Introduction

Genesis 3:1-5 “But the shining one was shrewder than any animal of the field that Adonai Elohim made. So it said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from all the trees of the garden’?” The woman said to the shining one, “Of the fruit of the trees, we may eat. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat of it and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” The shining said to the woman, “You most assuredly won’t die! For God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.””

                                  Hebrew Script Genesis 3:1-5

When Moses ‘wrote’ the original Hebrew scriptures, he did not use letters as we know them. He used pictograms. These were very different from what the Hebrew looks like today. 

An example in use: The sign for (chen) grace. A wall and a seed. The Hebrews camped in a circle. God’s grace was a continuous wall around the camp. Within that protection, they had every blessing the needed.

There were no vowels as we know them. The Rabbis were asked why there were no vowels. They answered: “The ambiguity allows us to derive multiple layers of meaning from the same written text.”

Vowels were not introduced until around the 9^th century. The meaning of the word can be changed by the vowels used. Therefore, we need to ask when we read Genesis and the word ‘serpent’, we must ask is that what it means? The use of serpent has caused many to be sceptic of God’s Word. Let us look at the word and how Hebrew is used. 

Serpent/snake       Shining Material           Evil diviner with supernatural

                                 Bronze or copper          knowledge read omens enchant

                               Hence 'shining one

All Hebrew words come from a root. From that root multiple meanings can be drived as above. 

We can see from the root highlighted, depending on vowels and other characters, different applications can be made. When there is no clarity on a word, we need to look at context and apply other Scriptures. Scripture must interpret Scripture, when there is a question about a word.

Thus, we have the word in Genesis:

Genesis 3:1 “And the

 נָחָשׁ

was cunning above every beast of the field which YAHWEH Elohim had made. And he said to the woman, Is it so that Elohim has said, “You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?”

The reading does not say the creature was a beast of the field. It reads, that it was more shrewd or cunning, than any of the field creatures. We then go to other Scriptures to help the understanding.

Numbers 21:6 “And YAHWEH sent the

 נְחָשִׁים    שְרָפִים

in the form of serpents among the people; and they bit [to strike with a sting] the people, and many people of Israel died.”

Here we have the word from Genesis alongside another word – sapharim.

Psalm 148:5  "Let them [Angels] praise the name of Yahweh; for He commanded, and they were created..”

Job 38:5-7 “Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest or who hath stretched the line upon it? Upon what are its bases grounded? or who laid the corner stone thereof, When the morning stars praised me together, and all the sons of God [Angels] made a joyful melody?” 

Hebrews 1:13-14 “But to which of the angels said he at any time: Sit on my right hand, until I make thy enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to minister for them who shall receive the inheritance of salvation?” 

You will note that the verse from numbers had the word for a type of angel – seraphim. The plural word for saraph. Therefore the numbers verse can be understood as shining seraphim. Shining angels which were sent by Yahweh – good angels. This is further clear in God’s instruction to Moses to create a creature on a staff.

“..Make a   שׂרף  [Saraph]  and put it on a pole..” Numbers 21:8

Here again, we have the type of angel. Using the Greek Septuagint, the figurative word serpent is brought into the New Testament text. Jesus said,

John 3:14 “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up..”

 This idea that Jesus would compare Himself to a serpent, demonstrates the translation issue. He would not do that. Therefore, when we see numbers in its true rendering, Jesus is comparing Himself to the good Angel on the staff.

We know the description of the Seraph from Isaiah 6. Ezekiel writes:

Ezekiel 28:12 & 13 “You [Satan] were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God…….”

Satan was a saraph who was before the throne of God. He was original created as a good angel, However, he decided he wanted to be God. His rebellion was dealt with alongside a third of the angels who rebelled with him. Isaiah writes of the humiliation of Satan, also called Lucifer, the light bearer, son of the dawn.

Isaiah 14:12 “How you have fallen from heaven, O daystar, son of the dawn [Shining One] ! How you are cut down to the earth, you who made the nations prostrate!” 

Jesus also confirms this in Luke 10:18.

The final piece of the jigsaw comes in Revelation:

Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was thrown down—the ancient serpent, called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” 

Revelation 20:1 “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a great chain. He seized the dragon—the ancient serpent, who is the devil and satan—and bound him for a thousand years.” 

Now we can see the real picture in Genesis 3. It was Lucifer/Satan – an angel of light - who comes to Adam and Eve. They would have been familiar with angels who would have ministered for God in the garden. Therefore when a ‘good’ angel in her mind talks with her, why should she trust him?

This brings us to Paul:

2 Corinthians 11:11-15  “..Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do! But what I am doing I will continue to do, so that I may cut off the opportunity from those who want an opportunity in what they boast about to also be regarded just as we are. For such men are false emissaries, deceitful workers masquerading as Messiah’s emissaries.  And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light. It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be according to their deeds.” 

This is how deception often works in the modern world. Lucifer hides in the darkness and acts through others who appear as ‘good’ as angels of light. Any study of Scripture will show this. Read Jude for example of how he speaks harshly about such people – men and women. They flood the internet and news. They preach from pulpits in many places. This is why we must be Bereans and check out everything against the Word of God and under the light of the Holy Spirit’s lead.

1 John 4:1 “Loved ones, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 

When we look at many denominations of all colours, we hear and see so much being preached that just does not sit with God’s revealed Word.

Be alert and warned. The word about the end times shows that such deception will be widespread and many will be deceived.