This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Genesis 1-4” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, August 30, 1992.
About this sermon
Satan uses the serpent’s own natural strengths against Eve, deceiving her through a speaking snake while Adam is conspicuously absent. In doing so, Satan reverses God’s created order entirely, and Eve’s response amounts to a denial of God’s rule.
Sermon transcript
We move into Genesis 3 this evening, certainly familiar territory. We’ll be reading a portion of this this evening, the first thirteen verses. Dear Lord God, now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, indeed, Has God said, You shall not eat from any tree of the garden? And the woman said to the serpent, From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat, but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die. And the serpent said to the woman, You surely shall not die.
But God knows that in the day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate, and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. when the eyes of both of them were opened.
And they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the spirit of the day. And the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
And the Lord God called to the man and said to him, Where are you? And he said, I heard the sound of thee in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid myself. And he said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat? And the man said, The woman whom you gavest to be with me, she gave me from the tree, And the Lord God said to the woman, What is this you have done? And the woman said, The serpent deceived me, and I did.” that comes to us in this day, and with that rest remind us of the eternal rest that belongs to all of your people, that is reserved for them.
Therefore, Lord, may we receive the blessings of this day as a token from you and as an anticipation of that glorious rest above. In this, Lord, may we not then murmur against you for having set within our schedule this imposition. Instead, our God, may we be glad for the day and also for the opportunities to gather and to praise you. Forgive us, Father, for our stubbornness and our willfulness. And may it please you, our Lord, to fill us with the delights that come to us through the Sabbath, which you have granted to us as a gift of your grace in the resurrected Christ. Amen.
Now, the opening of this third chapter of Genesis is enough to give us pause. The ominous character of the opening of this chapter as we are here face-to-face with the serpent. We have passed from the idyllic notes on which the second chapter ends, a beautiful scene everything peace and harmony, the man now blessed in marriage to his wife, they living harmoniously, happily. Now we move on into the third chapter and we are introduced here to the serpent, and as we are, the flags go up.
Serpents have gotten a bad rap, for we come to this passage with a bit of baggage, do we not? We don’t like snakes. Snakes have bad reputations. We even look at snakes in light of this passage. So we import a lot of things into this text before it’s really appropriate to do so.
After all, the serpent is a creature of God. The serpent is a creature that has been named by Adam. And he has been named in keeping with the very thing with which he is identified, by which he is identified, in that opening verse of the third chapter. He is described as subtle. We need to remember that the snake, the serpent, is not evil in itself. Neither is there evil to be ascribed to the description of the serpent here, as if its subtlety were an evil. The sense of the word there in the first verse is that the serpent was shrewd. This in keeping, then, with its nature and it so described by Adam when he named the serpent. His name then corresponding to the qualities that are observed in the creature. These qualities judged to be admirable, if you will. The subtlety in view is an admirable quality. The shrewdness in view is an admirable quality. It has in view a quiet confidence and an ingenuity.
You might recall that Jesus himself has a few good things to say about snakes. wise as a serpent,” he says, as harmless as a dove, reflecting most likely on the opening of Genesis 3. And he speaks that way of serpents in Matthew 10 verse 16, if you wanted to know the specific verse.
But it is precisely the strength, the admirable quality that is observed in the creature, even the exceptional distinctive, that then becomes the opportunity for evil. Isn’t that always the way it is? It is precisely at the point of strength, where that strength is perceived, that there comes an attack. Because you see, there is always the liability to turn that strength into a weakness. In our case, in the case of human beings, our strength is becoming the opportunity because of our vanity.
So we have the strength and the exceptional qualities, the distinctives of the serpent. These then making the serpent the fitting choice of that one who would take those strengths and distinctives and use them as the vehicles for his own twisted ends.
The subtlety of the serpent, the wisdom-like character of the serpent, the shrewdness of the serpent, become the occasion for Satan’s sinister scheme. So it is. Truly Satan standing behind the serpents, using the snake as cover as he speaks through it. We have then here set before us the creature, a reptile. But now one carried beyond even the exceptional distinctives and strengths that had been observed by Adam. The cause for his naming of the serpent This serpent becomes so extraordinary as to be, as it were, supernaturalized, carried beyond its borders, its natural borders and parameters. We have a speaking snake now. And certainly as this speaking snake presents itself, we should have cause enough for the woman to be on her guard, do you not think?
Something is obviously wrong here. Something is making no sense at all. For the garden was not populated by talking reptiles or talking animals of any kind. Not then, not now. Not in that world, not in our own. But here we have Eve, the woman, listening to a speaking snake. The fact that Eve has entered, as it were, into discussion with this creature does not bode well. She does not stand her ground. She does not focus on the utter irregularity and absurdity of that which has confronted her. She does not rebuke the servant.
This is in fact what she should have done. She had a place by right which she should have been exercising. She had a rightful authority. There was the right use of that authority, that power that was given to her. It was her right to stand her ground against such a creature, to assert her place over this beast, this reptile, since she, with the man her husband, was to have dominion over creatures like this.
So as Satan then makes his entrance, as he presents himself, he does so subtly, shrewdly, wickedly, and in such a way to open up the question of authority. She then, responding to the serpent in a dialogue that should have never taken place. Here is the irony. There will be many ironies to follow with respect to her husband, but here is the irony with respect to her. She had authority. She had power. She had rightful place. And she misused it.
But we also have the added dimension of the text. From the way in which the story is written, it seems as if she is standing alone here. For we hear nothing about the man, her husband, until verse 6. There we hear that he was with her, but it seems as if he had no part as yet in the entire matter. The impression, therefore, is given that there is a deliberate aspect to the entirety of the structure of the temptation. The focus, then, being specifically upon the woman in the absence, as it were, of the man.
It’s almost as if Satan, in his subtlety, in his shrewdness, has cleverly sought out the woman so as to have a private interview with her. And as she is isolated in this fashion, he then appeals to her and to her own self-worth. This is how clever he is. The implication of Satan’s approach is this.
I know you can handle this question, that’s why I’ve come to you. I know you’ll have no problem with this question. That’s why I’m asking you. Now, I don’t want you to talk to your husband about it. We’re speaking as friends here, you and me together. Let’s focus on it together and come to an answer. The implication of Satan’s shrewdness, his subtlety, is that he will isolate the woman and he will appeal to her own self-worth. You know the score, don’t you? Why bother at all? Again, the irony crops up.
Of course, she, having that rightful authority given to her by God, should have been able to handle the situation by rebuking the serpent. For is that truth? to which, then, the serpent is appealing. There is worth in this woman. There is grand and glorious worth assigned her by God. There is a self-worth which she has, which she is expected, then, to demonstrate in her actions and in her words.
She should be able to handle the situation by rebuking the serpent, but instead now the serpent is able to inject into the proceedings an appeal to Eve’s independence and autonomy. Self-worth as it is defined for us scripturally, biblically, is always that sober assessment of one’s self in light of God, in light of his person and his will. But that self-worth turns to vanity when one declares independence from God in order that he might be established or she might be established in their own right. Satan then attacks at the point of Eve’s self-worth and moves her. ever so subtly in the direction of vanity and to a declaration of independence, not from her husband, but from God.
She should have rebuked the servant. She should have put the serpent in its place, literally. She should have affirmed her role within the creation. She should have utilized her power, her God-given power, her authority. She should have affirmed her role with respect to the created order. even her relationship to her husband, and most particularly with respect to her relationship to God. Even if she perceived her own weakness coming to the fore, she could have appealed still to God. She could have appealed even to Adam, and hopefully he would have appealed to God on her behalf or with her. in a common appeal.
Thus there would have been an affirmation, a confirmation of the creation order which cannot be countermanded. I cannot emphasize this enough. Cannot be countermanded without the greatest price to pay. Do we wish to dispense with Genesis 1 through 3? Do we wish to rewrite it?
Even those who are telling us that we are to see and hear matters of symbolical power, influence and significance. What is the nature of those symbols that are here? What is the significance, for instance, with respect to the order of creation? Even if it is symbolical, what is the significance of the order of the symbols? You have God first, you have the man second, you have the woman third, and you have the animal kingdom, then at the lowest point in order of the authority and its arrangements.
You will notice then the nature of Satan’s attempt. and the success that he has in turning that order completely on its head. Here he is, shadowed within a creature, a reptile, appealing to the woman who will go to her husband and then they will be confronted with God. The whole thing has been turned on its head. It was supposed to be the reverse. And in actual fact, of course, by turning it on its head, we are not just now taking suggestions from speaking snakes, we have placed ourselves under the dominion of a fallen angel.
If you notice the grand subtlety from Oh no, there’s no self-interest in this, please understand. I’m just a snake, I don’t want to rule the world. I’m looking out for your best interests. What’s a snake going to do ruling the world? Obviously, ruling the world is meant for you.
In fact, Eve, you belong on top. There is certainly not going to be God that’s on top. Eve, you belong on top. So now Satan has gained his audience with Eve, and this spells disaster. For Eve is no match for Satan. Neither is Adam, and neither are you.
Satan recognizes absolutely, perfectly the advantage that he has gained, and he presses home. He now attacks God directly. He attacks God’s truthfulness. He interjects the question, as God said, And with his question, he interjects the note of unreasonableness, arbitrariness to the command. And if God has placed parameters now on Eve’s enjoyment of the garden, he is also injecting the note of injustice.
Now it’s well for us to understand all of this, for in fact there is a degree of arbitrariness to God’s command. There is even a degree of unreasonableness to it. For all these trees out here, we’re allowed to eat from them, but we’ve got this one tree here that seems utterly unreasonable that we shouldn’t be able to partake of it. It isn’t the sensibleness of the command, you see, that is really before us.
It is the bond that exists between God and his creature, man and woman, that is being tested, even through this which seems to be arbitrary and even unreasonable. But while there is a degree of unreasonableness and arbitrariness to the command, it can never be said that the command is unjust.
Eve’s response is interesting. She seems utterly confident in this dialogue with the snake. She responds by way of an exaggerated interpretation, an expansion upon the command of God. It’s been pointed out to you many, many times. You shall not eat from it or touch it. That’s not found in the original text. You might note back in chapter two, that’s the interpolation.
When she responds in this way, Satan knows beyond any shadow of a doubt that he is one. Although Eve seems steady on the question of God’s prohibition, she is now becoming an autonomous and independent exegete. And such a position places her at odds with the truth itself, because she is not in any sense an autonomous and independent exegete. Satan now knows that for her to maintain her position, she will have to oppose God in order to maintain her autonomy. Here she is, interpreting God’s command, but she will have to oppose God in order to maintain her position.
The irony is about. In defending God, or God’s word, she will ultimately have to oppose God. So Satan makes his thrust. God is a liar. And on your side, Eve, God’s a liar. I agree with you. You’re the exegete. You know the truth. God is a liar. He is not only a liar, he is jealous to protect his own interests. He knows that as soon as you eat of that tree, you’re going to become the competition. And we all know that God can’t stand up to competition like you eat. Well, we see how it is all working itself out.
The incredible complexity of the scheme, the plot, the approach of Satan. How Eve is thoroughly victimized by this being out of hell. Through this primal sin, then, in which Adam, her husband, becomes enrolled, and in which he is ultimately responsible, mankind is plunged into the dark nightmare of sin and misery. Now, to be sure, this final sin is not repeating itself in your life.
You are bearing the brunt of it presently. It is working itself out well within you. It has. The process, however, is alive and well in all temptation. By looking at this temptation, We have something of an analog to those temptations that come to us day by day.
Acquaint yourselves with the subtleties of Satan, the subtleties of his approach. Acquaint yourselves with his lie and his ultimate objective. It is not for your benefit, it is for your overthrow. It is not that you might have life, it’s that you might share death with him. So you move through the questioning of God, calling his word into account. You give way to the flattery that you hear, that is whispered in your ear with respect to your own self-worth, making that not something of value for you, but something over which you stumble.
And through that appeal to your vanity, you are seduced into believing that God is your enemy and that a speaking snake is your friend. Thank God that there is one. who marvelously penetrates to the very center of Satan’s subtleties. It is not fooled a moment.
In Jesus Christ, the full weight of this primal sin is met And in Jesus Christ, the weight of your particular sins is met, so that in him and through him you might stand against the subtleties of this field. Who is it then who comes? and in face-to-face confrontation with Satan does battle and wins.
Who is it that is presently reigning above? Who is it that is at work in you? What power is present in you so that you might be able to stand against every temptation and wile of the devil? we gain in him victory over the primacy to which our first parents fell prey, and in him we have strength to meet those temptations that come to us day by day. that in Jesus Christ the order of things is being righted.
The original creation order is being reaffirmed. Man is discovering himself afresh. understanding his position under God, woman is understanding herself anew and valuing again her self-worth before God and in the light of God’s created order. All of this, to be sure, manifested in, we hope you will not, the Church of Jesus Christ. Let us pray.
Our Father, may we see the measure of the triumph of our Christ, yes, with regard to the sin to which our first parents will pray, even with respect to the temptations and trials that come to us, that we might be victors in the midst of sin. But also, Lord, with respect to the overturning of that creation order, so that in Christ there is that measure of restoration and how we marvel, Lord, and should marvel in its manifestation in the church of our Savior. And Lord, may we be concerned to see that that order shine brightly from your church, yes, as a testimony to you and our bond with you, a testimony to your great but also a testimony to a fallen sinful world that is under your judgment and wrath.
The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.