The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together - (notes, Isaiah 11:6-9 .)
And dust (shall be) the serpent's meat - rather, 'but dust,' etc. The curse shall remain on the serpent (Horsley). (Genesis 3:14; Micah 7:17.) To lick the dust is figurative of the utter and perpetual degradation of Satan and his emissaries (Isaiah 49:23; Psalms 72:9). He shall be bound a thousand years (Revelation 20:2 ), an earnest of his final and everlasting doom after the millennium (Revelation 20:10 ). Satan fell self-tempted, therefore no atonement was contrived for him, as there was for man, who fell by his temptation (Jude 1:6 ; John 8:44 ). From his special connection with the earth and man, it has been conjectured that the exciting cause of his rebellion was God's declaration that human nature was to be raised into union with the Godhead: this was 'the truth' concerning the person of the Son of God, which 'he abode not in.' It galled his pride that a lower race was to be raised to that which had aspired to ( 1 Timothy 3:6). How exultingly he might say, when man fell through him, 'God would raise manhood into union with Himself: I have brought it down below the beasts by sin!' At that very moment and spot he was told that the seed of the abhorred race, man, should bruise his head (1 John 3:8). He was raised up for this, to show forth God's glory (Exodus 9:16; Romans 1:7). In his unfallen state he may have been God's vicegerent over the earth and the animal kingdom before man: this will account for his assuming the form of a serpent, (Genesis 3:1-24 .) Man succeeded to that office ( Genesis 2:19-20), but forfeited it by sin, whence Satan became "prince of this world:" Jesus Christ supplants the usurper; and as "Son of man" regains the lost inheritance (Psalms 8:4-8 ). The steps in Satan's overthrow are these: he is cast out, first, from heaven ( Revelation 12:7-9) on earth; next he is bound a thousand years (Revelation 20:2-3); finally, he is cast into the lake of fire forever (Revelation 20:10 ).
Remarks: The rebellion of Israel, notwithstanding God's continued long-suffering, brought upon the nation at last rejection by God. Then the Lord gave His gracious invitation to the Gentiles, who had not previously been 'called by His name,' to "behold" Him as their Saviour, and so to take the high place as His people which had heretofore been held by the Jews. So now, among the members of the professing Church, when the most highly favoured as to privileges fail to use them, God reveals Himself to those who had not professed to seek Him: He thus magnifies His grace is being 'found of them that sought Him not.'