‘In that
day the Lord with His sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan
the piercing serpent … ‘Isaiah 27:1
‘Fear not
you worm Jacob, and you men of Israel, I will help you, says the Lord, and your
Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel’ Isaiah 41:14.
Figures
of speech explain things so much more clearly and in fewer words than straight
out description. To call someone a ‘donkey’ or ‘as thick as a brick’ needs no
further explanation. The Bible uses figures of speech numerous times. Worm is
one of them. It is used three times. Once it is applied to Humanity by Bildad
in his debate with Job (Job 25:6). His characterisation of Humanity is
depressing and true. How can it be justified in God sight? How can it be clean,
implying moral and spiritual filth for it is a worm whose world is the dirt?
Isaiah
the prophet used the term ‘worm’ and applied it to Israel (Isaiah 41:14).
According to Isaiah 27:1 this degraded Nation is mentioned alongside a creature
called Leviathan. There this monster is being attacked by the Lord in defence
of His people. Who or what is it? Though not an animal definitively recognized
it is described as ‘the piercing serpent, the crooked serpent and dragon’.
Could this be a clue which links it to the Serpent in the Garden of Eden? This
creature mentioned in Genesis 3 is unmasked in Revelation 12:9. There the
Serpent is also named the Devil, Satan, and Dragon. What the prophets wrote
about the Last Days is clarified by the apostle John. Leviathan, alias Satan,
had perpetrated numerous physical frontal assaults, spiritual perversions and
moral debaucheries upon Israel over centuries. These were to prevent God’s
purposes through Israel being accomplished. Whilst effective, all his attempts
were thwarted by the Lord God of Hosts. Now, in Revelation, this creature rises
up in one last horrific assault to destroy Israel.
Leviathan’s
historical attacks caused Israel a loss of nobility, prestige and respect in
their Lord’s eyes. It also undermined their witness to the rest of the World.
They wanted to be like the Gentile Nations and in many ways that is what they
became. They had lost their spiritual
and moral uniqueness which was its ‘backbone’ hence the term ‘you worm!’ Yet,
God tells them not to fear, He will help them. His ‘battle plan’ is most
surprising. Psalm 22 tells us about it and in verse 6, the person mentioned calls
Himself a ‘worm.’ The Gospels reveal the identity of this ‘worm’ as Jesus,
descendant of King David. The Lion of Judah as He is called became ‘the Worm.’
It would be in the weakness of His identifying with Israel and Humanity Jesus
would enter the fray with Leviathan. David’s
foresaw the ‘Worm’ as Israel’s substitute under God’s judgement and gladiator
against Leviathan’s power. His opponents also included the ‘wild bulls of
Bashan (rich and powerful) ‘dogs’ (scavengers, immoral), ravenous lions (godless
royalty) and ‘unicorns’ (maybe rhinoceros, Political power).
The battleground was Golgotha
(John19:17). The ‘Worm’ took God’s curse upon Israel and bore it. ‘The Worm’
also took Humanity’s Judgement and consumed it. ‘Jesus as ‘the Worm’ won the
battle because, though He bore the sin of the World, no sin was found in Him. Though Leviathan still roars and ravages he is
defeated and in retreat. His final moments are written in God’s word when it
says ‘the Worm’ returns as the Lord of Glory and slays this monster with ‘the
sword of His mouth.’
