The first recorded words of Satan in the Bible are revealing. He says to Eve, “Did perhaps God say...” We see this phrase translated into English in various ways, but returning it to the Hebrew, here are his first two words to mankind:
“Aph kiy...” he begins. These words are phonetically identical to our term “off-key”. It’s a linguistic coincidence but nevertheless instructive, because everything Satan says is a measure off-key.
When an instrument––a piano, for instance––is played by itself, it may sound perfectly in tune when actually it is off-key. This is because the instrument is tuned to itself, meaning each string inside the piano is tuned relative to the other strings inside the piano. Therefore our ear is betrayed into thinking it is properly tuned. The truth will be heard, though, when the piano is played alongside an orchestra performing at concert pitch. Concert pitch is the standard pitch to which all musical instruments are tuned for a performance. It is the universal frequency or note at which all instruments are supposed to play. As the other instruments tuned to concert pitch begin to play, the piano––which once sounded so lovely––will sound painfully out of place with the orchestra.
And so it is with the Serpent’s words. His mouth is his instrument of choice, and if we hear this instrument in isolation, it may sound in tune with truth. But when brought before the absolute truth of God’s Word, the disharmony is abruptly obvious.
Separated from this standard, the Serpent’s words sounded attractive to Eve. Notice everything he told her was factual. He said, “You shall not surely die . . . God knows that on the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you shall be as God knowing good and evil.” Upon eating the fruit, her eyes were indeed opened to knowing good and evil, and in a sense, she didn’t die! She went on living for hundreds of years afterward. So the Serpent's words were factually accurate. This is one reason why the enemy’s deception can be so convincing, because he laces his lies with facts. But as we see here, facts can be misleading and off-key. Facts can be untruthful.
In truth, the forbidden fruit brought death into Eve, for the process of death began that very day. Her eyes were in fact opened to good and evil, but in truth her eyes were closed to the spiritual realm, to God and His tangible Presence, to the very light which emanated from her body. The enemy didn’t mention that her entire perception of the world would itself become off-key to the heavenly reality she had known in the Garden. In truth, her eyes would be more shut than opened, and she would surely die.
Look again at those first two words, “Aph kiy.” Loosely translated, this means “Yeah, but...” This subtle phrase is epic in that it’s served as Satan’s opening words to everyone else he’s ever spoken to throughout history. A person––any person––goes along having learned some truth, then the enemy comes up and says, “Yeah, but...” Here’s how it works:
A boy learns in Sunday School “Thou shall not steal.” He thinks, “Okay, if it doesn’t belong to me, I don’t take it. That makes sense.” Later, he’s going along and sees something he really wants, something nobody will really miss because the item’s not really expensive. But “Thou shall not steal” he thinks to himself. Suddenly a lone voice says, “Yeah, but... does that really apply here? Is it really ‘stealing’ if no one’s going to miss it anyway?”
A husband is shopping at Walmart. He comes across a new video game that he really wants to buy. He remembers a conversation he had with his wife earlier that week, when he promised to spend less time in front of the TV and more time with her. “I better not,” he tells himself. “Yeah, but... she will understand. You’ve been waiting for this game for a long time. You deserve it.”
A pastor is at home cleaning his garage when the Holy Spirit prompts him to visit the nursing home a few blocks away. “Yeah, but... for days you’ve been wanting to get this garage cleaned. Your family’s running errands, so this is your opportunity to get it done without interruptions. Go later; it’ll be fine.”
You and I have heard this voice ourselves. It echoes forth from the Garden. The enemy's “Yeah, but...” should sound an alarm that we’re about to hear an off-key remark. Our work, then, is to diligently train our ear to the concert pitch of God’s Word. The sooner we can discern the Serpent’s instrument, the sooner we can cut his mic so as not to distract from the orchestra.
