Peace.
The “serpent” speaks of the ministers of Satan who come forth to deceive us as one did with the woman in the garden. These are people with an “animal” characteristic that Adam had named. Some people are like “wolves” or “sheep”, “goats”, etc.
These people happen to be “serpents” who come forth to deceive us from following Christ in singleness with their fine-sounding words of supposed “wisdom” as they twist the Scriptures …reversing the meanings of the Scriptures to our ears and minds…contradicting God’s words…as they move along their “belly” that they are serving.
2 Corinthians 11:3-5 KJV (3) But I fear, lest by any means, as the
serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be
corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (4) For if he that
cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye
receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel,
which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. (5) For I
suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
The “serpent” crawls upon the belly as judgment…. Upon the belly you shall go…as they only serve (preach) for their belly and are not serving our Lord.
Genesis 3:13-14 KJV (13) And the LORD God said unto the woman, What
is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled
me, and I did eat. (14) And the LORD God said unto the serpent,
Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and
above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust
shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
The “serpent” preachers go upon their belly as they are only minding earthly things as they “preach”…twisting the Scriptures to their own destruction (eating dust is destruction).
They do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ as they say they do but instead serve their own belly as they are minding only earthly things: how to get their earthly necessities met by “preaching” for the purposes of what to eat, what to drink, what to wear.
Romans 16:17-18 KJV (17) Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which
cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have
learned; and avoid them. (18) For they that are such serve not our
Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair
speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
Again, the “serpent” preacher goes upon his belly…preaching for the purpose of getting his earthly needs met only. Their “god” is their belly as that is all that they are really minding. They have no understanding of the glorious good news as the serving for the belly blinds their minds from it. They come forth preaching themselves in their own authority as they walk in craftiness....handling the Word of God deceitfully for their own gain.
2 Corinthians 4:2-5 KJV (2) But have renounced the hidden things of
dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God
deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to
every man's conscience in the sight of God. (3) But if our gospel be
hid, it is hid to them that are lost: (4) In whom the god of this
world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light
of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should
shine unto them. (5) For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus
the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
**Their end is destruction….**as they eat “dust” all of the days of their lives. They are going to bite the dust eventually as God’s judgment for their sly activities are upon them as we speak. Their judgment is not idle nor is their destruction sleeping as they eat dust all of the days of their lives here. Again, their end is destruction from off this earth.
Philippians 3:18-19 KJV (18) (For many walk, of whom I have told you
often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the
cross of Christ: (19) Whose end is destruction, whose God is their
belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
They eat dust all of the days of their lives….destruction…as the judgment now of a LONG TIME (the judgment of God that is found in Genesis 3:14) does not linger nor does their destruction slumber as this judgment of God upon the serpent is upon them as they go about speaking feigned words through their covetousness in order to make merchandise of His sheep.
2 Peter 2:1-3 KJV (1) But there were false prophets also among the
people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily
shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought
them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. (2) And many shall
follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall
be evil spoken of. (3) And through covetousness shall they with
feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long
time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
Their glory is in their shame: “thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field:”
Their glory is in their shame as the rest of the outside world (the people outside of the church in the world are the “cattle” and every beast of the field”) sees these deceitful things happening inside the churches and they (the world) publicly shame them for their activities. “thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field”
They perceive themselves as being persecuted for Christ and glory in it as the outside world publicly shames them for what they see…covetous pastors fleecing the sheep….making merchandise of the sheep.
They know no shame but glory in the public shaming of them by the world. The outside world sees this as the lowest profession a man can be involved in: thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field.
Genesis 3: (14) And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou
hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every
beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou
eat all the days of thy life:
Jesus made a “scourge of small cords”…the tongues (small cords) of the outside world that publicly shame (the “scourge”) those who are making merchandise of the sheep inside the churches.
John 2:13-16 KJV (13) And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus
went up to Jerusalem, (14) And found in the temple those that sold
oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: (15) And
when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of
the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers'
money, and overthrew the tables; (16) And said unto them that sold
doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of
merchandise.
