My family and I are Christians. I was wondering about snakes. I've heard that they are a curse because Satan came in the form of one, I've heard that after the fall, lizards lost their legs, and I've heard that snakes are just God's creation-who is correct?
Responses (3)
It is not reliable to let people tell you what the bible says. For one thing, most of them never read it.
The bible does not say that Satan came in any form. It says "the serpent" spoke to Eve. That is a figure of speech. The bible is to be taken literally except where it is impossible, and then it is interpreted as a figure of speech. A serpent can not speak, so this is a figure. The basic figure of speech is the simile: "You are like a dog." Then you have the metaphor: "You are a dog." Then you have a big word, hypocatastasis. That is Greek for name calling: "You dog!" So there is a hypocatastasis in Genesis.
Here is a free book that lists about 900 figures found in the bible. It is almost the only work in the subject for the last two thousand years:
www.openlibrary.org/search?q=e.+w.+bullinger+figures+of+speech
The name "Satan" does not appear in the bible until 1 Chronicles 21:1 "And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel." The first usage of a word defines it by the context. This defines "Satan" as being against Israel. The next usage is in Job, where Satan's methods are outlined, and Job's clumsy trust in God eventually overcomes Satan's attacks.
About creation: the word only appears in Genesis chapter 1 verses 1, 21, and 27. All other usages are repetitions of those occasions. If you read Genesis carefully you will see that God made some things and commanded the earth to bring forth some things, but there were only three acts of creation. God formed man from dust: just pushed it into the shape of a man. He made the man a living soul: He had already created soul in verse 21 for whales, and you can only create something that never existed before, so he did not create a soul for man, just made another one. Then He created man in His image. God is a spirit; His image is another spirit. Adam and Eve had spirits, and it was the spirit that died when they disobeyed.
The bible becomes a lot clearer when you read what it says and stop repeating bullsnot that you have heard from other people. Remember, other people are one of Satan's methods for attacking God's people and spreading confusion.
The serpent to whom Jehovah was directing his words recorded at Genesis 3:15 was not the animal on the ground. Obviously, it could not understand an issue such as was involved here, a challenge of Jehovah’s sovereignty. Therefore, as later developments revealed, God was speaking to an intelligent individual, his archenemy Satan the Devil. The book of Job enlightens us on this matter, as there we find Satan presenting his accusation against Job’s integrity to Jehovah in order to support his challenge against God’s sovereignty. (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-5) The “father,” then, of the seed of the serpent would be, not a literal animal serpent, but an angelic, spirit “father,” Satan the Devi.
For more information on this subject and others, please go to jw.org "Online Library." Also for free downloads publications or read online.
Genesis 3 bible account.
When Jehovah created the animals the snake was created. Snakes cannot talk but One of God's Angels who became rebellious called Satan the Devil disguised himself as a snake and deceived the woman Eve..Then Jehovah God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you are the cursed one out of all the domestic animals and out of all the wild animals of the field. On your belly you will go, and you will eat dust all the days of your life. After reading the Bible account it seems that a snake did not always move around on its body on the ground but was cursed by God to take this position. Snakes are poisonous not evil.
For more information on this subject and others, please go to jw.org "Online Library."
Also for free downloads, publications or read on line.