Cursed by God

The Serpent is Cursed

The snake is cursed by God in Genesis 3:14–15 because of his part in the fall of mankind. All that God produced during the creation story was good. This is the first time something being cursed is mentioned.

We might imagine witches chanting verses declaring evil wishes or watching a pot of boiling water. However, in the Old Testament, it often refers to losing everything important, which lowers your position or standing. In a very real sense, the serpent was lowered to the ground.

Slither on its Belly

The serpent will initially slither on its belly as a result of the curse. This raises the question of how this serpent maneuvered prior to this. Indeed, 167 million years ago, the snake had legs, according to archaeological evidence found in Southern England. None of the 3,500 species of snakes that exist today in the world have legs. 

It will Eat Dirt

The serpent will live its entire life eating dirt, according to the curse. There is no proof that this curse was fulfilled. Snakes only consume meat or eggs because they are carnivores. Snakes have a sensory organ called a Jacobson Organ that they utilize to smell the dust in order to be aware of their surroundings, which is about as near as they get to “eating dirt.” 

It will Conflict with the Woman

The perplexing portion of the curse is next. According to God, there is some sort of conflict between the Woman and the Serpent. Various people have different ideas about who the Woman is. Some people think that the Woman is specifically referring to Eve and that she and her descendants will always be at odds with the serpent. The Woman is frequently taken to be a reference to Mary by Roman Catholics. Jesus, her descendant, was the one who pierced the serpent’s heel. Others, however, believe that this is merely a general allusion to humanity. Many people think the snake is also known as Satan or the Devil, but we won’t get into that here.

However, if we were to consider this serpent to be a real snake, thousands of people per year pass away from snakebites. Around 5.4 million people, which is a staggering number, are bitten by snakes every year. That certainly sounds like a full-scale battle to me!

Its Head will be Wounded

The last line of the curse is, “He’ll wound your head.” Many academics think this alludes to Jesus’ coming to recover what was lost in the fall. He will restore humanity’s innocence. When he was crucified, the serpent would “wound his heel” momentarily.

Once again, if we take this curse literally, the most effective way to kill a snake is to chop off its head. And, the most common place for a snake to bite a person is on their feet or ankles.

The Woman is Cursed

Pain in Childbirth

Adam and Eve are the only humans we have met by the time we get to Genesis 3:16. Here is where the Woman is cursed for allowing the serpent to trick her. The first section predicts that childbirth will be more painful than usual. Prior to this incident, which children have been born? The passage of time in each of the stories throughout the book of Genesis is so difficult to follow.

This seems to imply that giving birth involves some degree of pain that is normal. Since pain is a subjective feeling influenced by a person’s “beliefs, moods, customs, or habits,” every person will perceive childbirth’s pain differently. In other words, women who anticipate intense pain during childbirth are more likely to feel it. Therefore, even if the pain was not any worse than what she had previously experienced, Eve most likely did experience more pain during childbirth when God warned her she would. 

Please Her Husband

The wife will desire to please her husband, which is the second aspect of the curse. Women unquestionably desire these feelings in their relationships. They want their husband to enjoy having them as a companion and to be happy in general. Sometimes, instead of drawing a husband closer, our insecurities and neediness drive them farther away.

We may become even more intent on pleasing our husbands as a result of insecurities. We definitely wouldn’t want them to leave for someone else and walk out the door. Perhaps the curse has less to do with trying to win someone over and more to do with our own insecurities in a relationship. In my own life, I have discovered that the more I strive to appease others, the less likely I am to succeed in doing so. 

Lorded over by Husband

The husband is supposed to “lord it over” his wife, according to the final component of the curse. Unfortunately, I have seen this lead to guys believing they have the right to act in this way. Their wives are treated like doormats. Women must submit to their husbands, regardless of how they are treated, is frequently taught from the pulpit. Men ought to be fighting against the idea, if it is a curse, in order to break it.

The Man is Cursed

Work the Ground

Genesis 3:17–19 contains the curse placed on man. Adam begins to question whether he can ever trust his wife again as a result of this curse. A marriage may begin to drift toward distrust when concerns start to creep in. These reservations sow the seeds of distrust for subsequent events. Then, every time the spouse leaves the house, anxiousness starts to set in. The fear of being left behind will soon follow. 

Hard Work

This curse says that in addition to hard work, we will experience pain from a hard day’s work and require a shower at the end of the day due to all the perspiration we produce. As I get older, it doesn’t take much for me to start experiencing discomfort after completing any of my everyday responsibilities. I have to admit, though, that when I work out at the gym, I prefer to get a little sweaty so that I can feel like I’ve accomplished something.

The body naturally cools itself off by perspiring. Without sweating, we might experience overheating, dehydration, and even death. Sweat lodges are utilized in various cultures as a way to cleanse the body, find healing, seek insight, or express gratitude.

The Ground is Cursed

Weeds and Thorns

What kind of curse may be placed on the ground to make it appear as painful as childbirth when Adam is told he will need to work the dirt? The ground will now have weeds and thorns, according to those scriptures. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a garden because of weeds. I would much rather buy produce from the grocery store or farmer’s market given how much effort it takes to prevent weeds from taking over a garden. I’ll let someone else handle the difficult work. However, some people genuinely relish spending time outside and playing in the dirt. They like doing the very thing that was intended to be a curse.

Overall, how do you feel about God placing curses on the serpent, the woman, and the man that impact generations to come? Does that seem fair?