>>17763960
Genesis 3 isn’t a police report, it’s theological narrative. The punishment of the serpent isn't about zoological vengeance, but a sign. The serpent (as animal) is cursed to crawl and eat dust as a representation of Satan’s humiliation. God is showing in visible terms what’s happening spiritually: the enemy is now low, groveling, condemned to defeat.
And no, that doesn’t mean snakes had legs and lost them. The Church Fathers saw this as a poetic, theological image. Origen, Augustine, and even Aquinas noted the layered meaning here. The crawling serpent = fallen pride. The enemy thought he would raise man above God. Instead, he’s brought lower than beasts.
tl;dr --> symbolic judgment
>>17763962
Sure, God expresses wrath in Scripture. But it’s not pagan rage. Big difference. Pagan gods lash out unpredictably, driven by jealousy or boredom. The God of Israel? His wrath is always measured, just, and tied to covenant violation. It's not a tantrum, but the response of a holy judge.
Take the Flood, Sodom, or the plagues of Egypt. In each case:
>warnings were given
>time was allowed for repentance
>the punishment directly matched the corruption
It’s not blind rage. It’s divine justice with a moral purpose. Even when God brings destruction, it’s never chaotic, but corrective and often redemptive. Like when He exiles Israel, it's to purify and restore them later.
If you want a god who never gets angry, you’re not asking for a good god. You’re asking for one who doesn’t care. A god who watches genocide, exploitation, betrayal and shrugs? That’s not mercy. That’s apathy. Wrath in Scripture is the flip side of love. If God didn’t love goodness, He wouldn’t burn against evil. His “anger” isn’t the opposite of His mercy; it’s part of how He defends it.
