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Ok, so those things you described (including a talking snake, talking donkey etc.) would be miraculous, or, supernatural events then?A global flood would be considered miraculous by some people. I believe the global flood is more of a natural event, but I could be wrong of course. I am referring to the miraculous as things that break the normal operation of our universe as we know it. This could be things like walking on water, talking animals, an axe head floating to the top of the surface of the water, etc.
See how Jacobson's organ works in serpents: it is quite an interesting fact that a serpent does "eat" dust, as it quite literally tastes the ground as it stalks where it's prey walks--just amazing.Going on the belly and eating dust (no snake eats dust) need not mean to lose his legs but to live a life of abasement, trodden down.
In Genesis 3, a serpent, or snake, talks with Eve. In Genesis 3:14-15, God says that the serpent will lose its legs. God doesn’t say that the serpent will no longer be able to talk or no longer have the intelligence to talk. We know there are no talking snakes today. Snakes do not have the vocal cords for speech, or any brain that could carry on a conversation.
All of this fits with the creation story in Genesis 2-3 being a parable for our instruction. It is not history. It doesn’t take place in the real world. The talking snake is a literary device.
For creationists, God did not take the serpent’s voice away, or say that it would lose intelligence to become a dumb animal. If there were talking snakes only six thousand years ago, when many creationists believe the world was created, there should be talking snakes today. How do creationists explain this?
Many creationists have been taught that Eve was tempted by Satan. They have been taught to substitute “Satan” for “snake” or serpent. Yet Genesis says nothing about Satan being in the Garden of Eden. This could be one reason creationists don’t ask when snakes lost their voices, they think of the snake as a manifestation of Satan. Yet Genesis says no such thing. God talks about the serpent as a real animal when it says it will “crawl on its belly,” or lose its legs.
If God didn’t take away the snake’s voice or its intelligence at the Expulsion from Eden, why don’t snakes talk today? It’s something for creationists to think about.
The King James Version does mention devils more often than most modern translation. Even so, the first mention of Satan in the KJV is in I Chronicles.
And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.
I Chronicles 21:1 KJV
The first mention of devil or devils in the KJV is in Leviticus.
And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after
whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them
throughout their generations. Leviticus 17:7 KJV
There is no mention of Devil or Satan in Eden, or in any other part of Genesis.
I don’t think God was speaking to the serpent in a literal way, such as it literally being cast on his belly and literally eating dust.Then what possible reason did God have for telling the serpent to crawl on it's belly? This to me sounds like the serpent cooperated with the devil and allowed itself to be possessed by him because the serpent was being punished. We also see a talking donkey in Scripture, too. Is this another divine being?
Thanks for posting this. In our modern and western thinking, we look at the punishment as a literal, word for word punishment, so we think Adam & Eve were talking to an actual snake in the garden, and that God punished a snake that was walking, by making him crawl on its belly.Going on the belly and eating dust (no snake eats dust) need not mean to lose his legs but to live a life of abasement, trodden down.
Therefore I tend to think that Serpent is a title for Satan, the dragon and destroyer and is labelled more cunning than the other demons flung to earth with him, Rev 12:9, because he started the whole rebellion.
Your profile says that you’re Christian, but what denomination are you?Thanks for posting this. In our modern and western thinking, we look at the punishment as a literal, word for word punishment, so we think Adam & Eve were talking to an actual snake in the garden, and that God punished a snake that was walking, by making him crawl on its belly.
I don’t think God was speaking to the serpent in a literal way, such as it literally being cast on his belly and literally eating dust.
It’s figurative language, IMO.
I do think the donkey spoke. It said Yahweh opened the mouth of the donkey.
All of this fits with the creation story in Genesis 2-3 being a parable for our instruction. It is not history. It doesn’t take place in the real world.
You brought up talking snakes, (plural). I never said you brought up donkeys. I said you used the plural, the way atheists do to mock, pluralizing both one-time events. I didn't even say you were mocking but that you sounded like them.
Then my apologies. I do hate bullying, and hate it when I see it in myself. It is lazy, and worse. It is the biggest reason why I hate political correctness, and I have seen a form of it used by Christians used to keep other Christians, particularly children and new believers, in line.
Again, I am sorry.
This is one of the problems I have with creationists. Creationists think it is perfectly reasonable that the day before written history began, the world was operating on laws completely unlike anything that has ever been seen since then. Creationists don’t expect the world to make sense. That can’t be right.
Simple. It was a snake possessed by Satan. Demon possession of animals is a must believe for Christians. Jesus sent demons into pigs, remember? I suppose you think that's a parable too?If God didn’t take away the snake’s voice or its intelligence at the Expulsion from Eden, why don’t snakes talk today? It’s something for creationists to think about.
I agree. A few years in most any third world country, and even in many places in the USA, and those scoffing the notion of possession by demons will likely see (and maybe even feel) things they will find hard to explain away.Simple. It was a snake possessed by Satan. Demon possession of animals is a must believe for Christians. Jesus sent demons into pigs, remember? I suppose you think that's a parable too?
I don’t have a denomination.Your profile says that you’re Christian, but what denomination are you?
If God didn’t take away the snake’s voice or its intelligence at the Expulsion from Eden, why don’t snakes talk today? It’s something for creationists to think about.
There's the literal meaning of a word and then there's a not so literal meaning of the same word. As an example, if you were found out to be lying to people (I'm definitely not saying you are) and purposely deceiving them, it would be rather clear and plain to most people nowadays what it means when you get called a snake.There is no mention of Devil or Satan in Eden, or in any other part of Genesis.
Encyclopedia Britannica:See how Jacobson's organ works in serpents: it is quite an interesting fact that a serpent does "eat" dust, as it quite literally tastes the ground as it stalks where it's prey walks--just amazing.
Encyclopedia Britannica:
Jacobson's organ, also called vomeronasal organ, an organ of chemoreception that is part of the olfactory system of amphibians, reptiles, and mammals, although it does not occur in all tetrapod groups. It is a patch of sensory cells within the main nasal chamber that detects heavy moisture-borne odour particles.
THE SNAKE DOES NOT TASTE THE GROUND nor eat dust, it SNIFFS the ground for moisture-borne odour particles!!!
Christ does not need us to make things up to make His word more palatable...puleese.
It may also be that the spirit of the devil that talked with Eve, and not the actual serpent itself. The serpent was just a vessel. But it may also be that the serpent did actually talk by a miracle of the enemy. For the devil essentially did a miracle before Pharaoh and Moses and he is said to do miracles in the end times (to deceive others). So there is that.
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