The temptation of the Serpent
What what is the significance of the Serpent tempting us to be like the angelic beings of heaven? This first temptation is the beginning of a pattern, the temptation to be like the "gods" (elohim) by any means.
Genesis 3:4-5 ESV
But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
When the serpent says "you will be like God", the text uses the Hebrew word Elohim (Strongs 430). The term Elohim, as many biblical scholars and linguists have pointed out, is used not only as a reference to God himself but any spiritual being that takes residence in the heavenly places or the unseen realm. This word is translated as multiple different things throughout Scripture, and rightfully so since it is vague in nature. The context tells us whether the word is singular or plural as well as whether or not it refers to God himself, false gods, or simply a spiritual being of some kind. In Genesis 3:5 it is most commonly translated as "God", but this may very well be a mistake. As Michael Heiser points out in his book Angels: What The Bible Really Says About God's Heavenly Host, verse 22 of the same chapter in Genesis implies that the fruit did not make them like God specifically but rather more like Elohim in general.
Genesis 3:22 ESV
Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—”
In this verse, God addresses the heavenly host right after addressing the Serpent, Eve, and Adam (in that order). He says "Man has become like one of us". God wasn't talking to himself, he was addressing his heavenly council as he often does throughout scripture (Psalm 82, 1 Kings 22:19-21, Genesis 1:26, 6:3, 11:6-7 etc...). Some may assume, as many have been taught, that when God says "us" he is speaking to the Trinity. This concept normally stems from Genesis 1:26 and is false for a number of reasons, as many scholars have pointed out.
Firstly, the verses where God says "us" simply never say that the Trinity is speaking to itself. So, we need to start by acknowledging that it is an assumption on the part of the reader, not a fact. Part of why some readers might think that this is God speaking to the Trinity is for a handful of other assumptions, the first of which is correct.
- God speaking to Himself wouldn't make sense
- In Genesis 1:26, when God created humanity and said "Let us create mankind in our image" He is the only one present at the time.
- In Genesis 1:26, when God said "Let us create mankind in our image" God is the one only who created mankind (which is true) and therefore was speaking to Himself (not necessarily true).
God speaking to Himself wouldn't make sense, both grammatically and practically. Oddly, people then turn to the assumption that He must be talking to Himself anyway but doing so in a way that involves the other aspects of the Trinity. They tend to do so, as I once did, in fear that anything else would mean God didn't create humanity by Himself or in His Image and many modern pastors would be wrong. However, only the latter is true. God still made mankind by Himself and in His image.
The assumption that God was alone when he said "let us" is simply not true. Preachers and readers might say "But in Colossians 1:16 it says everything was created by and through Christ. So, the Father and Son were doing the process together and speaking to each other." That is a reasonable thing to assume on the surface level but by definition is a syllogistic fallacy. Just because The Father and Son were present does not mean they were the only ones present or talking to each other in plural form. When Jesus speaks to God He calls Him "Father", not "us" and when God speaks to Jesus He calls Him "Son" not "us". This, again, would make no grammatical sense. The fact of the matter is that although the Trinity was clearly present so were all of the heavenly host.
Job 38:4-7
"Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"
Job 38:4-7 tells us that the sons of God were already present during the laying of the foundation of the earth. They were actively participating, not by creating, but by celebrating God's creation. In Genesis 1:26 God addressing His heavenly children as He goes to create earthly ones would make perfect sense. It doesn't mean that the angels created humanity or even shared in the process of making us but they did share the moment and most likely celebrated as they did at the laying of the foundation of the earth. So, not only does the Bible not say that God was speaking to Himself but Him speaking to His heavenly children would make perfect sense. These reasons are why it is clear that God is not talking to the other members of the Trinity when He says the word "us".
Secondly, in Genesis 3:22, mankind became "like one of us" by "knowing good and evil". This trait is simply not exclusive to God. His angels are well aware of good and evil, it was the Devil who once served God that introduced this very sin to Adam and Eve. We did in fact, become more like the angels and spirits of heaven when we knew good and evil. But in as much as we became more like God, we also became less like Him by simultaneously knowing/committing sin. This didn't draw us closer, it pushed us away.
Thirdly, let's consider who is present when God speaks. I speak not only of Adam, Eve, and the Serpent but also of His heavenly host. Just as they were the only ones present in Genesis 1:26, they are also present at all times when God speaks. To confirm this, we need only look at the first word of his sentence to clarify that God is addressing a group "Behold" (Strongs H2005). This word is never used to address one's self. This makes sense, you never need to tell yourself to behold something for obvious reasons. Behold, wouldn't be addressing Adam and Eve because they are who He is talking about not to. You could argue that the statement could apply to the Serpent and that is true but God already spoke to the Serpent and then spoke to Eve and Adam. So what we see is God addressing everyone who is present in order of responsibility: first, the Serpent who incited the evil, then Eve who took and shared with Adam, then Adam who gave in and then He addresses the heavenly host in a summarized proclamation of judement. This situation is much like a courtroom declaration, as we see many times throughout Scripture (not the least of these being Psalm 82). Saying that God (in the presence of the Serpent, Adam, Eve, and a multitiude of heavenly beings watching this event) spoke verbally but decided to only address himself by saying "us" when that statement would have applied to the other elohim as well (since they also knew good and evil) is a rather silly argument when you take everything into consideration. Mankind became like all of them, not just God (and as I pointed out they also became less like God).
So we see that God's sentence makes little sense if He is speaking to Himself in plurality and it makes perfect sense and aligns with the rest of Scripture if He is addressing the other elohim of heaven (the very ones the Serpent told Eve she could become like).
If this is the case then what what is the significance of the Serpent tempting us to be like the angelic beings of heaven? This first temptation is the beginning of a pattern, the temptation to be like the "gods" (elohim) by any means.
Genesis 6
In Genesis 6 the "sons of God", also called elohim in other passages, came into the daughters of men and bore Nephilim children. They didn't simply leave, however. It says they took them as wives. They stayed. And to/with them, according to Second-Temple literature like 1 Enoch, they taught knowledge that was forbidden.
1 Enoch 7:1
And all the others together with them took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in unto them and to defile themselves with them, and they taught them charms and enchantments, and the cutting of roots, and made them acquainted with plants.
1 Enoch 8
And Azazel taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known to them the metals of the earth and the art of working them, and bracelets, and ornaments, and the use of antimony, and the beautifying of the eyelids, and all kinds of costly stones, and all colouring tinctures. 2. And there arose much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they were led astray, and became corrupt in all their ways. 3. Semjaza taught enchantments, and root-cuttings, 'Armaros the resolving of enchantments, Baraqijal (taught) astrology, Kokabel the constellations, Ezeqeel the knowledge of the clouds, Araqiel the signs of the earth, Shamsiel the signs of the sun, and Sariel the course of the moon.
This was the common understanding of the ancient Jew, and the author assumes the reader knows the full story of the Nephilim and their parents. We know this because of how many ancient Jewish scrolls speak of this narrative (1 Enoch, Jubilees, The Book of Giants etc...), and Genesis 6 merely touches on the subject while saying things like "the men of renown" (meaning everyone knows about them).
Knowing this, Genesis 6 seems to be a continuation of the same temptation: knowledge that will make you like the "gods". Unfortunately, this knowledge returns after the flood.
Genesis 11
Although we don't know how, both the Nephilim and the forbidden knowledge of their ancestors end up back on the scene after the great flood. In Genesis 11, though we do not read of specific knowledge or technologies other than brick and mortar, verses 5 and 6 tells us that God saw what they had and knew their unlimited potential.
Genesis 11:5-6
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.
It seems that the knowledge they had was collective, since the solution God uses is separation by distance and communication.
Genesis 11:7
Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.”
God prevents them from communicating and in doing so puts an end to the increasing knowledge and ability of humanity.
It's interesting to note that these passages all include God addressing His heavenly host with the issue and solution:
Genesis 3:22
Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—”
Genesis 6:3,7
Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” ... So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”
Genesis 11:6-7
And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.”
In each situation, humanity (insighted by the spiritual forces of evil, whether implied or explicit) attempts to become more like the elohim of the heavens via forbidden knowledge, but they do have their differences which are equally significant. One of the progressive differences between each passage is the form of the temptation and how it is delivered.
- Genesis 3: The serpent provides the first temptation of being like the elohim
- Genesis 6: The fallen elohim offer knowledge and methods of being like them, the same temptation for the second time
- Genesis 11: Humanity attempts to use their knowledge to build a tower that reaches to the heavens (the home of the elohim)
A few more differences worth noting would be in terms of location:
- In Genesis 3 humanity started in and was sent away from where heaven and earth once met. (the realms split)
- In Genesis 6 the sons of God leave heaven for earth. (from heaven to earth)
- In Genesis 11 humanity attempts to build a tower from earth up to heaven. (from earth to heaven)
This seems to be the Biblical illistration of "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence". The fence is actually there for a reason, but we can't seem to keep from viewing our order and protection as an obsticle to overcome.
Humanity has continued to fall into this temptation ever since. We long to be like the heavenly beings. We want power and eternal life. God offers us both of those things but we want them on our own terms. Whether by technology or witchcraft, we continue to break the rules in an attempt to counteract our God-given limitations and achieve what he offers without the responsibility and position of heart that He requires.