What is Satan?

Intro

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. - Genesis 3:1a

• In English it looks like we have something of the animal kingdom here

• We read the word serpent and equate to snake

• We have the word other in this translation and other translations

• https://biblehub.com/genesis/3-1.htm

• In the Hebrew, this word “other” isn’t there - https://biblehub.com/text/genesis/3-1.htm

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, - Genesis 1:b-2

• This animal can talk?

• Eve can have a conversation with an animal?

• Why is this not weird to Eve that she’s talking to a snake?

• Because she’s not talking to a snake

O.T. Verses About Satan

12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground,you who laid the nations low! 13 You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit. - Isaiah 14:12-15

11 Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me: 12 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God: “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. 14 You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. 16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. 18 By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. 19 All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.” - Ezekiel 28:11-19

Serpent

• Let’s look at the word serpent

• https://biblehub.com/interlinear/genesis/3-1.htm

• If it’s just serpent or snake, why go further? 

• Do we have any other points in Scripture it describes satan as a serpent?

• https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?qs_version=ESV&quicksearch=serpent&startnumber=26&resultspp=25

• Not in the OT

• Here we see things in Isaiah such as a “flying fiery serpent”

• Keep this description in mind

• In Egyptian culture, this flying fiery serpent was a guardian of important people and places

• If we don’t have anything else that matches serpent in the OT, what other references in the Bible do we have of satan?

  7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. - Revelation 12:7-9

  • Dragon - https://biblehub.com/greek/1404.htm - Helps word studies

  • Devil - https://biblehub.com/greek/1228.htm 

  • Satan - https://biblehub.com/greek/4567.htm 

  • In the NT, we see a couple references…

  • 2 Corinthians 11:3

  • https://biblehub.com/greek/3789.htm - reference Thayer's Greek Lexicon

  • Later regarded as the devil and satan (intertestamental period)

  • Revelation 12:9, 14-15

  • https://biblehub.com/greek/3789.htm 

    • Note it’s the same Strong’s number 

More Than a Serpent

• Let’s look at the word serpent

• https://biblehub.com/interlinear/genesis/3-1.htm

• Most would go, this is all it defines it as, but we just read different descriptions of Him in the Bible:

• Dragon, devil, satan, O Day Star, son of Dawn, anointed guardian cherub

• So what is he? 

• We need to go into deeper research 

• https://www.bereanbiblechurch.org/transcripts/ephesians/eph-06_10-12_spiritual-warfare-pt03.htm

• Nachash → noun = serpent 

• Nachash → verb = deceiver or diviner

• Nachash → adjective = bronze or shining one 

• Anointed Guardian Cherub 

• https://www.bereanbiblechurch.org/transcripts/ephesians/eph-06_10-12_spiritual-warfare-pt03.htm

• throne guardian

• O Day Star, son of Dawn!

• https://www.bereanbiblechurch.org/transcripts/ephesians/eph-06_10-12_spiritual-warfare-pt03.htm

• Shining one

Conclusion

• We don’t see anywhere else in Scripture, or historical texts, or Biblically endorsed books, that satan is a snake

• What we do see is a description of a created heavenly being

• Specifically a Cherub/Seraphim

• Genesis 3, Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28

• https://eitan.bar/articles/hebrew-word-study-serpent-nahash/