Gilbert House Fellowship #2: Genesis 3-4

When is a serpent not a serpent? Randall and Stacy Harp of Bible News Radio join Derek to discuss chapters 3 and 4 of the Book of Genesis.

We discuss the nachash, which, we learn this morning, was a supernatural being, possibly with a shining, serpentine appearance. That's what tempted Adam and Eve into disobeying God's clear instruction to eat of any tree in the Garden of Eden except for "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil".

Wasn't that Satan? Well, yes, but with two footnotes. First, in the Old Testament, "satan" is almost never used without the definite article "the", as in "the satan" — which is a title or job description ("the accuser" or "the prosecuting attorney") rather than a proper name. Second, Satan is not linked to the nachash in the Bible anywhere until the Book of Revelation.

Also: The Fall and its consequences, the first murder on Earth, and the arrogance of Cain and his descendant, Lamech.

Click here to see Dr. Michael Heiser's video presentation "What Happened in the Garden?"

Please join us in the Gilbert House Forum to discuss this week's reading and other issues that confront us in our daily walk.