Why did God use a snake to represent Satan?

Answer 1

The Bible says that the serpent was more subtle than any other beast of the field.

According to the American heritage desk dictionary, it says, so slight as to diffucult to detect, and not obvious, skilful, clever, sly, devious .

Another Answer:

Genesis 3 does not say that it was Satan, but in fact says that the Serpent was in the garden and said and did those things. It is only later interpretations based on later books of the bible that make the connection to Satan/Lucifer.

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Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world. He was cast out onto the earth and his angels were cast out with him.

All of the names are given here in verse 12

The Great Dragon

The Serpent

The Devil

Satan

Satan was never referred to as a snake he was referred to as a serpent, the word serpent as defined in Revelation 12 is Greek word 3789, pronounced of-is; the definition is thus: Through the idea of sharpness of vision, a snake figuratively as a type or sly cunning, and artful malicious person especially Satan.

You find him defined in Daniel 7:7 as the Dreadful Terrible and the little horn which points us toward Revelation 13:11, And I beheld another east coming up out of the earth and he had two horns like a lamb and he spake as as dragon.

In Revelation 9: He is defined in the Hebrew as Abaddon and the Greek as Apollyon

Abaddon is Strong's word 3 which is from Hebrew word 11, and it means a perishing or destruction. Apollyon is Strong's word 623 and it means a destroyer. Revelation 11:7 refers to him as the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit.

In 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 Satan is referred to as the son of perdition. Perdition is Strong's word 684 apolia its from 622 apollome , word 623 apollyon comes from the same as apollia.

Answer 2

Jehovah did not use the snake to represent Satan.

Satan chose to use the snake to hid his true appearance from Eve when he talked to them in the Garden of Eden. Deceiving Eve and tempting her to eat the forbidden fruit and disobey God.

Answer

If the serpent in Genesis chapter 3 was really Satan, then God knew nothing of this. When God punished the snake by telling him that henceforth he would crawl on his belly (Genesis 3:14), he was punishing the snake, not Satan. Thus, to believe that the snake was really Satan or that Satan was using the snake for disguise, is to believe that God is easily fooled. Most Christians would reject that suggestion.

Another answer:

It's not so much "what God used," but the description of Satan set forth by the Bible. The Bible refers to him as a DRAGON... which some say is a "mythical" serpentine, snake-like creature.

"...I saw a large red DRAGON... This great Dragon - the ANCIENT SERPENT called the Devil, or Satan, THE ONE DECEIVING THE WHOLE WORLD - was thrown down to the earth with all his angels." (Rev.12:3 & 9 NLT New Living Translation; see also Rev.20:2)

Ezekiel was inspired to record a revelation about Satan through the office of the "king of Tyre" who was in that day one of Satan's "government representatives":

"...I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them - because THEY ARE MINE TO GIVE TO ANYONE I PLEASE." (Luke 4:6 NLT)

Of the "king of Tyre" [Satan], Ezekiel says: "...You were in Eden, the Garden of God..." [the king of Tyre wasn't in the Garden of Eden -- Satan was];

"...I ordained you as the MIGHTY ANGELIC GUARDIAN..." (Ez.28:13-14 NLT).

(KJV): "...Thou art the anointed CHERUB that covereth...".

"Satan," originally created "Lucifer" ["heylel": pronounced hay-lale', shining star - recorded in Isaiah 14 as another "representative" of Satan's governments, the king of Babylon] is one of God's "created angels." This one, one of God's angelic LEADERS, like Michael, also mentioned in Scripture as having other angels under their command:

"...there was war in heaven. Michael and the angels under his command fought the Dragon and his angels. And the Dragon lost the battle and was forced out of heaven." (Rev.12:7-8 NLT)

The "inspired word" used in Genesis 3 isn't "snake," but "NACHASH" (pronounced: naw-khash').

"...properly, TO HISS, i.e. WHISPER a (magic) spell; generally, to prognosticate... ENCHANTER... learn by experience... diligently observe." (Strong's Hebrew Dictionary)

So, "God didn't use a snake" in the Garden of Eden to "represent Satan." Satan had been "cast down to earth" following that "war in heaven"... and he and his defeated angels were ALREADY HERE before man was made.

The "snake" that appeared to Eve was the Great Red Dragon; a serpentine creature, whose appearance was no more strange as any other creature in God's creation that she was seeing for the first time. Only, this creature 'HISSED" -- he softly "WHISPERED" to her. "Psst... hey, listen up! I've got a secret to tell you."

He "ENCHANTED" her with the intimacy of his speech. Coerced her. Deceived her into rebelling against God's Commands. He was the world's first "traveling salesman" selling his wares; his "merchandise" [his lies and deceit] to her, as he did before in convincing his angels to follow him in his rebellion against God that resulted in the "war in heaven":

"By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned..." (Ezek.28:16 KJV).

God didn't use a snake to represent Satan... Satan, the Dragon, just appeared as himself: a "Whispering Enchanter"... charismatic and convincing in his speech and manner. Seductive and tempting to the five human senses; the source of man's vanity.

The "Dragon" didn't appear any weirder than any of the other odd creatures their Creator made [Gen.2:19]. And the rest of the succeeding generations of the pre-flood world's population must have gotten quite used to the ever-present "light-sword-swinging angels" that prevented anyone from entering the Garden of Eden to access the Tree of Life.

"...the Lord God stationed mighty angelic beings to the East of Eden. And a flaming sword flashed back and forth, guarding the way to the Tree of Life." (Gen.3:24 NLT)

God gave the first two people the whole world. And when they met the "Dragon"... he convinced them to "worship and obey" him -- and they gave themselves and their world to him.

God didn't use a snake to represent Satan. Satan merely appeared as himself. Enchanting, secretive... whispering intimate, seductive, convincing things in "our" ears.

Answer 3

Actually it was a representation of a curse, as talked about in john 3:14-16. You see JESUS prophesied in this verses that HE would become a curse for us and as the serpent was cursed in the garden, in numbers 21 when they looked upon that curse they were healed and today when we look to JESUS for our healing we are healed

Answer 4

If the serpent in Genesis chapter 3 was really Satan, then God knew nothing of this. When God punished the snake by telling him that henceforth he would crawl on his belly (Genesis 3:14), he was punishing the snake, not Satan. Thus, to believe that the snake was really Satan or that Satan was using the snake for disguise, is to believe that God is easily fooled. Most Christians would reject that suggestion.