Talk With The Animals

Another thought about the Garden of Eden, Eve, the serpent and all the animals.  I commented on Abraham Piper's blog Twenty-two Words about the serpent talking to Eve in the garden,  (Read Here) that it was probably common to speak to the animals before the fall and maybe even up to the flood.  This kind of goes along with another post of mine about animals eating meat even before the fall, so I used the same picture.

There are a couple of reasons that I think that the animals talked.  First, as Abraham pointed out, Eve was not completely shocked by the serpent talking to her.  It is written that the serpent was "crafty" in Genesis 3:1, but crafty as defined by several sources, does not mean that he developed the ability to speak whatever language Adam and Eve were speaking, rather he was sly or cunning.  Maybe Genesis just happens to leave out that Eve was shocked by this but decided to talk to a talking serpent, though none have spoken before.

Secondly, God told Noah to bring animals into the ark in Genesis 6 and 7, and Noah did just as he was commanded.  Perhaps God drew the animals into the ark, but He did command Noah to do it.  Genesis 7:8-9 says that the animals "came to the ark" but also says "as God commanded Noah".  Seems strange to do something that you command someone else to do.  Like me telling you to go to the store and bring the checkbook and I get into the car with you and the checkbook is with me.  Why would I bother telling you to bring the checkbook if it was my intention to bring it with me all along?  Then again, God does command people to repent and believe which we can not do without God giving us the ability.  So, I could be wrong.

The passage in Genesis 11:1-2 I had to search different translations, but since I can not read Greek, Hebrew or Aramaic, I can do that.  The Message translation (which I don't normally use) says that "the whole earth spoke the same language".  Perhaps that means animals as well.  Again, it would be easier for the people in that day to achieve many things if they could order an animal in their own tongue.  Then God confused their language (Genesis 11:7).  Perhaps that is when animals began barking and stuff.

Just a thought.

In Other News:
We are celebrating the birth of our first born John V this Saturday.  His birthday is February 9th, 2008.  Born at 3:03 in the morning, weighing 7 pounds at the length of 20-3/4 inches.  He has grown up so much since then.  He is learning to count to five, sing several songs (thanks to our nightly devotions, Sunday School and the radio) and other things daily.  He enjoys sliding down slides, going for walks 'on the road', riding in his wagon and throwing some horseshoes.  

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