[A devotional reflection originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during June 2024]
During the research for last week’s reflection a question arose about the timescales defined (or rather, not defined) in the early chapters of Genesis. That question – how long were Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before they sinned? – led to another: When did Satan fall from heaven?
Those of us who have grown up in one or other of the Christian traditions will have our own ideas and may be surprised by the diversity of opinion. John the visionary, in the book of Revelation, links Satan to the serpent in the Garden of Eden.[1] With that in mind, compare these two versions of Genesis 3 v1:
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field
which the Lord God had made. NKJV
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field
that the Lord God had made. ESV
The inclusion of ‘other’ in the second variant has led some people to argue that Satan was created during the sixth period of creation along with all the other animals and, since they were all declared “good”, Satan must have fallen after the end of that day. However, this does not seem to be compatible with the comment that Jesus made when his disciples reported back from their preparatory mission. Jesus answered them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven”.[2]
Do we in fact need to answer the question? Jesus continued that conversation with his disciples by stating that there are better things to think about:
However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Luke 10 v20 [NIVUK]
There are many instances in the Bible were our curiosity would demand additional details. On the one hand the Bible tells us all we need to know whilst on the other hand there will be aspects of context that the original writers would have assumed to be common knowledge. As an example, we might wonder how four men could lower their friend through a roof in front of Jesus but writer Mark assumes that his readers had some knowledge of how such a house would have been built, with an outside staircase and a flat roof.
The apostle Paul had some words of warning about spending time deliberating about matters that are of secondary importance:
But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.
Titus 3 v9 [NIVUK]
We return to John for the final word. In a comment about what is and what is not recorded in the Bible he wrote:
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John 20 v31 [NIVUK]
What do you think?
References:
[1] Revelation 12 v9, Revelation 20 v2.
[2] Luke 10 v18 [GNT]
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Last week’s reflection: The Maleficent Seven
Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © Steve Humphreys