Memo From the Devil

THE ORIGIN OF SIN IN HEAVEN:
Rebellion towards God began in heaven. In Ezekiel Chapter 28 the Bible uses two words to describe the “King of Tyre” (first “ruler” then “king”). The second Hebrew word melek is used in the passage to describe “king.” Ezekiel used the word sparingly. The only other time he used the word was in chapter 1 verse 2, when speaking of Israel’s monarch King Jehoiachin. The change from using the word “ruler” to using the word “king” is significant.
Ezekiel described this “king” in terms that could not apply to a man. First, this “king” appeared in the Garden of Eden, had been a guardian cherub, had free access to God’s holy mountain, and was sinless from the time he was created. Clearly Ezekiel was referring to Satan, the person behind the human king of Tyre. This was a dual reference to the human king of Tyre and the power behind him. Scripture supports this reference in other books of the Bible. Satan appeared in the Garden of Eden, according to the Bible his chief sin was pride, and he also had access to God’s presence.
Sin did not originate in the throne room of heaven instantaneously. There was a process that led to sin. It is that process that is described in detail in Ezekiel chapter 28. To fully understand what God refers to as “sin” we must analyze the process that led to its inception. This will provide us insight into how God evaluates the process of sin on human levels.
God described Satan as being created, beautiful, and perfect in beauty. Satan walked in the midst of the stones of fire. The Bible then says something incredibly important. The passage describes the specific activity in the process that led to the first sin. It describes what Satan was doing immediately prior to committing the first sin. The passage states, “By the abundance of your trade, you were internally filled with violence.” The Hebrew word translators used to describe “trade” is raka, which means ‘to go about from one to another’. It was Satan’s going about from one to another that led to his being internally being filled with violence.
Satan has continued this “going about from one to another” since the beginning. It is one of his trademarks because he still desires to be like God. In the book of Job God asked Satan from where he had come. Satan responded, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it." The Bible also describes his activity as, “prowling about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” He is constantly on the move. In the human criminal vernacular it is his modus operandi (MO). One of Satan’s distinguishing behavioral traits, is his “going about from one to another.”
According to God’s own words Satan was the most beautiful creature ever created because he was the only created being described in the Bible as being “perfect in beauty.” It is quite amusing that Satan is personified as a horned, red-tailed, pitchfork-bearing, impish figure. This is a far cry from God’s description. A couple of things that probably motivated Satan at the time was when he began to notice (1) he was not omniscient and omnipresent like God, and (2) how incredibly beautiful he was. If you are not omniscient and omnipresent like God (all-knowing and can be everywhere at once) what can you do to try and keep up? Answer--increase your activity. The likely reason why Satan was rushing around to and fro is quite simply he wanted to be like God. Satan decided he wanted to be like God and he wanted what God had. Some might say that he started to believe his own press. Satan may have walked about in heaven from one angelic being to another, while he heard compliments about his beauty and his privileges. He might have heard angels whispering about how they wish they were that beautiful. It’s possible that he heard one too many compliments. Satan obviously realized the only persons more beautiful than himself were--the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is one God revealed in three persons.
Sin is Satan’s goal. Sin is quite often the by-product of a series of decisions. These decisions are a process. Small decisions lead to larger decisions and the process builds upon itself until the series of wrong decisions produces the only thing disobedience can, quite simply sin. This violence turned into rebellion and Satan organized a coup d'état, which led to one-third of the angelic hosts being cast from heaven with him.