C
Crux_Sacra
Guest
Firstly, those words are descriptive of things snakes do because they are snakes. “On your belly shall you go,” (from the KJV) is descriptive of how snakes use their ventral scales to slither along the ground. And “you shall eat dust” (from the KJV again) is descriptive of how snakes use their tongues to smell, “licking” things. People in the ancient world thought snakes were feeding on dust when they did so. People in the ancient world probably never followed a snake to learn anything about its eating habits.
Secondly, in Isaiah 14, there is a passage which mentions Lucifer being cut down to the ground. In response to declaring that he will exalt his throne above the stars of God, he is told that he will instead be brought down to the lowest depths of the Pit. For an angel whose eternal destiny is centered around the sin of pride, it is fitting punishment to be forced onto his belly. God curses the serpent to eat dust, which is to say that there is no hope for him, he has chosen his fate and has cut himself off from the source of all life. In addition, he has fallen from the height of the vine to the ground (John 15:6).
But, when God speaks to Adam, he leaves hope for him. Through sweat and toil and sorrow, (Philipians 2:12) man will still be able to eat the herbs of the field and bread, which foreshadows both the Passover meal (Exodus 12:8) and the Sacrifice of Christ and the Eucharist (John 19 and the Last Supper accounts).
Compare the devil eating dust to the Israelites in the desert collecting manna off the ground, which again foreshadows the Eucharist (Exodus 16:8). Their is life and hope in eating manna, but not in eating dust.
There’s probably more, but I’ll let someone else meditate on it. In short, “crawl” indicates the devil’s defeat and humiliation, and his ultimate destruction, all of which are being prophesied in Genesis. And “dust” refers to the fact that there is no hope of salvation and eternal life for him as there is for man.
Genesis 3 read in the Light of Christ is profound.
God Bless!
Secondly, in Isaiah 14, there is a passage which mentions Lucifer being cut down to the ground. In response to declaring that he will exalt his throne above the stars of God, he is told that he will instead be brought down to the lowest depths of the Pit. For an angel whose eternal destiny is centered around the sin of pride, it is fitting punishment to be forced onto his belly. God curses the serpent to eat dust, which is to say that there is no hope for him, he has chosen his fate and has cut himself off from the source of all life. In addition, he has fallen from the height of the vine to the ground (John 15:6).
But, when God speaks to Adam, he leaves hope for him. Through sweat and toil and sorrow, (Philipians 2:12) man will still be able to eat the herbs of the field and bread, which foreshadows both the Passover meal (Exodus 12:8) and the Sacrifice of Christ and the Eucharist (John 19 and the Last Supper accounts).
Compare the devil eating dust to the Israelites in the desert collecting manna off the ground, which again foreshadows the Eucharist (Exodus 16:8). Their is life and hope in eating manna, but not in eating dust.
There’s probably more, but I’ll let someone else meditate on it. In short, “crawl” indicates the devil’s defeat and humiliation, and his ultimate destruction, all of which are being prophesied in Genesis. And “dust” refers to the fact that there is no hope of salvation and eternal life for him as there is for man.
Genesis 3 read in the Light of Christ is profound.
God Bless!