Genesis 3:14-15 – Eat Dust and Crushing Underfoot
[14] The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all cattle, and above all wild animals; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.
[15] I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."
Comment
My theme this week continues to explore the above verses.
Recently I was watching a Bible Study and the following little insights came to light.
The commentary below was taken from this Bible study.
*****
These verses are not about snakes. The word used for serpent is nahash.
Nahash is also translated in Isaiah 27:1 and also in Rev 12:9 where it specifically identifies the ancient serpent is the devil.
In verse 14, God is speaking to the serpent and not to Adam nor Eve.
And so verse 14 is a curse by God, so it is bad news for the serpent.
Verse 15 represents the first prophetic announcement of the Messiah and His victory over sin and over the devil.
Right after Adam and Eve sin, God doesn’t abandon them. He gives them hope. He tells them there will eventually be someone who will come and defeat the devil..
There are phrases in the Bible which when you see how they have been applied elsewhere may give you extra insight as to what is possibly being said here.
(Two such phrase are below)
Eat dust
Gen 3:14
The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all cattle, and above all wild animals; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.
“Eat the dust” imagery is found elsewhere in the Old Testament and helps us understand what God is saying here.
Psalm 72:9-11 describes how the kind, the Davidic king will have his enemies bow down before him and they will eat or lick the dust.
It describes the defeat of the kings enemies.
May his foes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust! May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!
Crushing under foot
Genesis 3:15
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."
Bruising or crushing the head of the serpent is one way of saying the serpent is ‘under the feet’
(different translations of Genesis 3:15 say either crushed, bruised or strike the head)
“under feet” imagery is found elsewhere in the Old Testament and helps us understand what God is saying here.
Psalm 110:1 describes how the Davidic kings defeat their enemies by placing the enemies as a footstool – underneath the feet.
The LORD says to my lord: "Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool."
2 Samuel 22:37-43 describes how David’s enemies are crushed and trampled under foot.
[37] Thou didst give a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip;
[38] I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, and did not turn back until they were consumed.
[39] I consumed them; I thrust them through, so that they did not rise; they fell under my feet.
[40] For thou didst gird me with strength for the battle; thou didst make my assailants sink under me.
[41] Thou didst make my enemies turn their backs to me, those who hated me, and I destroyed them.
[42] They looked, but there was none to save; they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.
[43] I beat them fine as the dust of the earth, I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets.
So when you hear this idea about being under foot, crushed under foot that brings to mind a defeat, a king defeating the enemy.
When you read about the serpent being crushed by this child of a woman, crushing the head of the serpent,
it foreshadows that one day the woman will have a royal son, a Davidic son, a new king who will come and crush the serpent and defeat the devil.
Source: Dr Edward Sri - KNOWING MARY THROUGH THE BIBLE
Showing posts with label 2 Samuel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2 Samuel. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Thursday, November 26, 2009
2 Samuel 6:12-14 and Luke 1:39-43, 56 – Ark of the Lord
2 Samuel 6:12-14 and Luke 1:39-43, 56 – Ark of the Lord
[9] And David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, "How can the ark of the LORD come to me?"
[10] So David was not willing to take the ark of the LORD into the city of David; but David took it aside to the house of O'bed-e'dom the Gittite.
[11] And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of O'bed-e'dom the Gittite three months; and the LORD blessed O'bed-e'dom and all his household.
[12] And it was told King David, "The LORD has blessed the household of O'bed-e'dom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God." So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of O'bed-e'dom to the city of David with rejoicing;
[13] and when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.
[14] And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
Luke 1:39-43, 56
[39] In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah,
[40] and she entered the house of Zechari'ah and greeted Elizabeth.
[41] And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit
[42] and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
[43] And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
[44] For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy.
[56] And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home.
Comment
Soon it will be the season of Advent where many will focus on the scripture leading up to and including the Birth of Jesus, our Saviour.
Some of this weeks scripture touches on Advent but also follows the theme that Ben introduced two weeks ago on the ‘Ark of the Covenant’
I hope to present some verses from the New Testament which relate to the Ark of the Covenant but in a ‘new’ way.
There are an incredible number of similarities found in the Old and New Testaments – the Ark of the Covenant is but one topic of many.
Christians for the last 2000 years have seen these similarities and probably the best quote to reflect this understanding is from Saint Augustine (354-430AD):
The Old Testament is revealed in the New and the New is concealed in the Old.
Some parallels seen in the above two passages - taken from Steve Ray’s article about the Ark of the Covenant.
• Mary arose and went to the hill country of Judea. Ein Kerem where Elizabeth lived and O'bed-e'dom from which the Ark was carried are a stone’s throw away from each other. Mary and the Ark were both on a journey to the same hill country of Judea.
• When David saw the Ark he rejoiced and said, “Who am I that the Ark of the Lord should come to me?” and what does Elizabeth say? She shouts out almost the same words, “Who am I that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?”
• When David approached the Ark he shouted out and danced and leapt in front of the Ark. He even wore an ephod which was the clothing of a priest. When Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant approaches Elizabeth John the Baptist leapt in his mothers womb – and John was from the priestly line of Aaron. Both leapt and danced in the presence of the Ark. David was filled with the Spirit to dance and rejoice; Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
• The Ark of the Old Covenant remained in the house of Obed-edom for three months and we are told that Mary remained in the house of Elizabeth for three months
[9] And David was afraid of the LORD that day; and he said, "How can the ark of the LORD come to me?"
[10] So David was not willing to take the ark of the LORD into the city of David; but David took it aside to the house of O'bed-e'dom the Gittite.
[11] And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of O'bed-e'dom the Gittite three months; and the LORD blessed O'bed-e'dom and all his household.
[12] And it was told King David, "The LORD has blessed the household of O'bed-e'dom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God." So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of O'bed-e'dom to the city of David with rejoicing;
[13] and when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.
[14] And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
Luke 1:39-43, 56
[39] In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of Judah,
[40] and she entered the house of Zechari'ah and greeted Elizabeth.
[41] And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit
[42] and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
[43] And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
[44] For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy.
[56] And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her home.
Comment
Soon it will be the season of Advent where many will focus on the scripture leading up to and including the Birth of Jesus, our Saviour.
Some of this weeks scripture touches on Advent but also follows the theme that Ben introduced two weeks ago on the ‘Ark of the Covenant’
I hope to present some verses from the New Testament which relate to the Ark of the Covenant but in a ‘new’ way.
There are an incredible number of similarities found in the Old and New Testaments – the Ark of the Covenant is but one topic of many.
Christians for the last 2000 years have seen these similarities and probably the best quote to reflect this understanding is from Saint Augustine (354-430AD):
The Old Testament is revealed in the New and the New is concealed in the Old.
Some parallels seen in the above two passages - taken from Steve Ray’s article about the Ark of the Covenant.
• Mary arose and went to the hill country of Judea. Ein Kerem where Elizabeth lived and O'bed-e'dom from which the Ark was carried are a stone’s throw away from each other. Mary and the Ark were both on a journey to the same hill country of Judea.
• When David saw the Ark he rejoiced and said, “Who am I that the Ark of the Lord should come to me?” and what does Elizabeth say? She shouts out almost the same words, “Who am I that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?”
• When David approached the Ark he shouted out and danced and leapt in front of the Ark. He even wore an ephod which was the clothing of a priest. When Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant approaches Elizabeth John the Baptist leapt in his mothers womb – and John was from the priestly line of Aaron. Both leapt and danced in the presence of the Ark. David was filled with the Spirit to dance and rejoice; Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
• The Ark of the Old Covenant remained in the house of Obed-edom for three months and we are told that Mary remained in the house of Elizabeth for three months
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