ONCE UPON A SNAKE

The Serpent, Science, & Scriptures

By Jude Watchman Oguta 

Evolutionists agree with the Bible that snakes once had legs but differ on the cause of their present legless form. Whereas evolution scientists attribute the alteration to the process of natural selection, the Bible tells us it was by divine intervention; whereas scientists say it was during the course of evolution, the Bible says it was the consequence of a curse on creation as a result of the fall of man.

Whose report should we believe: Moses (Genesis) or Darwin(Evolution)? Or do we look for the missing link between
Geology and Theology? What does the Bible say about the theory of evolution? … These questions have always agitated my mind from my university days as a student of the Geological Sciences and an ardent believer in the Bible as the inerrant word of God.

Whereas most people conclude that the Bible lacks intelligent responses to these questions, this write up gives a scientific minded analyst a reason to believe in the Genesis account in spite of the so called compelling evidences of evolution.

Note that evolutionists only provide geological and biological evidences to support their view, but in this piece we shall supply geological, biological, psychological, medical, prophetical, historical and political proofs to authenticate the Genesis version. We have also been able to crack a major Bible code that will help scientists understand salvation. You will discover why God is omniscient and why science should strengthen not destroy your faith in Him.

The Theory of Evolution

The theory of evolution postulates that the various types of plants, animals, and other living things on Earth have their origin in other preexisting types and that the distinguishable differences are due to modifications in successive generations. Scientific evidence for biological evolution is based on the comparative study of living organisms in their geographic distribution, and in the fossil remains of extinct organisms. The scientists version of the snakes physical change can be seen in the Encyclopaedia Britannica, it reads

Snakes are thought to have evolved from lizards and share many characteristics with thisgroup—Classified with lizards in the order Squamata, snakes represent a lizard that, over the course of evolution, has undergone structural reduction, simplification, and loss(of limbs and eyelids) as well as specialization. 1

To prove the evolution of snakes, scientists claim to have uncovered 150 million-year-old specimens, readily identifiable as snakes, yet with lizard-like skeletal structures in South America and Africa.2 There is also consensus among scientists, on the basis of comparative anatomy, that snakes descended from lizards.3 Fossil evidence suggests that snakes may have evolved from burrowing lizards, such as the varanids or a similar group during the Cretaceous Period.4 According to the analysis, an early fossil snake, Najash rionegrina, was a two-legged burrowing animal with a sacrum, and was fully terrestrial.5

The Evolution Revolution

The publication of the book On the Origin of Species in 1859 by Charles Darwin set a revolution Europe is yet to recover from. The book explained the theory of evolution and the role of natural selection in determining its course. The theory of natural selection (often known as the "survival of the fittest") holds that only the most well-adapted individuals in a population will survive and reproduce. The significance of these and other discoveries was that they led to a conception of the universe as a system of matter in motion governed by laws of nature and not by the ineffable will of a divine Creator. As a result, the Bible was dismissed as mere fables entwined in Jewish history and people sought solace in science believing it holds the magic wand to all of man's aspiration. To many scientists of that time, it was a ground-breaking success- nothing short of a revolution. As if humanity finally found the long lost key of life. One scientist actually said,

"We face serious social and planetary problems. Our real problems can only be solved by real science…not by religious fundamentals who corrupt "science" to further their own immutable beliefs…."6

In the late 19^th Century, Herbert Spencer further applied Darwin's 'survival of the fittest' philosophy to human society in what he termed social Darwinism. He promoted a law of the jungle ideology that advocates the "imbalance of power" that the strong should lord it over the weak. This was used to justify the 19^th century racist and imperialist policies in the Western world7. Adolf Hitler, a Darwinist and dictator also applied the theory in Germany, sterilizing (castrating) 400,000 blacks and exterminating 6,000,000 Jews -a people he tagged inferior and "not fit" to reproduce. According to him, these breed were polluting the pure human specie-the Aryan race he belonged8. The theory also had its effect on the Church who struggled for relevance in the wake of the intellectual excitement. Today, Europe is largely a post-Christian continent as a result of this one theoretical bombshell.

The Bible On The Theory of Evolution

No scientific, economic or political concept can take any Bible student by surprise because the Bible is always ahead of the idea and provides a guide before hand. About 2,000 years ago the Apostle Paul foreseeing the theory of evolution and its dangerous consequences, told the church

"By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen."9

That what we now see came from something that can be seen is what scientist now call the theory of evolution. It is the same like saying that the snakes we now see came from the lizards that can be seen. Paul was telling the future Church that when this theory comes, we should know that our understanding is based on faith (not science). Apparently Paul did not write this verse for his generation because during his time even the heathen believed in a divine creator -the Chaldean magicians called Him the god who don't live with men10, the Greeks called Him the Unknown God11 and in Africa the Igbos called Him Chineke (God, the creator) to distinguish Him from other gods. So Paul was writing to the present day Christian that will live in the atheistic promoting times of the evolution theory.

And for those who said the Bible is mere fables, Peter answered them ahead: "for we have not followed cunningly devised fables…"12. Of course to refute the Genesis account of creation, the

fall of Man and the curse is to destroy the basic foundation of Christianity and to say that over 3 billion people on earth are following some cunningly devised fables. But even the most fanatical atheist cannot deny that Christianity has made the world a better place.

So what is the Biblical alternative?

The Curse 'Theory'

The Bible did not tell us about the systematic evolution of things because it wasn't written as a scientific textbook, however, there are ample evidences in scriptures to show that creation has undergone some changes after the fall of man. The changes started spiritually (with a curse) and ended physically (like Adam died spiritually the day he sinned but died physically after 930 years)13. It need not be an intellectual difficulty to imagine physical changes in creation as a result of the sin of Adam. In fact, real physical change took place in the woman's body so that she produced pain in child birth14; physical changes took place in the land so that it was more difficult to cultivate15, physical changes took place in plants so that they produced thorns and thistle16, physical changes took place in the lions and wolves so they became hunters of the wild.

E. W. Kenyon captures the effect of the fall of man and the consequent curse in a dramatic way

"This hideous withering curse changed the face of all the earth. Death and blight are now visible every where. The effect in the animal kingdom is more striking. Creation was planned under the dominion of love: the whole animal creation lived in the atmosphere of love and peace. Fear and hatred were unknown. Suddenly, the whole creation received a new nature. There was breathed into them as by a breath of wind, a spirit of hatred, of cunning, of fear, of revenge.

The lion and the lamb had gamboled and played together upon the green; suddenly the lion is changed, he becomes ferocious, his voice that had known no sounds but love was changed until the very woods and plains resounded with his awful war-call. Fear grips the heart of the timid, man's awful crime is being felt by the whole animal creation. The earth is suddenly turned into a great battle field and down through the ages, the silent woods, streams and deserts have become a huge cemetery.17

He was elaborating on what the Bible says: "Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope…"18. The hope is that someday this curse will be reversed; in the new heavens and the new earth there will be no more pain, disease, sickness or thorns. The wolf will lay down with the lamb and the lion will eat straw like an ox. And a little child will lead them.19

Evidences of The Curse 'Theory'

I call this the Curse 'Theory' to use a scientific jargon and to differentiate it from the non-Biblical theory of evolution that eliminates divinity from the universe. In the real sense, the curse is not a theory but the truth. But a scientist would want to ask for proofs…Well, as mentioned earlier, Paul says that our belief in the Genesis account is based on faith but went ahead to define faith as… the evidence of things not seen.20 Therefore like science, faith needs evidence. Although there are so many spiritual evidences to the Genesis account, I'd like to limit this discussion to scientifically verifiable occurrence the natural man can ordinarily relate with. I have discovered that unlike Jesus who uses parables of natural episodes to explain spiritual truths, our modern day preachers tend to sound so spiritual and make Christianity so esoteric that the natural man is left helpless in the process. They forget that the natural man can not understand spiritual things until they are reborn and their minds illumined21.

Serpent, Science and Scriptures

Since the snake is our case study, we shall be focusing on the portion of the scripture where the snake was cursed and juxtapose it with what scientists already discovered about the snake in recent times. In the curse theory for instance, the change that de-limbed the snake occurred when God cursed the creature for yielding its body for the devil's use. The curse on the snake reads thus

"So the LORD God said to the snake: "Because of what you have done, you will be the only animal to suffer this curse-- For as long as you live, you will crawl on your stomach and eat dirt. You and this woman will hate each other; your descendants and hers will always be enemies. One of hers will strike you on the head, and you will strike him on the heel."'22

Evidence No 1: Fossil Records

If paleontologists records are anything to go by, then we can say that even fossil records confirm that snakes once had legs as the Bible says. Notice that the snake was cursed for being part of the fall of man and the first curse is that it will crawl and not walk (as before). We were not told whether the effect of the curse was immediate or whether it was a gradual process. Time and space will fail me to get into any form of chronological debate, but suffice it to say that snakes had legs and that fossil records confirm it; therefore the curse theory of Genesis is geologically correct. Q.E.D

Evidence No 2: Snakes in Man's Terror Watch list

"…You and this woman will hate each other; your descendants and hers will always be enemies"

Ever since man's friendship with the snake caused his downfall, God's response was to pronounce perpetual enmity between both of them. Compared to other animals, Snakes have since then occupied the top position in man's terror watch list. God encoded the curse in the genes of the two enemies to make sure it extends to their descendants in fulfillment of His Word.

Psychologists (independent of scriptures) recently discovered that man's fear for snakes is inherited. Writing under the topic: Kids fear of snakes is inherited from ancestors, a march 2008, publication of Psychology Science (US) wrote

"The common fear surrounding snakes is more than just legend or fantasy. Researchers have now shown that the fear of the venomous predator is most likely intrinsic, and has been adapted accordingly through the passing ages. The study, according to the researchers, may provide the first evidence of an adapted, visually stimulated fear mechanism in humans. Psychologists Vanessa LoBue and Judy DeLoache have shown that early humans adapted the common fear of certain animals, such as spiders and snakes in the same way they survived the dangers of an uncivilized society."23

Therefore, we can say that the snake is top in man's terror watch list by divine default not by evolutionary design. the snakes also are petrified by the sight of its arch enemy-man. Consider this report from an online journal:"Despite their sinister reputation, snakes are almost always more scared of you than you are of them…"24. These reports show that the curse theory of Genesis is psychologically confirmed. Q.E.D.

The next section is a divine solution to the curse and also provides a major evidence of the authenticity of the Genesis account.

Reversing The Curse

"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel". Gen 3:15

God can never be taken by surprise, He had provided the solution to the fall in advance25. The plan was to send a second Adam called Jesus to reverse what the first Adam foiled 26
From the above verse, notice the three things concerning Christ. (1.) His incarnation, that he should be the seed of the woman. (2.) His sufferings and death, pointed at in Satan's bruising his heel, that is, his human nature. (3.) His victory over Satan. Lets here concentrate on the first two

Evidence No 3: The Virgin Birth

This is the first place the prophecy about the coming Messiah was mentioned and specifically addressed as the 'seed of the woman'. We all know that a woman has no seed, the seed is of the man. This is a prophecy that the woman shall give birth to a child independent of natural generation, that it shall be called the seed of the woman.

Isaiah writing thousands of years later confirmed it by another prophecy

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold the Virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel"27

Thousands of years after this first prophecy, Matthew confirms the birth of Jesus to be by a virgin

"This is how Jesus, the Messiah was born. His mother Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 28

Ever heard of a pregnant virgin? That's why God say it will be a sign.

This goes further to prove that the Genesis account is prophetically and historically accurate. Q.E.D.

Evidence No 4: The Serpents Code

God coded most things in the Old Testament as mysteries29. Some of these mysteries take thousands of years to be decoded. Whenever men crack a divine puzzle we say we have a scientific/spiritual breakthrough. One major Bible mystery is what I call the cause and cure therapy of the serpent. Many (including the devil) did not know that when God told the snake that he will bruise Jesus feet, He was already discussing the process of reversing the curse. Through out the scripture until modern times we see the cause/cure snake therapeutic methodology being applied. It was demonstrated in the Old Testament when the Children of Israel sinned in the wilderness and fiery snakes came to kill them. when they cried to God, He asked Moses to make a bronze snake that whoever is bitten by the venomous serpent only need look at the bronze snake and be healed30. The snake was the cause another snake is the cure. It was a mystery that have become a major medical breakthrough in our time. Lets see its medical derivative and its spiritual application

Scientific Derivative

In the 20^th century, Scientists discovered that the solution to a snake bite lies in another snake. It is so effective that today, Medical science all around the world use snake venom to prepare antidote (anti-venom) to cure snake bites. Isn't that strange: the snake being the cause and the solution. The serpent on a stake (recall the brazen serpent) is presently a medical symbol all around the world. by your left is the World Health Organisation (WHO) logo. Let us see how snake anti-venom is prepared and how God used that same method to reverse the curse 2,000 years before the first scientist applied it.

How to prepare an Anti-Venom

An Anti-venom is prepared by injecting an 'innocent' animal such as sheep with some doses of snake venom. The blood of the sheep reacts by releasing antibodies to fight the venom, these antibodies called serum is collected and used as an anti-venom for a snake-bite victim. The Wikipaedia explains better

"Anti-venom is created by injecting a small amount of the targeted venom into an animal such as a horse, sheep, goat or rabbit; the subject animal will undergo an immune response to the venom, producing antibodies against the venom's active molecules which can then be harvested from the animals blood and used to treat envenomation (the bite that injects venom or poison)31

The Spiritual Application

The modern method doctors use to treat snake bite is what God used to cure the sin venom in the human race. That is why Jesus used the incidence of the Bronze serpent to explain salvation to Nicodemus32.

We need to do some basic mathematics of substitution hear

1. 
   
   
   1. Sin = Venom: both lead to death. He that breaks the hedge (sins)the serpent shall bite him
2. 
   
   
   2. Jesus (the lamb of God)=subject animal-both have not the venom/sin; both are used as substitutes for the one that is supposed to die
3. 
   
   
   3. Blood of Jesus = Serum (Anti-venom): both restores life and health by cleansing the polluted blood of venom (sin)-infested victim.

The Bible says that all have sinned (have the venom) and fallen short of the glory of God33. And that the soul that sins (have the venom-) shall die34. To make sinful, death-bound man live, God did what Medical doctors are doing today. Let us follow the medical procedure as explained by Wikipaedia above to explain

God injected the sin venom (laid on Him our Iniquity35 by allowing the devil bruise/bite Him36-introducing the sin venom) into a subject animal(Jesus-the lamb of God37); the animal (Jesus) blood is then harvested and used to cure envenomation (sin of the whole sinful world38)

Since the bruising of His heel according to Genesis was the process that produced salvation for men by reversing the curse, it goes to prove that the Genesis account is medically and pharmaceutically certified

The New Creature

Any person that is in Christ is no longer having the Adamic sin venom that leads to death. The blood of Jesus the second Adam has cleansed him39.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.40

Lets mention one of the privileges (dividends of salvation) available to the new creation

The Immunity Clause:
The last part of the verdict on the serpent reads '… And he shall bruise thine head'. This refers to the victory Jesus had over Satan, which power He gave to us. We have immunity from sicknesses, poison and snake bites because of the blood of Jesus. These have both spiritual and physical implications as well. Jesus said

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you41

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 42

A good example is Paul who got bitten by a viper, but neither died nor applied medication43 because of the immunity clause. Check out how Christianity spreads in any nation destroying the evil powers that hitherto held the inhabitants bound. Many have been delivered from the powers of darkness because Jesus crushed the head of the serpent 2,000 years ago44 returning authority to anyone who believes in Him. Therefore the Genesis account of man's original dominion is restored- Genesis is Politically correct

Whose Report Do You Now Believe?

Science evolves (changes) while Truth unfolds45. Truth is eternal, while scientific theories are time limited. In any field, you only need one new contrary fact to force a rearrangement of thinking regarding the entire field. The discovery of the germ theory in 1870, plate tectonics in 1960 and the theory of relativity in the early 20^th century greatly revolutionalized medicine, geology and physics respectively. That is why neither science, philosophy nor theology has ever yet been able to write a textbook that survived a generation. Truth has never needed a revision, whereas theories are revised from age to age. No one thinks of revising the Multiplication Table for instance. The Bible has never needed a revision because it is the Truth46, the mysteries in it unfolds from generation to generation and what looked foolish to generations past suddenly is electrified by new revelations.

More so, Science cannot define meaning in life, nor was it meant to. And it is meaning (purpose) that must be found for a man to be satisfied and have a direction in his life. Mankind must find something outside of his own limited knowledge and interpretations on which to base his life if he wants any security at all. That purpose comes from the Bible.

Conclusion

Let me close with Solomon. He was a scientist, politician, business tycoon, philosopher, etc. with so many scientific discoveries (that is wrongly credited to others). The Book of Ecclesiastes contains most of Solomon's scientific discoveries. In Ecclesiastes, he wrote about the water cycle 47, The Law of indestructibility of matter48 , The Geologic principle of Uniformiterianism49 The Parkinson's Law 50 etc. more than a millennium before scientists discovered them; but when it came to the dynamism of creation, he gives this conclusion I wish evolution scientists will read:

"I saw everything God does, and I realized that no one can really understand what happens. We may be very wise, but no matter how much we try or how much we claim to know, we cannot understand it all."51

Note that Solomon tried to discover the meaning of life by scientific research and concluded that life was meaningless, all vanity upon vanities52. Then he came back to the faith of his fathers and discovered the meaning life, so he summarized Ecclesiastes and closed it with this bang

"Everything you were taught can be put into a few words: Respect and obey God! This is what life is all about. God will judge everything we do, even what is done in secret, whether good or bad." 53

You can get answers to your pressing spiritual questions, write me judewatchman@gmail.com

REFERENCES

1. 1. Snake. (2009). Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica 2009 Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica.
   
2. 2. Mehrtens JM. 1987. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. ISBN 0-8069-6460-X
   
3. 3 Sanchez, Alejandro. "Diapsids III: Snakes". Father Sanchez's Web Site of West Indian Natural History. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
   
4. 4. Mc Dowell, Samuel (1972). "The evolution of the tongue of snakes and its bearing on snake origins". Evolutionary Biology 6: 191–273.
   
5. 5. Apesteguía, S; Zaher, H (April 2006). "A Cretaceous terrestrial snake with robust hindlimbs and a sacrum". Nature 440 (7087): 1037–1040. doi:10.1038/nature04413. PMID 16625194. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
   
6. 6. http://www.creation-vs-evolution.us/visual-evolution/
   
7. 7. Social Darwinism Emerges and Is Used to Justify Imperialism, Racism, and Conservative Economic and Social Policies
   
8. 8. Terese Pencak Schwartz; Holocaust: Non-Jewish Victims, Newsletter: Volume 1, Issue 1 c 2007
   
9. 9. Heb 11:3 NLT
   
10. 10. Daniel 2:11
    
11. 11. Acts 17:22-23 KJV
    
12. 12. 2 Peter 1:16 KJV
    
13. 13. Genesis 5:3
    
14. 14. Genesis 3:16
    
15. 15. Genesis 3:17-18
    
16. 16. Genesis 3:18
    
17. 17 Kenyon, E. W. (1998). "The Father and His Family-The story of Man's Redemption". Kenyon's Gospel Publishing Society ISBN 1-57770-004-X
    
18. 18. Romans 8:20 NLT
    
19. 19. Isaiah 11:5-9; 35:9-10; 65:24-25,
    
20. 20. Hebrews 11:1 KJV
    
21. 21. 1 Corinthians 2:9
    
22. 22. Gen 3:14-15 CEV
    
23. 23. Kids fear of snakes is inherited from ancestors (March 2008);
    Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. (ANI)
    
24. 24. Snakebites
    
25. 25. 1 Peter 1:20, Revelation 13:8
    
26. 26. 1 Cor 15:22.
    
27. 27. Isaiah 7:14
    
28. 
    
    
    28. Matt 1:18
29. 29. Proverbs 25:2
    
30. 30. Numbers 21:6-9 CEV
    
31. 31. Anti-venom
    
32. 32. John 3:14-16
    
33. 33. Romans 3:23; 5:12
    
34. 34. Ezekiel 18:20; Rom 6:23
    
35. 35. Isaiah 53:6
    
36. 36. Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 53:5
    
37. 37. John 1:29,36, Isaiah 53:7
    
38. 38. 1 John 2:2
    
39. 39. 1 John 1:7
    
40. 40. 2 Cor 5:17
    
41. 41. . Luke 10:19
    
42. 42. Mark 16:17-18 KJV
    
43. 43. Acts 28:3-5
    
44. 44. Colossians 2:15
    
45. 45. 2 Corinthians 3:18
    
46. 46. John 17:17
    
47. 47. Ecclesiastes 1:7
    
48. 48. Ecclesiastes 3:14: The law of indestructibility of matter states that matter is neither created nor destroyed but is passed from one form to another.
    
49. 49. Ecclesiastes 3:15: In Geology, the principle of
    Uniformitarianism states that the processes that are observable in the earth today are the same processes that happened in the past. Because of this, geologists can use their knowledge of what is happening on the earth right now to help explain what happened in the past.
    
50. 
    
    

    51. Ecclesiastes 5:11: Parkinson's second law (by Parkinson, C. Northcote ,1960) states that "Expenditure rises to meet income,"
    

51. 
    
    
    52. Ecclesiastes 8:17 CEV
52. 53. Ecclesiastes 1:2,14,2:15
    

54. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14