The Study

Of the Curse:

We have all read Genesis 3, about the deception, the fall and the judgment or curse. Let's take a closer look at this chapter and see if we can get a little different view or understanding of what's going on here.

Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, `You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" (NASB)

Gen 3:1 Now the Nachash was more arum (cunning, crafty, wiley) than any beast of the sadeh which Hashem Elohim had made. And he said unto the isha, Really? Hath Elohim said, Ye shall not eat of kol etz hagan? (OJB)

Cunning; sly, sneaky, scheming, to deceive, to trick

Question, why would God create a creature to be deceiving and scheming, in a perfect world of peace? There was no killing at this point in time. All of creation was vegetarians and in perfect harmony. And, why was Eve not shocked that the serpent spoke to her?

Is it possible that all of the creatures before the fall had the ability to speak? In a perfect world, it would be possible. After all God gave the donkey the ability to speak to Balaam in Numbers 22. But let’s move on to who or what the serpent is.

“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.”

We have no idea what the serpent looked like before God cursed it to crawl on its belly forever, but the serpent must have had legs or maybe even wings to fly, before the curse.

Rev 12:9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (NKJV)

Rev 12:9And the great Dragon that NACHASH HaKadmoni (Ancient Serpent) was thrown down, the one being called the Malshin (Informer, Accuser) and Hasatan, the one deceiving the whole inhabited world. He was thrown to ha’aretz (the earth) and the malachim of him were thrown down with him [BERESHIS 3:1-7] (OJB)

2Co 11:3But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (NKJV)

This serpent that was in the Garden was non-other than Satan himself. He didn’t possess a serpent, but instead took the form of a serpent, just as he can appear as an angel of light.

Serpent; in Hebrew it is Nachash, meaning; to hiss, that is, whisper a (magic) spell; generally to prognosticate: divine, enchanter and bronze, the shining one

Bronze/Brass is the symbol of sin.

Let’s look at some names or titles Satan goes by.

Lucifer; (Isa 14:12) (light-bearer), Nachash; the shining one

Deceiver; (Rev. 12:9)

Liar; (John 8:44)

Serpent; (Rev. 12:9) So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (NKJV)

Serpent = (through the idea of sharpness of vision); a snake, figuratively (as a type of sly cunning) an artful malicious person, especially Satan

Old = original or primeval

Father of all lies; (John 8:44)

The tempter; (Matthew 4:3) to test (objectively), i.e. endeavor, scrutinize, entice

Let’s take a look at Ezekiel 28.

Eze 28:13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. (NKJV)

This is part of the fall of Lucifer in Ezekiel 28, but notice it says, “You were in Eden, the Garden of God.” Not just in Eden, but in Gods Garden where Adam and Eve dwelled.

Every stone was his covering, so he shined with beauty.

His lying voice was like sweet music that enchanted Eve. And, she believed the lie.

The serpent/Satan asks Eve, “"Indeed, has God said, `You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"Satan took God’s positive command (Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat [Gen_2:16-17]) and rephrased it in a negative way: “God won’t let you eat of every tree.”

Gen 3:2, 3 The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;

but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, `You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'"

Here is where it all falls apart. Eve added to the Word of God, because she did not know God's Word, because Adam didn't teach her the Word of God. God did not say they couldn't touch the tree or it's fruit, God said, “Do not eat of the fruit.” That's when Satan had her.

Clarke's commentary on “nor shall you touch it”: “Some Jewish writers . . . state that as soon as the woman had asserted this, the serpent pushed her against the tree and said, ‘See, you have touched it, and are still alive; you may therefore safely eat of the fruit, for surely you shall not die.’“

Gen 3:4 The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die!

A blatant contradiction to what God said. The serpent Satan calls God a liar.

Gen 3:5 "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

It was true your eyes will be opened, and this was fulfilled (Gen_3:7). But their eyes were instantly opened to their own sin and rebellion.

“and you will be like God” They were already like God, they were created in His Image. They did not have the ability to create, but they did resemble God in shape and character, and emotions, such as love. And, they already knew of good, for God is good, but that wasn't enough now. Satan planted a seed, an evil seed. Eve wanted now to be more than, “in God's image”, she wanted to be a god. She wanted to know both good and evil. What she didn't realize was that evil was staring her right in the face.

Gen 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

So when the woman saw: Eve surrendered to this temptation in exactly the way John describes in 1Jn_2:16. First, she gave in to the lust of the flesh (saw that it was good for food), then she gave in to the lust of the eyes (pleasant to the eyes), then she gave in to the pride of life (desirable to make one wise).

Jesus was tempted in the same three-fold way: an appeal to the physical appetites, an appeal to covetous and emotional desires, and an appeal to pride (Mat_4:1-11).

“She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” Adam was standing right there watching, listening to this whole thing, and did nothing, said nothing.

Adam watched his wife take the fruit (maybe from the hand of Satan himself) and take a bite. Then she handed it to Adam and he ate. Wow.

I wonder though, did Adam taste of the fruit to be “wise” or to be with his wife? Instead of protecting his wife from harm, he joined her in death.

Gen 3:7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

Satan's promise is half fulfilled. Their eyes are now opened. They had been deceived. They disobeyed God. They lost their innocents, their unique relationship with God and their covering. Their rebellion was now exposed and sin has stripped them of Gods special covering. What was this covering? It was non other than God's Glory, His pure Light of Love.

Psa 104:1, 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty,

Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.

Mat 17:2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.

Now, they try to cover their sin with fig leaves. We have all tried to cover up our sins. It doesn't work, God knows.

Gen 3:8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden toward the cool of the day; and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. (JPS)

This wasn't the first time God did this, this is how He communicated with Adam and Eve. He literally came down to the earth and walked in the garden and talked with His creation. This was the first appearance of Yeshuah Jesus before His birth to Mary. This was not God the Father, for Scripture says, “No one has seen the Father, but the Son.”(John 1:18) The Jewish Publication Society translate this passage as, “And they heard the Voice of the LORD God walking in the Garden.” At this point He wasn't calling out for Adam. Maybe He was talking with the animals, or singing, I don't know, but it is interesting.

Not only did they try to cover their sin, but now they try to hide their sin and themselves from God.

Gen 3:9 Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?"

“Where are you?” is the first question in the Old Testament. God looking for man.

Mat 2:2 saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."

"Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” is the first question in the New Testament. Man looking for God.

The relationship between God and man had been severed. God called for Adam with a heartfelt cry of an anguished father. God obviously knew where they were but He also knew a gulf had been made between Himself and man, a gulf that He Himself would have to bridge.

Gen 3:10 So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."

Adam and his wife's eyes were opened to their rebellion, their sin and their shame. God's covering fell when they fell, now they are exposed. Sin made Adam afraid of God’s presence and afraid of God’s voice. Ever since Adam, men run from God’s presence and don’t want to listen to His Word. A close relationship now turned to fear.

Gen 3:11 And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"

God knew the answer to this question. He asked it because He allowed Adam to make the best of a bad situation by repenting right then and there, but Adam didn’t come clean and repent before God.

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Gen 3:12 Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."

Then the man said: Notice that to this point, God has not addressed Eve at all. Adam, being the head, is the problem here. God knows Eve ate first, but it was Adam's responsibility to have taught his wife, or to even stop her from this act. He should have stood between the serpent and his wife and protected her.

Adam’s attempt to blame Eve is completely consistent with human nature. Few of us are willing to simply say as David did, I have sinned against the LORD (2Sa_12:13)

Gen 3:13 And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

The serpent deceived me, and I ate: When confronted by God, Eve doesn’t necessarily shift the blame when she admits the serpent deceived her and then she ate. This much was true, she had been deceived, and she did eat.

Deceived me: The only problem comes when we fail to see that being deceived is sin in itself. It is sin to exchange the truth of God for the lie (Rom_1:25).

Gen 3:14. 15 So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life.

And 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."

And the LORD God said to the serpent: Notice, when God spoke to Adam and to Eve, He asked them each questions. God didn’t ask Satan (the being animating the serpent) any questions, because there was nothing to teach him.

Here comes the curse. The serpent the form that Satan took is the first to be cursed. It will no longer be able to walk or fly, it will slither as the serpents we see today. This must have terrified Adam and Eve, to see this creature transformed before their eyes. Once a creature with legs, now slithering on the ground.

You shall eat dust all the days of your life: This was true of the serpent as an animal, but it is also true of Satan. To eat dust has the idea of total defeat (Isa_65:25, Mic_7:17). God’s judgment on Satan is for him to always know defeat. He will always reach for victory, but always fall short of it.

Next, Elohim says to the Serpent, 15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman,” The “friendship” Eve and the serpent seemed to enjoy earlier in the chapter is finished. There is now a natural fear of Satan in the heart of man. Most people have a natural fear or caution towards snakes,

“And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel." (NKJV) This is Yeshuah Jesus first title in scripture, “the Seed of the woman.” Now it has shifted from the serpent animal to the Serpent, Satan. There will be enmity meaning; hostility and hatred, between them, between her Seed, Jesus and the offspring of Satan; that is, all evil men, including the anti-Christ and Satan himself.

So, we see that the serpent itself was not the crafty or cunning one, but Satan who took on its form to deceive Eve.

Satan is a created being and he is the one that is more cunning, craftier, more sly and more scheming than any of the beasts of the field.

Lucifer rebelled in Heaven and war broke out in the heavenlies. He became Satan the enemy of Elohim. Satan and his angels were thrown out of Heaven. Now, Satan brought the war to earth, and we are in the middle.

Gen 3:16 To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you."

In many non-christian cultures women live in much sorrow daily because they are considered no more than property or livestock.

The pain that all women feel during child birth is part of the fall and curse of man. It has been observed that women bring forth children with more pain than just about any other creature.

“Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.”This “desire” is not a desire of love, but of control. She now fights the desire to be head of the man, but God has placed man in the leadership position from the beginning. Now, there is conflict in many homes, as the man struggles to be the head of the home without being a tyrant.

Gen 3:17-19 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.

Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field.

In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return."

Because you have heeded the voice of your wife: It wasn’t just as if Adam took Eve’s advice. He chose to be with Eve instead of obeying God. There is a sense in which idolatry of Eve was an aspect of Adam’s disobedience against God. He chose Eve over God. Eve had become first in Adam's life.

"Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.

Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field.: Before the curse, all was good. The ground produced nothing but beauty and good fruit and vegetables. Now, thorns and thistles emerged. Thorns are symbolic of the curse, of pain, of sin and of judgment. These very thorns God created, He would wear as a symbol of shame, sin and redemption. Thorns, a symbol of judgment, now a symbol of redemption and salvation. Yeshuah Jesus knew when He created these thorns, that one day He would have to wear them on His head in mockery.

Before the God cursed the ground, it yield it's fruit without any help from the man. Now the man must clear away weeds, thorns and thistles. He must clear away rocks and plow fields by the sweat of his brow. Adam didn't know what sweat was until sin.

Gen 3:20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.

Up to this point Eve didn't have a name. God gave Adam his name, Adam gave Eve her name. (1Co 11:3 But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.) Men, just because God has placed us in this leadership position, does NOT give us the right to belittle our wives, shame them, yell at them, beat them, call them names or treat them like they're stupid. We are to LOVE them as Christ LOVES us. (Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,)

Gen 3:21 To Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

This is the first blood shed, this is the first life taken, the first killing, the first sacrifice in the Bible. In History. Performed by God to cover the sin of man. In order for Adam and Eve to be clothed, a sacrifice had to be made. An animal had to die. Without shedding of blood there is no remission. (Heb_9:22)

Adam and Eve were clothed in a garment that was purchased with the life of another. We are clothed with a garment of righteousness that was purchased with the life of another, Jesus Christ.

When God clothed them, He forgave them.

Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: They already knew of good, beauty, light, love, God. Now, they know of evil, deceit, darkness, hate and Satan. Their desire to be “like” God, separated them from God and knowing Him fully.

A nd now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: God seems to just stop in mid sentence, knowing we couldn't handle hearing the rest. We can determine part of though. Imagine living forever without redemption, forgiveness, and salvation. Always separated from God. Always living in the darkness of sin.

Gen 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

God, now sent Adam and his wife Eve out of the Garden to till the ground, to work it, to sweat over the very dirt from which he was taken from. Let's take a look at Gen 2:8 and 15.

Gen 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

Gen 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

God formed man from the dirt outside of the Garden, and then placed Adam in the Garden. Interesting. Even more interesting is that Eve was formed from Adams' rib, within the Garden.

God created the Garden before He formed man. God had this Paradise waiting for Adam even before He formed him. I believe this is a foreshadowing of how man will come to the Lord after the fall.

1. God created His Garden, His Paradise before He formed man.

God is preparing a place for us in Heaven before we come to Him. (John 14:2)

2. God formed man from outside the Garden, outside of Paradise.

Man is born into sin. (Psalms 51:5) Then, while we are on this earth we can enter God's Paradise called Rest. (Hebrews 4:10, 11) And then, taken to Heaven. (1Theselonians 4:16, 17)

3. Eve was made out of mans side, within the Garden. It is our job as husbands and men in general, to see to it our wives Know the Truth, to know the Gospel, to lead her into God's Rest.

Gen 3:24 So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the Garden of Eden Cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

A Cherub is a type of angel. Cherubim is more than on Cherub.

The cherubim are real creatures, and not mere symbols.

Cherubim are also known as, “Living Creatures” and “Seraphims”.

Ezekiel gives a description of the cherubim;

Eze 1:5-14 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.

And everyone had four faces, and everyone had four wings.

And their feet were straight feet, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.

And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and all four had their faces and their wings.

Their wings were joined one to another. They turned not when they went; they went everyone straight forward.

As for the likeness of their faces, all four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side, and all four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

Thus were their faces. And their wings were stretched upward; two wings of everyone were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.

And they went everyone straight forward; where the spirit was to go, they went, and they turned not when they went.

As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire and like the appearance of lamps; it went up and down among the living creatures, and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

And the living creatures ran and returned, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.

Cherubim was on the mercy seat of the ark.

Cherubim/Living Creatures/Seraphims are around the Throne God Almighty.

Rev 4:6-9 And a sea of glass was in front of the throne, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind.

And the first living creature was like a lion, and the second living creature like a calf, and the third living creature had the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle.

And each one of the four living creatures had six wings about him, and within being full of eyes. And they had no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God, the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.

And whenever the living creatures gave glory and honor and thanks to Him who sat on the throne, who lives forever and ever,

Isa 6:1-4 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

Cherubim/Living Creatures/Seraphims are associated with meeting with God, worship, giving Him adoration. They weren't placed at the entrance of Eden by God to keep man away from Eden, no this became the meeting place for God and man. No longer did God walk with man, no, now man had to come to a meeting place to commune with Him.

The flaming sword was for Satan's benefit. The sword was to guard they way to the tree of Life, to keep Satan away from the tree. If Satan could get to the tree of Life, then he could get man to eat of it and live forever in sin with no chance or hope of Redemption.