And God Created the Serpent

The first two chapters of Genesis paint a picture of a loving God creating human beings who he could lavish his love upon. The only prohibition is that they may not eat from the fruit of one tree in the garden. No one really knows what the significance of the tree is except that it is the only tree they could not eat from.

Enter the serpent. “Did God say you shall not eat from any tree in the garden?” The illusion is cast. He has painted a false picture in Eve’s mind that she had not previously seen. She rejects that picture but even so, the question has become about what God has denied, rather than what God has given. Eve seems to embellish God’s instruction, by saying that God told them they were not even to touch it. Is this the first delusion?

The serpent now sets up a delusion. “You will not 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." Having successfully cast the illusion of God’s stinginess, he know traps Eve in a delusion. "God was lying to her. God was merely trying to trick her into not taking what is rightfully hers." So now, based on this delusion about God’s character, Eve sins. Adam goes right along with her. Their eyes are opened and they come to see that they are the ones deluded not God. Their response? Hide.

God calls Adam out on the question of the fruit from the tree. Adam tries to delude God into believing that it was Eve’s fault: "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate." Adam was helpless to resist? God turns to Eve and she blames the serpent: "The serpent tricked me, and I ate." What was so tricky about not eating a piece of fruit? Author Os Guinness has suggested that there was yet on more inquiry. God asked the serpent if what Eve said was true. To which the serpent replied, “Yes I did. And you created me!” The blame comes full circle back to God.