Why would God forbid such godly knowledge? To the woman’s credit, she points out that God has given them all sorts of freedom: “We can eat of all sorts of fruit!” There is plenty to eat and enjoy. We are free to explore all the wonders and delights of God’s good and beautiful creation. Why fuss about this one forbidden tree in the midst of the garden?

Did God really say…? There’s something about God’s “No” that grates on us. Just one “No” is one too many. Maybe God says “No” because he wants to deprive us of greater knowledge. Be your own person. Be smart. Take of the forbidden fruit. It is tempting, isn’t it?