SEEK 24 – Talking Snakes

SEEK 24 – Talking Snakes

 Question: You Don’t Believe in Talking Snakes Do You?

Bible Reading: Genesis 3

Text: “Now the serpent was more crafty 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. “(Genesis 3:1)

This is a dangerous question. Why? Because it is usually not a serious one. It is normally asked in a mocking and contemptuous tone, with the underlying meaning being ‘only a fool would believe something as stupid as that’! God warns us about having such a mocking attitude and even suggests that it is pointless trying to answer the question – because the person making it, is making an accusation rather than asking a genuine question. “Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you” (Proverbs 9:8).

A number of years ago I received a phone call from Kerrang – a heavy metal radio station. To be honest at first, I thought it was a joke. But no, they really did want to do an interview with me about The Dawkins Letters. As I listened to the sounds of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin before the interview, I wondered what was coming. As soon as the music stopped the DJ came on and asked, “hey Dave, you don’t believe in a talking snake, do you?”. I knew then that I was in for a tough time! The DJ was brilliant. He was not mocking, despite the jocular tone of the first question and we ended up having a long conversation about God, humanity, the nature of evil and the potential of salvation.

So let me assume that you are asking this question in the same spirit of genuine curiosity and that the question of the Serpent in the garden is one that really worries you. Does it make the Bible sound like one of Aesop’s fables, a bit ridiculous and unbelievable? I don’t think I could pretend that Genesis 3 is an easy passage to understand, or that there are no difficulties within it – but I don’t see why a talking snake should be a particular difficulty.

The Bible is not presenting the world as though it were populated with talking animals – aka Disney! What is being taught here is that it was Satan, in the form of a serpent, who tempted Adam and Eve and led them astray from God. Satan is the accuser and that deceiver. He is the one who seeks to destroy.

The objection here is not a logical one – it is a philosophical one. One of belief. If you do not believe that there can be a supernatural being, whether good or bad, then you will automatically not accept any supernatural explanation. Indeed, any such explanation will automatically be dismissed as laughable. The trouble with that argument is that it is a circular and closed one. By shutting yourself off to the possibility of the supernatural, you make any discussion impossible.

Of course, the possibility does not make it certain. However, in terms of the existence of a personal evil being, I think the evidence is somewhat overwhelming. You could deny, against all the evidence, that evil actually exists (as Richard Dawkins does in River out of Eden “The universe that we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference.” ), or you could argue, implausibly, that evil is just an impersonal force. But the biblical explanation that evil is personified in the fallen angel, the Devil, makes a lot more sense to me.

So yes – I would rather believe that evil manifested itself in the form of a talking snake to tempt humanity away from God, than believe that either evil doesn’t exist, or that humans are essentially good. To believe the latter takes a leap of faith that I am not prepared to make.

I’ve already mentioned Paradise Lost, (ch21) but it’s such a great poem that it is worth mentioning again. Milton has Satan stating, “better to reign in Hell, than to serve in Heaven”. This is the ultimate lie of the evil one. That the main thing in life is for us to rule ourselves. He offers us freedom and brings us slavery. Whereas God calls us to serve – and in so doing sets us free. We can listen to the lies of the evil one and go to destruction – or we can know the truth and be set free. Who will you listen to? The Serpent or the Saviour?

Consider: Why do you think that people find the story of the snake in the garden of Eden so hard to believe? How do people explain evil without the devil? Who would you trust to defeat Satan?

Further Reading:

Genesis – Derek Kidner

The Serpent and the Serpent Slayer – Andrew David Naselli

Prayer: Our Father in Heaven, we pray that you would deliver us from evil and not allow us to be led into temptation. We know that our enemy, the devil, goes round like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. We know that he is subtle and the father of lies. Protect us from his wiles, and lead us in your truth. We rejoice that he has already been defeated. In Jesus name, Amen.

You can buy SEEK at Amazon –

Or from Christian Focus here 

Or if you are in Australia – from Koorong here