Sin and Satan

Sin and Satan
by Nehemia Gordon
www.karaites.info

In the fourth chapter of Genesis we read about the first murder committed by Cain who slew his brother Abel. Cain and Abel, the sons of Adam and Eve, both offered sacrifices to God. The shepherd Abel offered the firstborn of his flocks while the farmer Cain offered the firstfruits of his crops (Gen 4:3-4). The brothers' sacrifices were not received equally as we read, "(4) And YHWH gazed ע ַ שׁ ִ יַּו upon Abel and his offering, (5) but upon Cain and his offering he did not gaze ה ָ ע ָ שׁ". What does it mean that God gazed upon Abel's sacrifice and how did Cain know that his sacrifice was not gazed upon? One explanation that has been suggested is that when Abel presented his offering, a fire came down from heaven and burnt it up, while nothing happened to Cain's offering. This sort of heavenly fire is know from a number of biblical accounts and was apparently the norm in Tabernacle and Temple times. For example, we read concerning David's offerings, "And David built there an altar to YHWH and offered up whole burnt offerings and peace-offerings; and he called unto YHWH and He answered him with a fire from heaven upon the sacrificial altar" (1Chr 21:26). David prayed to God to accept his sacrifice and the response was a heavenly fire that burnt it up. The heavenly fire also burnt up the offerings of Solomon, as we read: "And it was when Solomon finished praying that the fire descended from heaven and consumed the whole-burnt-offering and the meat sacrifices" (2Chr 7:1). Again we see that a sacrifice, accompanied by prayer is accepted by a heavenly fire consuming the offering. The same heavenly fire consumed Elijah's sacrifice on Mt. Carmel (1Ki 18:24.36-39). Thus one explanation of the gazing upon Abel's sacrifice is that a fire came down from heaven burning it up, an indication that God accepted him and his offering. In contrast, Cain's offering was not burnt up, indicating that God was not pleased with him.

Of course, Scripture does not tell us precisely how God's gazing was expressed and whether it was a heavenly fire or some other sign or indication, Cain realized that God was pleased with his brother but not with him. Cain quickly became jealous of his brother and suffered all the emotions associated with that jealousy, as we read, "And Cain was very angered and he became depressed (literally: his face fell)" (Gen 4:5). God revealed himself to Cain and told him he had no reason to be jealous, "And YHWH said to Cain, why are you angry and why are you depressed? If you do good, forgiveness; but if you do not do good, sin crouches at the door, and its desire is toward you, but you can rule over it." God tells Cain he has no reason to be angry or depressed since he can improve his own situation through his behavior. Yes, God is displeased with Cain, but if he acts righteously he will be forgiven. The word ת ֵ א ְ שׂ "forgiveness" has often been misunderstood. The word derives from the Hebrew root אשנ which literally means "to lift up, to take" and hence "to take away sin, to forgive". For example, Jacob instructs his sons to ask forgiveness from their brother, "Thus shall you say to Joseph, Forgive א ָ שׂ, now, the transgression of your brothers" (Gen 50:17). Similarly, Moses prays that YHWH forgive Israel for the sin of the golden calf, "And now, surely you shall forgive א ָ שּׂ ִ תּ their sin and if not erase me, now, from your book that you have written" (Ex 32:32). The infinitive form of the verb, ת ֵ א ְ שׂ, means "forgiveness".1 God is explaining to Cain that if he "does good", he will receive forgiveness and be acceptable to God.

To "do good" means to act righteously. In Hebrew the word "good" is both an adjective (good person, good food) and a verb "good" (to do good). Apparently failing to understand this, the King James Version translates "good" as an adverb, "If you do well". This translation leaves the reader wondering: "If you do what well"? The Hebrew contains no such ambiguity. What Cain is instructed to do is "goodness", that is, righteous action. God is teaching Cain that if he acts righteously, he will be forgiven and acceptable to God.

Sin Crouches at the Door

God also explains to Cain, "if you do not do good, sin crouches at the door, and its desire is toward you, but you can rule over it." Sin is personified as a wild beast that lies in wait for Cain to leave the comfort and safety of his dwelling place. The wild beast is ever ready to pounce. If Cain sins, the wild beast will lust for him and will surely attack him, 1 In Biblical Hebrew the infinitive construct form usually expresses the abstract idea of the verb. For example, the root ארב means "to create"; the infinitive construct form אֹר ְ בּ means "creation". but he can still rule over the wild beast. What this extended metaphor means is that if a person sins, sin will desire him and will look for a way to make him sin further. Thus the consequence of sin is being placed in a situation that will lead to further sin. But we can avoid this further sin by controlling ourselves and not giving in to temptation.

Sin as a Punishment for Sin

God taught Cain an important lesson, that the consequence of sin is further sin. This is what is meant by the verse, "The wage of the righteous man is life, while the fruit of the evildoer is sin" (Prov 10:16). Just as the righteous man reaps life as his reward, the sinner reaps further sin as his punishment. The ultimate punishment of the sinner will be magnified if he continues to sin, so being placed in a position that will lead to sin is itself form of punishment. This is also the meaning of the proverb, "He that sows sin will reap iniquity" (Prov 22:8). The concept of sin being punished by being placed in a situation that leads to further sin has a prominent place in the Torah. We are informed in the 28th chapter of Deuteronomy that the punishment for not keeping the covenant of the Torah is exile. Exile is not only a physical banishment; it also means being spiritual cut off from God and placed in a position that may lead to sin. Thus we read, "YHWH will bring you... to a nation which you have not known... and there you shall worship other gods, of wood and stone." (Dt 28:36). If we violate His commandments we will be taken to a strange land where we will be forced to worship idols. Thus one of the punishments for sin is being placed in a position that will lead to further sin.

Sin and Satan?

In God's warning to Cain, sin is described as a wild beast that seeks to cause man to sin. When we sin, the beast lusts for us and tries to make us sin even more. But we always have the power to resist sin, no matter how great the temptation. Is sin really a beast of prey that lusts for mankind to sin or is this just a metaphor? Can we identify the sin beast of Gen 4:7 Satan? For that matter, is there really an angel named Satan that rebelled against God and who desires for men to join him in his unholy struggle? To understand the biblical concept of Satan we must of course look at how the Hebrew word translated as Satan is used throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. In the King James translation we find a character named Satan mentioned 19 times. However, the Hebrew word for Satan שׂ . ט . ן appears a total of 35 times in the Hebrew Scriptures. 2 It is immediately apparent that no understanding of the biblical concept of Satan can be attained without reference to the Hebrew text.

The Meaning of שׂ ןט satan

The Hebrew word שׂ . ט . ן means "enemy, adversary". It is used in this sense numerous times in the Hebrew Scriptures to refer to human adversaries. For example, we read, "And YHWH raised up a satan (enemy) for Solomon, Hadad the Edomite, who was of the royal seed in Edom" (1Ki 11:14). And again, "(23) And God raised him up a satan (enemy), Rezon son of Elyada... (25) and he was a satan (enemy) to Israel all the days of Solomon..." (1Ki 11:23-25). We see that both Hadad the Edomite and Rezon son of Elyada were satans of Israel, that is, they were enemies of Israel. These two were not the only humans described as satans (enemies). The Philistine nobles warned Achish the Gittite that David should not be allowed to join them in their invasion of Israel, "that he not be for us a satan (enemy) in war" (1Sam 29:4), that is, they were concerned that David would turn against them in the middle of a battle and become their enemy. So King David, the anointed of YHWH, was a satan (enemy) to the Phillistines. King David himself accused the sons of Tseruya of being his satan (enemy) (2Sam 19:23). Any act of enmity can be described as being a satan (enemy). The psalmist complains to God about "those that repay me evil for good, and are satans (enemies) to me instead of seeking my well-being" (Ps 38:21). And again, "instead of loving me, they are satans (enemies) to me" (Ps 109:4). Ps 71:13 speaks of "those that are satans (enemies) to my 2 Gen 26:21; Nu 22:22, 32; 1Sam 29:4; 2Sam 19:23; 1Ki 5:18, 11:14, 23, 25; Zech 3:1 (twice), 2 (twice); Ps 38:21, 71:13, 109:4, 6, 20, 29; Job 1:6, 7 (twice), 8, 9, 12 (twice), 2:1, 2 (twice), 3, 4, 6, 7; Ezra 4:6; 1Chr 21:1 soul", Ps 109:20 of "my satans (enemies)... those that speak evil of my soul", and Ps 109:29 of "my satans (enemies)". Our forefather Jacob dug a well which he named הָנ ְ ט ִ שׂ sitnah (enmity) after his shepherds quarreled with the Shepherds of Gerar. The enemies of Israel sent king Nebuchadnezzar "a letter of הָנ ְ ט ִ שׂ sitnah (enmity) against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem". We see that a satan is quite simply an enemy, someone who hates and seeks harm. A satan is not even necessarily evil since King David was a satan (enemy) to the evil Phillistines.

Angelic Satans

Up till now we have only seen references to human satans, but what of angelic satans? The first angelic satan (enemy) to appear in the Hebrew Scriptures is in the account of the Gentile prophet Bil'am (Balaam). Bil'am had been invited by the Moabite king Balak to curse Israel but God instructed Bil'am not to agree to Balak's request (Nu 22:12). Bil'am would not take no for an answer and God eventually agreed that he may go to meet with Balak but not to curse Israel (Nu 22:22). Apparently Bil'am had other ideas and set off to curse Israel anyway. God was displeased by this and sent a satanic angel against Bil'am, "And the anger of God burned, for he (Bil'am) was going. And an angel ( ְ ךאַ ְ ל ַ מ) of YHWH stood in the way as a satan (enemy) to him (Bil'am)" (Nu 22:22). We see the angel of YHWH is called a satan (enemy). The account continues that the satanic angel of YHWH drew his sword to kill Bil'am. Seeing the angel, Bil'am's ass turned out of the way of the satanic angel three times until there was nowhere else to turn. Not knowing why the ass turned off the main path, Bil'am beat her. Eventually God revealed His satanic angel to Bil'am, "And YHWH revealed to the eyes of Bil'am and he saw the angel of YHWH standing in the path with his sword drawn in his hand... and the angel of YHWH said to him, why did you hit your ass these three times, behold I went out as a satan (enemy)... and the ass saw me and turned away from me three times; had she not turned away from me, I would have surely killed you and let her live." (Nu 22:31-33). Bil'am responds to the satanic angel with sincere remorse, "And Bil'am said to the angel of YHWH, I have sinned for I did not know that you are standing in front of me on the way, and now, if it is evil in your eyes, I will turn myself back" (Nu 22:24). Bil'am says to the satanic angel that if he has done evil by going with the Moabites he will readily stop what he is doing and go back home. The satanic angel responds, "And the angel of YHWH said to Bil'am, Go with the men, but only the word which I speak to you, speak to them" (Nu 22:35). Bil'am can continue on his mission but he must be certain only to speak that which God tells him.

We see that the angel of YHWH is called a satan. This satanic angel is not out to win minions for his unholy war against God. On the contrary, he is God's angel. The Hebrew word for angel is mal'ach ְ ךאַ ְ ל ַ מ which means "messenger". The representatives sent by Balak to Bil'am are also called mal'achim םי ִ כאָ ְ ל ַ מ "messengers" (Nu 22:5). The satanic angel in the Bil'am Account is simply YHWH's messenger who does what YHWH sends him to do.

That the satanic angel is YHWH's messenger is also clear from the fact that he speaks the message of God both as himself, and as if he were God. Thus we read, "And the angel of YHWH said to Bil'am, Go with the men, but only the word which I speak to you, speak to them" (Nu 22:35). The satanic angel refers to the words that YHWH will speak to Bil'am as "the word which I will speak to you". This is because the satanic angel is speaking the words that God told him to speak, which is after all the role of the messenger. The messengers of Balak did the same thing when they spoke to Bil'am, "And he sent messenger םי ִ כאָ ְ ל ַ מ to Bil'am... saying, Behold a people has gone out of Egypt, behold he covers the face of the earth and dwells across from me." (Nu 22:5). The messengers of Balak refer to Israel as a nation that "dwells across from me", the "me" being Balak. Thus they spoke the words of Balak in the first person (I/ me) as if Balak himself were saying them, in the same way as the satanic angel speaks the words of God in the first person as if God were saying them.

While the satanic angel spoke the words of God, he was not himself God. When he says, "behold I went out as a satan (enemy)" (Nu 22:32) he is speaking about himself, the angel, not YHWH. It was the practice of the ancient messengers to freely switch off between speaking their message as if they were the sender and speaking it as themselves. The prophets of YHWH also spoke the message of YHWH in these two manners. For example, we read in the book of Hosea, "the offerings of My gifts they slaughter as meat and eat; YHWH shall not accept them, now he shall remember their iniquity and repay their sins" (Hos 8:13). Hosea, speaking the words of God, refers to the animals donated to the Temple as "the offerings of My gifts". Rather than bring these gifts to the Temple, the Israelites sin by eating them as meat. Hosea explains that "YHWH will not accept them, now he will remember their iniquity". We see that Hosea freely switches in mid-sentence between speaking as if he were YHWH ("My gifts") and speaking as himself ("YHWH will not accept"). In both instances Hosea is speaking the message of YHWH, he is simply presenting it in two different manners of presentation. The satanic angel in the Bil'am Account employs this same dual mannerism. He speaks about himself, the angel, in the first person, and in the next breath speaks the words of God in the first person. Just like Hosea and other prophets, the satanic angel switches between speaking as the messenger and speaking as the sender.

The satanic angel that was sent to harm Bil'am did not desire for Bil'am to sin. He was not a tempter, and on the contrary, he ordered Bil'am not to defy God (Nu 22:35). The satanic angel in the Bil'am Account was simply a messenger of God, and like human messengers, could speak the words of God in first person as if he were God. Clearly this satan was not a rebellious angel seeking to establish a kingdom of evil. He was called a satan (enemy) because he was sent to slay Bil'am, as a punishment for defying God's explicit order not to go to Balak for the purpose of cursing Israel. We see that an angel sent to cause harm to human beings can be referred to as a satan (enemy). The satanic angel is not an enemy of God, but His messenger. An enemy causes harm so the angel that causes harm to human beings is called a satan (enemy).

A Satan on His Right Hand

The next appearance of a satanic angel is in the book of Zechariah. The prophet Zechariah sees two angels standing near the high priest, "And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of YHWH, and the satan (enemy) standing upon his right to be a satan (enemy) to him" (Zech 3:1). Zechariah sees a satanic angel standing on Joshua's right hand as his enemy. The vision continues, "And YHWH said to the satan (enemy), YHWH rebukes you satan (enemy), and YHWH rebukes you he who has chosen Jerusalem, is this one not as a brand saved from the fire" (Zech 3:2). The satanic angel wants to harm Joshua the high priest but God calls him off because it would also cause harm to Jerusalem. Joshua is likened to a brand saved from the fire, that is, a stick of wood about to be burnt up that is plucked out of the bonfire. Joshua was supposed to be burnt up by YHWH's wrath, but YHWH gave him a last minute reprieve, not for his own sake, but for the sake of Jerusalem. After saving him from his punishment, Joshua's soiled clothes are removed and he is dressed in fine robes (Zech 3:4). To wear "soiled clothes" means to be covered in sin and worthy of punishment (Ps 109:29). God has forgiven Joshua, cancelled his punishment, and removed his sin. We see that the satanic angel in Zechariah was sent to punish the high priest, just as the satanic angel in the Bil'am Account was sent to punish Bil'am. In both cases the satanic angel is sent when YHWH's wrath burns ("a brand plucked from the fire") and in both cases the satanic angel's mission to cause harm is canceled at the last minute.

Why does YHWH rebuke the satanic angel? If he is no more than a messenger then why does YHWH not just recall him? Is the satanic angel there out of his own initiative? There is only one other place in scripture that speaks about a satanic angel on someone's right hand. In Ps 109:6 King David asks YHWH to punish those who have harmed him, "Appoint an evildoer over him, and a satan on his right hand" (Ps 109:6). King David prays that his enemies be punished by YHWH "appointing" an evil human to rule over them or a satanic angel who will harm them. We see that the satanic angel who comes on the right hand to do harm is "appointed" by YHWH. We should not be surprised that YHWH rebukes the very satanic angel that He Himself has appointed to harm Joshua the high priest. The ability to rescind His own decree of punishment is said to be one of the merciful traits of YHWH, "But He is merciful, atones sin, not destroying; He many times turns back his anger (וֹפּאַ בי ִ שׁ ָ ה ְ ל ה ָ בּ ְ ר ִ ה ְ ו) and does not stir up all his wrath" (Ps 78:38).

YHWH can "turn back his anger" and forgive, canceling the punishment that he has already decreed. He did this for the Israelites after they worshipped the golden calf (Ps 106:23). He also did this for Joshua the high priest who was soiled in sin. Thus when YHWH rebukes the satanic angel this is an act of "turning back His anger". The satanic angel was "appointed" on Joshua's "right hand" to punish him for his sins. But God decided to forgive him for the sake of Jerusalem and recalled the satanic angel sent to execute His wrath.

A Satan that Incites to Sin

From what we have seen so far, no connection can be made between the metaphorical beast that lusted for mankind to sin in the Cain and Abel Account and the biblical concept of satan. Yet we do find a number of instances in the Hebrew Scriptures in which a satanic angel fulfils the role of the wild beast that leads man to sin. The clearest example of this is the account of the census of King David. The Torah requires that every person participating in a census pay a half shekel of silver to the Temple as "an atonement for his soul to YHWH when they are counted, that there not be a plague when they are counted" (Ex 30:12). This is done by writing down the names of all the Israelites who pay the half shekel and then counting the number of names on the list (Ex 30:13; Nu 1:2). To simply send around census-takers to count the people is a grievous sin that will surely bring YHWH's wrath on the nation. Enter the satanic angel: "And a satan stood against Israel and he incited David to count Israel." (1Chr 21:1). David gave in to the satan's incitement and counted Israel which resulted in a devastating plague that killed thousands.

Was the satan that incited David the mythical fallen angel locked in a never-ending war with God? David's census is also mentioned in a parallel account in the book of Samuel. Many of the accounts in the Books of Samuel and Kings are repeated in the Book of Chronicles, sometimes verbatim, other times with complementary information. In the case of the Davidic Census we find complementary information, "And the anger of YHWH continued to burn against Israel, and he incited David against them saying, Go count Israel and Judah." (2Sam 24:1). The book of Samuel informs us that the one who incited David was YHWH, while the book of Chronicles attributes this to a satan. We have already seen in the Bil'am Account that satanic angels are messengers of YHWH who do His bidding. They can even speak his words in the first person, like a human messenger or a prophet. So when we read in one book that YHWH incited Israel and in the other that a satan incited Israel, we must conclude that this satan was acting on YHWH's behalf. It is not unusual to attribute the actions of the messenger to the one who sent him. The book of Kings tells us that Solomon built the Temple, even though we can be certain that he never lifted a stone or cut a piece of wood (1Ki 6:1). But the sender is credited with the action of the messenger acting on his behalf. The satanic angel incited David on YHWH's behalf, so it can be said that YHWH incited David. Chronicles informs us that He did it by sending a satanic angel.

It is worth noting that David was not tempted by the satanic angel, but incited. To incite (Hebrew: תוס) means to urge or otherwise influence someone to do something wrong. For example, "If your brother... incite you in secret saying, let us go and worship other gods" (Dt 13:8). We can only guess how the satanic angel urged David to count the people. From Joab's reaction (2Sam 24:3; 2Chr 21:3), it seems that David suffered from a sense of inferiority and wanted to know how many people he ruled so he could feel mighty. It may have been the satanic angel who planted this seed of inferiority in David's psyche at YHWH's behest. Like Cain, David could have controlled his desire to sin, but he chose to satisfy himself rather than obey God's commandment.

Why did God incite David to sin? The book of Samuel tells us, "And the anger of YHWH continued to burn against Israel, and he incited David against them" (2Sam 24:1). God was angry at Israel so he sent a satanic angel to incite David to sin. We may recall that the satanic angel was also sent against Bil'am because YHWH was angry with him. When God is angry, he sends satanic angels to punish mankind. Bil'am was nearly punished by being struck down by the angel. When God was angry at Israel, rather than immediately strike them down, he incited David to cause them to further sin and thereby receive an even greater punishment. This also gave them an opportunity to resist sinning and receive forgiveness. This is precisely what God explained to Cain, "If you do good, forgiveness; but if you do not do good, sin crouches at the door, and its desire is toward you, but you can rule over it" (Gen 4:7). If he does righteousness he will be forgiven; but if he sins, he will be tempted to further sin by a beast of prey, a satanic angel, sent by God to cause him harm.

The Satanic Angel in Job

The most detailed account of a satanic angel appears in the book of Job. In the first two chapters of Job we read about two encounters between YHWH and a satanic angel dubbed ן ָ ט ָ שּׂ ַ ה "the enemy". The fact that the angel is called ן ָ ט ָ שּׂ ַ ה proves that Satan was not its name. In Biblical Hebrew a proper noun (i.e. a name) cannot be preceded by the word "the". In Hebrew it is impossible to say "the David" or "the Jacob". The angel in Job is called "the satan", which tells us that satan is a description of the angel, not its name. The angel in Job is "the enemy", that is, the enemy that will be sent to harm Job.

We read in Job, "And it was the time that the angels (literally: sons of God) came to stand before YHWH and the satan (enemy) also came among them" (Job 1:6). God is described as a king holding royal court. Instead of royal courtiers and officials, the heavenly court is attended by the "sons of God", the angels, including the satanic angel that would be sent against Job. The account continues with an exchange between God and the satanic angel. God boasts that Job is the most righteous man on earth and the satanic angel responds that this is only because God has protected him, "However", suggests the angel, "send your hand and smite all that he has and he will surely curse you to your face." (Job 1:11). God agrees and instructs the satanic angel, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand, only do not send your hand against him" (Job 1:12). The satanic angel is given permission to destroy all that Job has but not to touch Job himself. The satanic angel proceeds to kill Job's children and strip him of his property. The angel is called a satan not because he is an enemy of YHWH, but because he is an enemy who harms Job.

In the second chapter of Job, we witness a second encounter between YHWH and the satanic angel. This time the satanic angel suggests that YHWH harm Job's body, "Send now your hand and smite his bone and flesh, he shall surely curse you to your face." (Job 2:5). God responds by giving the satanic angel permission to harm Job's person, "Behold he is in your hand, only preserve his life". Again we see that YHWH smites Job by giving him over to the hand of his satanic messenger.

To what extent is this satanic angel an independent creature? Certainly he does not command armies of demons nor is he engaged in an unholy struggle against YHWH. He can only do what YHWH allows him to do. While Job is under YHWH's protection, the satanic angel is powerless to do anything to him. The satanic angel complains to God, "Have You not made a hedge around him, his house, and all that he has?" (Job 1:10). When God wishes to test Job He removes His protection and turns him over to the satanic angel, just as He did to Bil'am and David. Yet the actions of this satanic angel are said to be YHWH's actions. The satanic angel suggests to YHWH, "send Your hand and smite all that he has". YHWH sends His hand against Job's property by giving it over to the satanic angel.

Again the sender is credited with the actions of the messenger. Like the sin beast in the Cain and Abel Account, Job's satanic angel lay in wait lusting for Job to sin. Thus this satanic angel's divine mission is not simply to punish mankind, but to get him to sin so mankind can receive an even greater punishment. The satanic angel does not do this on his own initiative. He is sent by YHWH to wander to and fro in the earth and tempt those who have sinned to sin further or to test those whom YHWH wishes to test.

Summation

We have seen that satanic angels are not enemies of God, but of mankind. They are not waging an unholy war against God nor recruiting humans to join an army of darkness. They are simply messengers who do YHWH's bidding. Some satanic angels fulfill the role of a sin beast that crouches at the door, waiting to pounce on the sinner. When people sin they are given over to the sin beast who places them in compromising situations that can lead them to sin further. The satanic angel in Chronicles fulfilled this role and was sent by YHWH to incite David to sin. In Job the satanic angel was at first helpless to cause Job to sin, because God protected Job (Job 1:10). But when God wanted to test Job he did this by allowing the satanic angel to tempt him. Despite the horrific things that happened to Job he succeeded in ruling over the great temptation to sin. Although he was turned over to the hands of the satanic angel, by acting righteously he was able to rule the satanic angel rather than be ruled by it.

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