THE SYMBOL OF THE SERPENT
Introduction
The Serpent is a symbol that has taken on very different meanings in different cultures sometimes symbolizing mystical wisdom; and at other times, symbolizing the lower nature of man. It being a creature that is reptilian by nature and deaf and therefore is confined to the ground .. (or dust)
The Serpent in Eden symbolizes deception and lies. While the copper snake, in the story of Moses, symbolizes man's hidden powers. We need to be careful about interpreting each symbol in the framework that it is intended to be understood.. and be always on our guard about not making generalizations.. Since a symbol doesn’t always have a universally understood meaning.. but rather needs to be understood within the framework of its context.. and culture .. etc.
In the biblical books the Serpent mostly symbolizes deception and lies. Later however, some Christian Gnostics created their own new mythologies from scripture and the Serpent became a symbol of Jesus and wisdom again. This shouldn’t be taken to be a new interpretation of scripture by the Gnostics though. Rather it was the creation of new myths from old... something that often occurs and which is an essential part of our spiritual evolution.
Some of the biblical myths and symbols originated from other cultures and have been reworked somewhat to contain newer spiritual ideas. The story of Genesis is a good example. The creation myth must be one of the oldest fireside stories around. And the sages employed old myths such as this to contain and conceal their new ideas in the form of riddles and metaphors, etc. Words like “serpent” and “devil” are themselves symbols and need to be interpreted as such to be understood correctly.
With
that God said to the woman: ‘What is this you have done?’ To this the woman
replied: ‘The serpent - it deceived me and so I ate.’ And God proceeded to say
to the serpent: ‘Because you have done this thing, you are the cursed one out
of all the domestic animals and out of all the wild beasts of the field. Upon
your belly you will go and dust is what you will eat all the days of your
life.’
Genesis
3:13:
And
the wolf will actually reside for a while with the male lamb; and a mere little
boy will be leader over them. And the suckling child will certainly play upon
the hole of the cobra; and upon the light aperture of a poisonous snake will a
weaned child actually put his own hand. They will not do any harm or cause any
ruin in all my holy mountain; because the earth will be filled with the
knowledge of God as the waters are covering the very sea.
Isaiah
11:6
“On that day God will, with his hard and great and strong sword, will turn his attention to the gliding serpent, the crooked serpent, and he will certainly kill the sea monster that is in the sea. “
Isaiah
27:1
“Look! The hand of God has not become too short that it cannot save, nor has his ear become too heavy that it cannot hear. No, but the very errors of you people have become the things causing division between you and your God, and your own sins have caused the concealing of his face from you to keep from hearing. For your own palms have become polluted with blood, and your fingers with error. Your own lips have spoken falsehood. Your own tongue kept muttering sheer unrighteousness. There is no one calling out in righteousness, and no one at all has gone to court in faithfulness. There has been a trusting in unreality, and a speaking of worthlessness. There has been a conceiving of trouble, and a bringing of what is hurtful to birth.
The eggs of a poisonous snake are what they have hatched, and they kept weaving the mere cobweb of a spider. Anyone eating some of their eggs would die, and the egg that was smashed would be hatched into a viper. Their mere cobweb will not serve as a garment, nor will they cover themselves with their works. Their works are hurtful works, and the activity of violence is in their palms.”
Isaiah
59:1
“Sow seed for yourselves in righteousness; reap in accord with loving kindness. Till for yourselves arable land, when there is time for searching for God until he comes and gives instruction in righteousness to you.
You people have plowed wickedness. Unrighteousness is what you have reaped. YOU HAVE EATEN THE FRUITAGE OF DECEPTION, FOR YOU HAVE TRUSTED IN YOUR WAY, in the multitude of your mighty ones. And uproar has arisen among your people, and your own fortified cities will all be despoiled, because of your extreme badness. IN THE DAWN THE RULERS WILL POSITIVELY BE SILENCED.
Hosea
10:12
Offspring of vipers, how can you speak good things, when you are wicked? A good man brings forth good out of the good treasure of his heart, but a wicked man brings forth what is wicked out of his wicked treasure; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
I
began to behold Satan already fallen like lightening from heaven. Look! I have
given you authority to trample underfoot serpents and scorpions and over all
the power of the enemy, and nothing will by any means do you hurt.
Jesus
Their throat is an opened grave, they have used deceit with their tongues. Poison of asps is behind their lips. And their mouth is full of cursing and bitter expression. Their feet are speedy to shed blood. Ruin and misery are in their ways, and they have not known the way of peace. There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Romans
3:13
For
I personally promised you in marriage to one husband that I might present you
as a chaste virgin to the Christ. But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent
seduced Eve by its cunning, your minds might be corrupted away from the
sincerity and the chastity that are due to the Christ. For, as it is, if
someone comes and preaches a Jesus other than the one we preached, or you
received a spirit other than what you received, or good news other than what
you accepted, you easily put up with him.
2Corinthians
11:2