defied You like I told You they would. Destroy them for their ambition. Just like You did it to me, now do it to them."
God's eyes blazed as He turned from Adam and Eve and faced Satan, who stopped ranting and fell down under the weight of His gaze, laying still on the ground in front of Him.
When I saw the wrath in God's eyes, I was too terrified to continue watching. I tucked my head under my wing and pretended I hadn't seen a thing.
CHAPTER 1 3
I TRIED HUMMING A tune so I would not hear what God said to the serpent. " H m m . . . "
Humming is not a natural skill for angels, and I had a little trouble getting a rhythm for it. Finally I ran out of breath and gave up. I did not want to hear because I had no desire to be the only witness to Satan's further humiliation. When I couldn't hum any longer, I couldn't help myself. I heard every word.
God told the serpent, "Because you've done this, you're cursed beyond all cattle and wild animals, cursed to slink on your belly and eat dirt all your life."
It was amazing to see. The serpent began a meltdown before them. His legs and arms contracted, and he turned into the serpent you humans are familiar with: long, full of scales, and when he tried to speak, he could only hiss.
His teeth became fangs filled with poison—a bad idea if you ask me. The serpent wriggled violently, and I knew it was Satan trying to escape the serpent's body, but God would not let him go. He held him captive inside the snake until He finished speaking.
OK, I know I said earlier that Satan shape-shifted. It made sense at the moment, but hearing the curse made me rethink things. Maybe it was not shape-shifting I saw, but a kind of possession.
Until God spoke the curse, it had not occurred to me whether the serpent might have been complicit in some way with Satan's scheme. Otherwise, why curse a helpless animal? Before Satan seduced Adam and Eve, my guess is he first charmed the serpent to allow him to use his body.
Shape-shifting or animal possession—it doesn't really matter. The deed had been done. I thought about asking Satan about it but gave up the idea. The answer would not be worth the beating.
God continued, "I'm declaring war between you and the woman, between your offspring and hers. He'll crush your head, and you'll wound his heel."
I had already figured out that offspring had something to do with that multiply and subdue commandment from earlier. But what could God have possibly meant when He said Satan was going to have offspring? How was that going to happen? Not wanting to miss a word, I hung as far over the ledge as I dared without falling off.
I couldn't believe Satan didn't jump on that idea right away. He didn't seem one bit mystified or interested in the offspring comment as it pertained to him. God released Satan from the serpent that slithered away very quickly.
Satan pulled himself together as best he could and more or less slumped over. Unable to stand upright before God, Satan must have been truly terrified, thinking this time He would certainly destroy him completely. Otherwise, I'm sure he would have insisted on more clarity on the bizarre notion of offspring.
God surprised me when He allowed Satan to escape the garden unscathed. One might have thought the enemy of both man and God would be feeling victorious after his bloodless coup, stealing Earth from Adam and Eve.
Instead, when he summoned me to his den, he seemed nervous. He demanded I recount all that happened in the garden encounter with God. I was afraid when I realized he knew I had listened to the whole thing.
I tried to explain. "I wasn't paying that much attention. I barely heard anything."
"Liar," he shouted at me rising from his seat. I assumed the groveling position and he sat back down.
"Tell me exactly what He said. Don't change any of the words," he demanded.
I raised my head a little. "I wasn't eavesdropping, sir," I wanted to be sure he didn't think I was spying on him.
"Don't grovel,
God's eyes blazed as He turned from Adam and Eve and faced Satan, who stopped ranting and fell down under the weight of His gaze, laying still on the ground in front of Him.
When I saw the wrath in God's eyes, I was too terrified to continue watching. I tucked my head under my wing and pretended I hadn't seen a thing.
CHAPTER 1 3
I TRIED HUMMING A tune so I would not hear what God said to the serpent. " H m m . . . "
Humming is not a natural skill for angels, and I had a little trouble getting a rhythm for it. Finally I ran out of breath and gave up. I did not want to hear because I had no desire to be the only witness to Satan's further humiliation. When I couldn't hum any longer, I couldn't help myself. I heard every word.
God told the serpent, "Because you've done this, you're cursed beyond all cattle and wild animals, cursed to slink on your belly and eat dirt all your life."
It was amazing to see. The serpent began a meltdown before them. His legs and arms contracted, and he turned into the serpent you humans are familiar with: long, full of scales, and when he tried to speak, he could only hiss.
His teeth became fangs filled with poison—a bad idea if you ask me. The serpent wriggled violently, and I knew it was Satan trying to escape the serpent's body, but God would not let him go. He held him captive inside the snake until He finished speaking.
OK, I know I said earlier that Satan shape-shifted. It made sense at the moment, but hearing the curse made me rethink things. Maybe it was not shape-shifting I saw, but a kind of possession.
Until God spoke the curse, it had not occurred to me whether the serpent might have been complicit in some way with Satan's scheme. Otherwise, why curse a helpless animal? Before Satan seduced Adam and Eve, my guess is he first charmed the serpent to allow him to use his body.
Shape-shifting or animal possession—it doesn't really matter. The deed had been done. I thought about asking Satan about it but gave up the idea. The answer would not be worth the beating.
God continued, "I'm declaring war between you and the woman, between your offspring and hers. He'll crush your head, and you'll wound his heel."
I had already figured out that offspring had something to do with that multiply and subdue commandment from earlier. But what could God have possibly meant when He said Satan was going to have offspring? How was that going to happen? Not wanting to miss a word, I hung as far over the ledge as I dared without falling off.
I couldn't believe Satan didn't jump on that idea right away. He didn't seem one bit mystified or interested in the offspring comment as it pertained to him. God released Satan from the serpent that slithered away very quickly.
Satan pulled himself together as best he could and more or less slumped over. Unable to stand upright before God, Satan must have been truly terrified, thinking this time He would certainly destroy him completely. Otherwise, I'm sure he would have insisted on more clarity on the bizarre notion of offspring.
God surprised me when He allowed Satan to escape the garden unscathed. One might have thought the enemy of both man and God would be feeling victorious after his bloodless coup, stealing Earth from Adam and Eve.
Instead, when he summoned me to his den, he seemed nervous. He demanded I recount all that happened in the garden encounter with God. I was afraid when I realized he knew I had listened to the whole thing.
I tried to explain. "I wasn't paying that much attention. I barely heard anything."
"Liar," he shouted at me rising from his seat. I assumed the groveling position and he sat back down.
"Tell me exactly what He said. Don't change any of the words," he demanded.
I raised my head a little. "I wasn't eavesdropping, sir," I wanted to be sure he didn't think I was spying on him.
"Don't grovel,
Similar Books
