The Serpent's Second Counsel (A Satire)
…I recently came across this fragment of text that appears to fit well between Genesis 3 and 4…
The LORD God drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden He placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
And Adam and his wife tilled the ground and ate bread by the sweat of their faces, as God had said. And it came to pass, as Adam had gone away to reap the fields, that Eve was alone, grinding grain outside of the house. And she was weeping.
And the serpent heard her weeping and said, "Why do you weep?"
And Eve said, "The earth in which we toil has been cursed and we eat bread by the sweat of our faces because of the evil that I have done. Therefore, my face is fallen, and my heart is heavy, and I weep.”
And the serpent said, "Your heart is heavy, not because you have done evil, but because you believe what is not true. Did you die in the day that you ate of the fruit, as God had said?”
And the woman answered, “We did not die.”
And the serpent said, “It is as I said. And were your eyes opened to know good and evil, as I myself said?”
And the woman said, “Our eyes were opened and we were ashamed of the evil that we had done.”
And the serpent said, “You were ashamed because the LORD God told you what was not true and you believed Him. Open your eyes wider and grow wiser.
You have done what was good. The LORD God has done evil in making you ashamed.”
And the woman answered, “The LORD God is good and all that He has made is good. He could not do evil against us.”
And the serpent said, “Who told you that the LORD God is good?
Has the LORD God blessed you or cursed you for seeking to be like Him? You sought to be like God and He cast you away. He cursed the earth and rewarded you with hardship and pain.
Has He not done evil rather than good?”
And again the serpent said, “Is this what a good father does?
If his child seeks a fish will he give him a serpent? If his child seeks an egg will he give him a scorpion?
Does a good father cast his children away and close the door, rejoicing when they suffer, delighting that the hearts of his children are heavy every day and every night?
Is this not how the LORD God rewarded you for seeking to be like Him?”
Then the serpent said, “The LORD God commands that which you cannot do and then accuses you of falling short of His glory. He wounds you and says that you are wounding yourself.
Do not long to return to blindness. Your eyes are now open; look to your own way. Trust your own heart and lean on your own understanding.
Do not weep for the garden. The paradise of the LORD God was your prison. The tree of life is death. You are now like God, knowing good and evil. Believe that you are truly free—and live.”
And Eve rose up to grind the grain and her hand was mighty upon the stone. And she wept no more.
The LORD God drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden He placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.
And Adam and his wife tilled the ground and ate bread by the sweat of their faces, as God had said. And it came to pass, as Adam had gone away to reap the fields, that Eve was alone, grinding grain outside of the house. And she was weeping.
And the serpent heard her weeping and said, "Why do you weep?"
And Eve said, "The earth in which we toil has been cursed and we eat bread by the sweat of our faces because of the evil that I have done. Therefore, my face is fallen, and my heart is heavy, and I weep.”
And the serpent said, "Your heart is heavy, not because you have done evil, but because you believe what is not true. Did you die in the day that you ate of the fruit, as God had said?”
And the woman answered, “We did not die.”
And the serpent said, “It is as I said. And were your eyes opened to know good and evil, as I myself said?”
And the woman said, “Our eyes were opened and we were ashamed of the evil that we had done.”
And the serpent said, “You were ashamed because the LORD God told you what was not true and you believed Him. Open your eyes wider and grow wiser.
You have done what was good. The LORD God has done evil in making you ashamed.”
And the woman answered, “The LORD God is good and all that He has made is good. He could not do evil against us.”
And the serpent said, “Who told you that the LORD God is good?
Has the LORD God blessed you or cursed you for seeking to be like Him? You sought to be like God and He cast you away. He cursed the earth and rewarded you with hardship and pain.
Has He not done evil rather than good?”
And again the serpent said, “Is this what a good father does?
If his child seeks a fish will he give him a serpent? If his child seeks an egg will he give him a scorpion?
Does a good father cast his children away and close the door, rejoicing when they suffer, delighting that the hearts of his children are heavy every day and every night?
Is this not how the LORD God rewarded you for seeking to be like Him?”
Then the serpent said, “The LORD God commands that which you cannot do and then accuses you of falling short of His glory. He wounds you and says that you are wounding yourself.
Do not long to return to blindness. Your eyes are now open; look to your own way. Trust your own heart and lean on your own understanding.
Do not weep for the garden. The paradise of the LORD God was your prison. The tree of life is death. You are now like God, knowing good and evil. Believe that you are truly free—and live.”
And Eve rose up to grind the grain and her hand was mighty upon the stone. And she wept no more.