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As we read Genesis chapter 3 verses 1-6 we are going to pay particular attention Satan’s sophisticated subtleties and to the exchange that Eve entered into. The purpose of this series, as stated in the title, is to examine the character of God. In today’s lesson, we will clearly see how God’s character has been brought into question and where we might find ourselves interacting with our world, with each other, with our spouse and even with our children from an incorrect perspective of God’s character: The Accusation.

Genesis 3:

¹ Now the serpent was more crafty (עָרוּם ʻârûwm, aw-room’; passive participle of H6191; cunning (usually in a bad sense):—crafty, prudent, subtil.) than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

² The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, ³ but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

⁴ “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. ⁵ “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

⁶ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.

Adam and Eve had gone about their business, obeying God, avoiding the tree in the middle of the Garden. They must have had so much loveliness and so much industry that they hadn’t even give the tree a second glance or thought. Verse 6 makes it sound like this is the first time Eve had even really looked at the tree at all.

But, now we have this image of a serpent hanging off of branches from the tree, possibly eating fruit from the tree. Now, I don’t know what would make one animal more wily and cunning than any other animal. In Matthew 10:16, we are instructed to be wise, or cunning, as serpents. Jesus uses the same word, עָרוּם, but it is used in a positive sense. Here in Genesis, it is used in a negative sense. The contrast could be making the point that we have the opportunity to choose to use our wisdom, or our ‘street-smarts,’ for good or for evil. Are we wise unto salvation or are we wise unto destruction? The serpent in this story is depicted as using his cunning to deceive to bring others into destruction.

The serpent in this story is not speaking of its own volition. Rather, this is the enemy, Satan, speaking in the form of the serpent and now we will look at his methodology:

Step 1: Cast Doubt through insinuation: “Did God REALLY say…?” Eve answers him, quoting God (albeit, adding to God’s words and that isn’t terribly helpful. Adding or Subtracting to God’s word, as the book of Revelation tells us, leaves us wide open to deception.) But, Satan isn’t really wanting to cast doubt about WHAT God has said, so much as WHY God has said it.

The doubt Satan is creating is in the area of God’s limitation on our freedom. Eve heard Satan placing the emphasis on, “Did God REALLY SAY…?” And she quoted God to prove that He did in fact say it. But, Satan’s emphasis was somewhere else. In Satan’s mind and argument, the focal point is on ‘You must not eat from ANY tree in the garden’? His question is actually, “Did God really infringe upon your rights to eat what ever YOU WANT?”

Eve’s response is defensive, aggressive, even; adding to what the Lord has said, as if to strengthen and defend His Word. But, God doesn’t need us to come to His defense, and He certainly doesn’t need us wordsmithing improvements into His Word. The Truth stands by itself and doesn’t need to be propped up. Truth can be dispassionately examined from all angles: it stands up to scrutiny.

What doesn’t stand up so well to scrutiny is our own fears. “Maybe the Truth isn’t truth after all?” we wonder. Eve’s defensive, overly aggressive answer reveals the truth that the first question has landed on its mark. “If we are truly free, then why not complete freedom? Why a boundary? Does that boundary mean we are not completely free? And if not completely free, then are we free at all?

Step 2: Contradiction: Satan takes that glimmer of doubt and pushes his point home with force. “Not only did God lie to you when He said you are free, but He also lied to you when He said you will die. You will NOT die. In FACT, the opposite. When you eat this fruit, not only will you finally be free, but you will experience LIFE instead of Death! You will gain wisdom and power that God hoards for Himself. The fruit of THIS tree is the secret to His wisdom, power, and godly authority and universal reign.

Step 3: Reinforce the Lie through our senses: And then, to drive home his point, he takes a big juicy bite of the fruit and says, “Look at what this fruit has done to me, a simple, humble serpent. Imagine what it will do for you!” Satan used the human senses to betray Truth. Satan presents His insinuations and outright lies in such a way as to make our very senses to verify the truth of his deception.

We call hurricanes, tornadoes, famine, earthquakes and more as “Acts of God.” When disaster strikes, the insurance adjuster marks a box next to “Act of God.” Our very senses testify to the horrendous power displayed by a non-benevolent deity.

While God is the Creator and Emperor King of the Universe, Satan lays claim of sovereignty of this earth. Consider the following verses. In the book of Job, chapter 1, God, the Emperor, is meeting with the vassal kings and Satan presents himself in the royal court as the vassal king of Earth, boasting that all on earth have rejected God and accepted Satan as their king. God reminds Satan that his generalized statement smacks of falsity as there is at least one who is actively rejecting Satan’s rule. Ephesians 2:2 refers to Satan as the prince of the power of the air. In other words, Satan has power over nature to work mighty and terrible “miracles,” all the while accusing God of bringing disaster and calamity. And, in Revelation 7:1 God is seen sending angels to restrain Satan’s power over nature.

As powerful as Satan is to work all sorts of horrendous acts, the reality is, things would be so much worse if God weren’t restraining Satan. Rather than God causing calamity, God is instead protecting us from it, for Satan is an unwise and unscrupulous ruler. Disobedience, rather than leading to freedom, wisdom, and life, is seen, in Satan himself, to lead to restraint of freedom, foolishness in purpose, and ultimately death. Rather than God being the Liar, it is instead, Satan himself.

Besides Eden, where has Satan’s lies about God’s character taken root? I see his lies presented in the narcissism of Israel, where they are seen as God’s special people and all else are outcasts from His grace. I see it in a legalistic mindset: we must obey in order to be accepted and not cast out of God’s presence. I see it in the doctrine of eternally burning hell; eternally punishing/torturing sinners. I see it in the snub certain non-cheese-eating people give to other cheese-eating people. I see it in the crusades of the middle-ages and often in the evangelistic crusades of modernity; any time we use methods of violence, manipulation or coercion in God’s name.

Where in your own life do you see it? I can see it in my oft overhanded parenting or rush to judgments.

For now, until next week, my appeal is for us to examine our lives, our ministries, our homes, and our marriages to see if our methods utilize or resemble the methods of the enemy-ruler of this world. Next week we will examine more closely God’s rebuttal to Satan’s accusations.

For now, be blessed by being a blessing!!

Pr. Tom Nicholas