Notes of a Sermon preached in Winnipeg on Sabbath morning, November 28th, 1954, by REV. ALEXANDER MURRAY, M.A.
“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die”
(Genesis, chap. iii., verse 4).
In this chapter Satan appears in the form of a serpent. We have to remember that our “first parents,” in a state of innocence, did not look upon a serpent in the way that we do. Since then this reptile has been signally cursed so that we cannot look at it, or think of it, without a feeling of strong revulsion. It was not so, however, during the sinless days of this world’s history. Eve looked upon the serpent as a fellow-creature and as a friend. Also, ever from that time, Satan
has been masquerading as the friend of men: he hides his own real activities, as is true at the present time. We may then here seek to consider—
- The world’s first lie.
- That it is a persistent falsehood.
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That, nevertheless, it remains a lie.
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(1) When we are considering the deeds of Satan we have to reckon with deceitfulness, exercised with great cunning. Therefore, the object of his temptation is carefully considered as to its nature and circumstances. This was skilfully done in the approach to our “first parents,” and the thought that was put before the mind of Eve was Death. We are not told in Scripture how Adam and Eve came to understand the meaning of Death, but they did understand it by means of that great knowledge that was originally theirs, and they must have appreciated its meaning because it was a term of the covenant into which God had entered with them. Well, it was with the recognisable fact of Death that Satan confronted the mind of Eve. To assist our own memories we may ask, “What was that thought?” And it was the thought of the destruction of this creature, man. That this was so we can see in that Death stood as the opposite and alternative to Life in the provisions of God’s covenant. Therefore, as Adam did at that time enjoy vigour of mind and body, and the hope of its continuance, so the threatening was that these blessings would be removed—that body and soul would become infirm, and that the prospect of destruction would replace the hope of eternal life. (2) Therefore, Death, that thought upon which Satan built up his temptation, was a pressing and intimate consideration for mankind. It entailed the dissipation of these very faculties and powers which constituted the life of man. It meant the termination of that very life by which his present existence was possible. Thus, no conception can equal the greatness of the thought of Death, in the terror and frustration which it begets in the mind of those who are open to its ravages. Even to our “first parents” Death was a most solemn consideration, and especially it was that from which the mind of man naturally revolted. It could not be helped but that this was so, even in a state of innocence, because, in one word, Death is a contradiction of the genius of that life which man was enjoying. (3) Moreover, God is the active power present in Death—”the sting” of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law” (I Cor. 15, 56). God gives life to His creatures, and it is He who takes it away in death. It was this relationship that Satan spoke about here, and he brings forward God’s activity in causing death, as that may be looked at through the eyes of man—the creature who is to feel the weight of Death in its sorrow and misery. The subtlety of the temptation, therefore, consists in this, that we are to look at things solely in the light of man’s feelings, the terror of Death is brought before us, and we are asked whether it would be right to
think that God will deal so sternly with His creatures. “The God who created man and formed him so wonderfully, surely He will not break that work all to pieces.” This thought is greatly supported by the feeling of the creature, who says that he or she will surely not suffer the experience of being broken to pieces; so Satan goes on to say that there must be some mistake; and even if God has threatened to do such a thing, surely the time will never come when He will put this evil and bitter process into effect. “No, we can take it that, even if Death is a great threat, it cannot be a reality.” -
(1) Secondly, we are to notice that this first lie uttered in this world is a persistent falsehood in the history of the earth. As certain proof of this, it may be noticed that Satan confronted the Saviour with this same temptation. When Jesus intimated to His disciples that He must die at Jerusalem, Peter rebuked Him—”Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” And Christ said unto Peter, “Get thee behind me, Satan” (Matt. xvi. 22, 23). This is peculiarly the work of the adversary to frighten men from acknowledging the reality of Death, and so he sought to discourage Christ from undergoing what was both a voluntary death, and Death in all its terrible meaning. Satan approached by means of a disciple, but Christ, of course, did not fail to recognise the sinister power which was re-uttering a very old lie. (2) Now, it is of interest for us to notice that this same lie is much in vogue at the present time. You can hear it every day in the world. The fertile ground of its origin is that of human wisdom, or more properly human feeling, and so Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc., and all kinds of “Modernists” deny the doctrine of a Lost Eternity. It is not difficult to see that these speak in the spirit and language of Satan’s original lie—”Ye shall not surely die.” In this way man encourages his neighbour in the propagation of falsehood, and all is done in the name of charitableness and a greater refinement of feeling. It is no indifferent reflection to consider that almost universally throughout present-day religious circles, and for practical purposes, at least, the teaching is, “Ye shall not surely die.” This fact is itself a tribute to the degree of cunning with which this great temptation was originally prepared. (3) We, however, require to reduce this subject to the sphere of individual and personal consideration. There are men and women who are acquainted with all the doctrines of the Scriptures. They know that they still have no good reason to believe that Christ has been formed in them the Hope of Glory, but yet these are all quite bright and hopeful. They are comfortably optimistic because Satan has often whispered to them, and they have often repeated it to themselves—”Ye shall not surely die.” This is the basis of all their hopes. They do not acknowledge or recognise that they are depending upon the word of the Devil, but still, that is their lively expectation, that God will never fulfil, and that they will never experience the threatenings of the Scriptures.
It is only the Spirit of truth who reproves the world of sin, who can drive you from this “refuge of lies.” It is a most persistent and deep-seated falsehood, and it is such because it is still an attitude of mind that is altogether natural to us in our “lost condition.” Satan’s original device still produces results in the world of men, for, although we are less to be excused than Eve, in that we have witnessed the partial fulfilment of God’s word, yet we are at the disadvantage that knowledge has departed from us, and we have now a lying power in our hearts which will boldly affirm, “Ye shall not surely die.” -
(1) For all its prevalency throughout the generations of men it has to be observed, lastly, that the words of Satan did, and do constitute, a great untruth. They are such, first of all, with reference to the words of God before the lie was uttered, because He had said, “For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Gen. ii. 17). This was the threatening of God’s covenant and this was precisely that truth which Satan was endeavouring to deny. One word from God infallibly determines any issue; a second word is not necessary; and that early pronouncement tells us that, with the presence of the condition of sin or disobedience, then death is inevitable; and it is death, even to the uttermost, for the life-giving processes are arrested, and the workings of destruction come into operation until Death would do its full and solemn work. (2) Also, the truth receives unfailing testimony from the unfolding course of events, and as Eve and Adam did partake of the “forbidden fruit,” thus the curse of God’s law did become effective. There can be no doubt that this great change was most apparent to those members of our race who were originally fooled by the deceit of Satan. At once Adam and Eve died spiritually, so that they felt the “coldness” of Death take hold of them, and they experienced the “nakedness” of being both afraid and ashamed before God. This same “death” is continually witnessed to by the atheistic manner in which the generality of our race lives; as far as God and spiritual things are concerned, these are dead while they live. Death in its temporal form also soon appeared as a reality to our “first parents” when they were confronted with the sight of their son, Abel, slain by the hand of his brother. In this sense death is known to be universal; and surely it is conclusive evidence that is borne to this fact, in that of all who lived in this world, with the exception of two, it can be said that they died. In the presence of the decease of our fellows we may not deny our mortality. In the conception of Death which Satan sought to deny, there remains the final and eternal aspect of it, called in Scripture the “second death” and entailing the departure from the place of God’s favour to the place prepared for the Devil and for his angels. Many of our race have doubtless realised the bitterness of this experience, but for us in time there is also abundant proof. (3) In its essential meaning Death represents a condition, and we have the greatest proof that God does and will deal with His creatures in this way; we have greater proof than if we had
ourselves died a three-fold death. For the Son of God, in the nature of the creature, appeared before God bearing sin, i.e. the condition for the execution of the threatening of God’s covenant which was fulfilled in His case. In Himself He was still holy and true, but the sins of others were laid to His account. Did God then refrain from executing the death sentence when Christ was the object of condemnation? By no means. He was “brought to the dust of death” and to the sorrow in which God’s favour is absent and the curse reigns. “For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?” (Luke xxiii. 31). If God forsook His own Son in death will He not forsake you?
Therefore, the message of this Scripture to your soul to-day is that for all the sophistry of Satan (who at the same time laughs at you, and will at last mock you), and the excuses of your own evil heart, you are hastening to destruction, and you will perish miserably if you do not repent.