Once upon a time, a serpent spoke to a woman. After it had deceived her, it was cursed to slither on its belly.
True or false?
I'll leave that up to you. But I will say it's true. And if it was cursed to crawl, that indicates it didn't crawl before. Had it been a four-legged beast? A winged phenom? A lizard man?
Maybe God did some serious body modification to make a snake. Yes, I know, maybe it was metaphorical. If it was metaphorical, though, what was the story symbolic of? And why not write in poetic form? It was written as a historical narrative. Thus. . .
It was history. Which means an animal really talked.
Why didn't Eve think this was strange? I don't know. Maybe because everything was new to her, and this was just another new thing. Nobody had ever told her that animals don't talk. So did other animals talk back then? Were there conferences among the beasts of the field? Or was it only the serpent?
Who knows. God knows. We can ask Him when we see Him.
But this serpent wasn't the only talking animal in The Bible. The book of Numbers tells a story about a donkey whose mouth was "opened by God". She was giving her master, Balaam, a ride. He was on his way to go curse Israel for money. God had told him not to go, but Balaam kept asking. God seemingly changed His mind and let him go anyway.
But. . .
He dispatched an angel to kill Balaam. The donkey saw this and tried to get away. Balaam couldn't see the angel, so he got annoyed at Donkey for going off the road.
So he beat her.
The angel got closer and Donkey squished up against a wall, squeezing her master's foot. He smacked her again.
The angel came even closer, sword in hand, and donkey lay down. Balaam hit her with his staff a third time. The LORD got involved now!
"What have I done to you that you've hit me these three times?" asked the donkey.
Balaam should have been shocked, but he yells at her instead!
"Because you have mocked me! I wish there were a sword in my hand, for I would kill you!"
Huh? What did he know that we don't? Why wasn't he surprised?
So Donkey replied: "Am I not your donkey on which you've ridden all these years? Have I ever done this to you before?"
At this point God "opens" Balaam's eyes so he can see the angel who is ready to strike him dead. Then the angel basically gives props to the donkey who has just saved her worthless master's life. Read Numbers chapters 22 and 23 for the whole story.
So. There were talking animals in the Bible. And at least two people who were not surprised for whatever reason. Things were weird back then. Angels, giants, floods, ground swallowing up people, you name it. There is much we don't know. Maybe animals did talk before the Fall of Man. Maybe not.
But it does make me wonder if my cat is offended when I say he's fat. . .
True or false?
I'll leave that up to you. But I will say it's true. And if it was cursed to crawl, that indicates it didn't crawl before. Had it been a four-legged beast? A winged phenom? A lizard man?
Maybe God did some serious body modification to make a snake. Yes, I know, maybe it was metaphorical. If it was metaphorical, though, what was the story symbolic of? And why not write in poetic form? It was written as a historical narrative. Thus. . .
It was history. Which means an animal really talked.
Why didn't Eve think this was strange? I don't know. Maybe because everything was new to her, and this was just another new thing. Nobody had ever told her that animals don't talk. So did other animals talk back then? Were there conferences among the beasts of the field? Or was it only the serpent?
But this serpent wasn't the only talking animal in The Bible. The book of Numbers tells a story about a donkey whose mouth was "opened by God". She was giving her master, Balaam, a ride. He was on his way to go curse Israel for money. God had told him not to go, but Balaam kept asking. God seemingly changed His mind and let him go anyway.
But. . .
He dispatched an angel to kill Balaam. The donkey saw this and tried to get away. Balaam couldn't see the angel, so he got annoyed at Donkey for going off the road.
So he beat her.
The angel got closer and Donkey squished up against a wall, squeezing her master's foot. He smacked her again.
The angel came even closer, sword in hand, and donkey lay down. Balaam hit her with his staff a third time. The LORD got involved now!
"What have I done to you that you've hit me these three times?" asked the donkey.
Balaam should have been shocked, but he yells at her instead!
"Because you have mocked me! I wish there were a sword in my hand, for I would kill you!"
Huh? What did he know that we don't? Why wasn't he surprised?
So Donkey replied: "Am I not your donkey on which you've ridden all these years? Have I ever done this to you before?"
At this point God "opens" Balaam's eyes so he can see the angel who is ready to strike him dead. Then the angel basically gives props to the donkey who has just saved her worthless master's life. Read Numbers chapters 22 and 23 for the whole story.
So. There were talking animals in the Bible. And at least two people who were not surprised for whatever reason. Things were weird back then. Angels, giants, floods, ground swallowing up people, you name it. There is much we don't know. Maybe animals did talk before the Fall of Man. Maybe not.
But it does make me wonder if my cat is offended when I say he's fat. . .
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