The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 70-1, titled "Bible Questions and Answers."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.

Question

This question is about Genesis 3:1, and 3:14, In what form was Satan when he tempted Eve? It says something in here about "cattle" and he was put on his "belly" to go in to dust.

Answer

The form that he was in was a snake. It says, "the LORD God said to the serpent." Somehow Satan manifested himself through that serpent. Now that is getting into something we  really don't know all the details about, but back in verse one of chapter three, it says "Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field."  Now to be honest with you, we don't know what form the serpent had in the garden--we just don't know. There are some who believe that at that point in time the snake might have been up in the trees or whatever, because when he was cursed, he was cursed to crawl on his belly in the dust, you know "all his days" and so forth. Probably, there was some distinction between the first serpent and what he was after he tempted man. But that distinction could not be explained by the "Fall" because Satan was equally evil before he tempted Eve and Adam, as he was afterwards. So we don't know what the change was, but any way it says "because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of thy life." At least the cattle and the other beasts have their belly up off of the ground--propped up by their legs.

Question (continued)

He wasn't cattle?

Answer (continued)

Oh, no, no, he was a snake. He was cursed worse than them because he would craw in the dirt all of his life. In other words, the curse impacted all animals, but his curse was more severe than the cattle's curse; more severe than the beast's because he was left to crawl in the dirt. Some people think that maybe before that he had legs. I really don't know, but maybe there was some way that he was erect, or some way in which he traversed the trees or whatever--I don't know. But his curse was more severe just by virtue of the fact that he would crawl in the dirt--a more humiliating stance. Frankly, if you would take a vote on the most unpopular animal in the world, it is quite confident that the snake would win. True? I mean, how many of you are really into snakes? Not very many, it is a despicable kind of creature that slithers around and (I don't want to talk about this too much or we will lose some ladies here in the second row).