Yesterday I stumbled upon a bunch of atheist websites that mock Christians for “believing snakes can talk.” See, if we believe the Bible is true, then we must believe that Adam and Eve, in the Garden, had conversations with a serpent.
Oooooh–they’ve got us there! If we were Smart, we’d believe in Progress and World Government and Education. Stuff like that.
There were some timorous attempts to defend the Bible narrative as “a metaphor.” Like, of course it didn’t really happen as described, this was just how ancient people thought and we don’t think that way anymore because we’re so Smart, blah-blah.
I don’t think it’s a metaphor at all.
Satan, a spirit, wished to talk to Eve and lure her into disobedience to God. He chose to use a serpent as his vessel. Why not? You can’t do it, I can’t do it; but we’re not spirits. Satan has no physical body of his own. He has to use a body that’s already there.
There are things spoken of in the Bible that are far beyond our experience and understanding. The same fleshly beings that produced Let’s Make a Deal are never going to be hip to all that happens in the Bible. Anyone who tells you that he understands it all is just gassing you.
Fear the serpent if it speaks to you: ’cause it ain’t Charlie the Garter Snake talking, and you’d better not listen.