In the Garden of Eden the serpent approached Eve with a proposition. Actually it was more of an accusation. He asked her, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3) Poor ol’ Eve, she thought that they were having a civilized discussion on dietary etiquette. The serpent had asked a leading question that would steer the dialogue in his direction no matter what answer Eve would have given. It’s what any good prosecutor would have done. It’s the same ruse a fisherman uses, hide the deadly barbed hook with something that is highly attractive to the fish. First impressions are very important and very deadly.
In defense of Eve, she had little experience in deception and debating skills. As a matter of fact, she may have lasted longer than most of us would have! Given the method and manner of his verbal assault, you have to give the serpent kudos on waiting until his target was alone and vulnerable.
Let’s examine an alternative scenario. What if Eve’s answer was different? What if she had said to the crafty serpent, “Ask God.” Would the serpent have been embarrassed and slithered off at being bested by a mere human? The answer is obvious, the serpent would have tried a different approach, and another, and yet another until he got the desired results. Like the green Anole reptile lizard which has two tails and sometimes more . They are resourceful and crafty. Eden’s Garden serpent is crafty and would also have had a “backup tail” in case the first “tail” failed, or is that “tale” failed?
We could learn a lesson from this serpent. If God asked you why He should let you into heaven, would your first answer be adequate? Better have a spare! And I ain’t talkin’ spare ‘tail or tale’.
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