Slander the Oldest Trick

Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which Yahuwah had made.  And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath Yahuwah said, Ye, shall not eat of every tree of the garden?  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden.  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, Yahuwah hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, You shall not surely die.  For Yahuwah does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Genesis 3:1-5

Satan's assault on our first parents was to draw them into sin, and the temptation proved fatal to them.  The tempter was the devil, who disguised himself in the shape and likeness of a serpent.  Satan's plan was to draw our first parents to sin, and so thus to cause a separation between them and their Elohim Yahuwah.  Thus the devil was from the beginning a murderer and the great mischief maker.  The person tempted was the woman, it was Satan's policy to enter into talk with her when she was alone and vulnerable.  

There are many temptations to which by themselves might suggest a perceived personal advantage.  Nevertheless, to the congregation of the anointed tends very much to be their strength and safety.  Satan took advantage by finding her near the forbidden tree.  They that would not eat the forbidden fruit, must not come near the forbidden tree.  Satan tempted Eve, that by her he might not need to tempt Adam her husband.  It is his policy to send temptations by hands we do not suspect, and by those who have most influence upon us. 

Satan questioned whether it was a sin or not, to eat of this tree as if he dishonestly, was not aware himself.  He did not disclose his design at first, but he crafted a question which on the surface appeared completely innocent.  Those who would be safe, need to be shy about speaking with the tempter.  He intentionally misquoted Yahuwah's clear command, speaking in a taunting manner.  The devil, as he is a liar, so he is a scoffer from the beginning and all scoffers are Satans' children. 

It is the craft of Satan to speak of the Divine law as uncertain or unreasonable, and so to draw us to sin, it is, therefore, our scriptural wisdom that will assist in maintaining a firm grasp of Yahuwah's commands, and a high respect for them.  

Has Yahuwah said, Ye, shall not lie, nor take his name in vain, nor be drunken or a glutton?  Yes, he has, and it is well said and by his grace, I will abide by it.  It was Eve's weakness that led her to enter into this deadly conversation with the serpent, she might have perceived by his question, that he had no good design, and should, therefore, have started to back away from her course of misadventure. 

Satan teaches men first to doubt, and then to deny.  He promised personal advantage from their eating this fruit.  He aimed to make them discontented with their present state as if it were not so good as it might be and should be.  No condition will of itself bring content unless the mind is brought to it.  He tempted them to seek preferment as if they were fit to be as likened to Yahuwah. 

Satan ruined himself by desiring to be like Yahuwah, therefore he sought to infect our first parents with the same desire, that he might ruin them too.  And still, the devil draws people into his interest, by suggesting to them hard thoughts of Yahuwah, and false hopes of advantage by sin. Let us, therefore, always think well of Yahuwah as the best good, and think ill of sin as the worst evil, thus let us resist the devil, and he will flee from us.