On the sixth day, “God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind.” Genesis 1:24–25
What constitutes the creeping things? The creeping things are creatures that creep on the earth, such as reptiles, small rodents and insects. In Leviticus 11:21–23, grasshoppers, beetles and locusts are mentioned. In Leviticus 11:29–30, the creeping things mentioned by name are the weasel, mouse, tortoise, ferret, chameleon, lizard, snail and mole. Some other creeping things that are mentioned in the Bible are: flies, gnats, worms, moths, bees, hornets, ants and spiders.
In this article I will speak about the worm.
Firstly, the creeping things did enter the ark. “And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.” Genesis 6:19–23
If worms had remained out of the ark and in the ground, they would have drowned. “Every species of animals which God had created was preserved in the ark.” –The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, p. 78
When you think of a worm, often the first thought that comes to mind is the lowly earthworm. You see them in your gardens and lawns. After a rainstorm, sometimes you see them washed up on the roadways. Fishermen use them as bait on their hooks to catch fish. Thus, a worm is often thought of as a very lowly creature, valued by few.
By definition though, a worm is, “any of numerous small creeping animals with more or less slender, elongated bodies, and without limbs or with very short ones, . . . as earthworms, tapeworms, insect larvae, and adult forms of some insects.” https://www.dictionary.com. Thus, there are more species of worms than just the earthworm.
In the Bible the worm is used to describe a few people. There are several Hebrew words used in the Old Testament that are translated into English as worm.
One Hebrew word is rimmah, which literally means maggot, but is translated as worm into English. A maggot is actually the larvae state of flies and it does not live underground but it feeds on rotten organic material, whether it is from the plant kingdom or the decaying flesh of humans or animals. The thought of maggots causes some to be repulsed. If you find a maggot in a piece of fruit, it goes immediately into the trash bin.
In the following verses, the Hebrew word rimmah is used, and translated into English as worm.
“And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.” Exodus 16:23. If the manna was kept overnight during the week, the next morning it was rotten and full of maggots. However, manna collected on Friday had no maggots when kept over until Sabbath.
Although we think of maggots with repulsion, they do serve a good purpose in allowing us to know when food was spoiled. They also feed on dead organic material, returning it into soil as it was prior to its creation.
Job makes reference to this. “The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.” Job 24:20. When man and animal die, they return to the ground and become food for the maggots.
Job also said, “My flesh is clothed with worms.” Job 7:5. Poor Job was so sick that even while alive, the maggots were breeding in his decaying flesh.
Another Hebrew word, “Towla” or“tola’ath” is also translated into English as worm.
In Psalm 22:6, the Psalmist used the word towla, for worm when he wrote, “But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.” This Psalm is prophetic of the cross of Jesus. What did the Psalmist mean when he wrote, “I am a worm?” In the eyes of the world, and many from the Jewish nation, Jesus was viewed as lowly and unimportant, just a carpenter’s Son. He also stated that, not only was He a worm, but that He is despised by all people. Truly this was seen in the life of Jesus. He was despised and not appreciated, or understood by many of His people, especially the Jewish leaders to whom He had entrusted the oracles of His law (Romans 3:1–2).
Interestingly, the Hebrew word towla also can mean a maggot, and more specifically, “the crimson-grub, but used only (in this connection) of the color from it, and cloths dyed therewith:–crimson, scarlet, worm.” –Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
Towla denotes not only a maggot but further describes the maggot as a crimson or scarlet worm. This worm is common to the Middle East, and predominantly in Israel. In this crimson worm, we find a beautiful analogy. It looks more like a maggot than a worm. When the female crimson worm is ready to lay her eggs, which happens only once in her life, she climbs up a tree or fence and attaches herself to it. With her body attached to the wood, a hard crimson shell forms. It is a shell so hard and so secured to the wood that it can only be removed by tearing apart the body which would kill the worm.
The female worm lays her eggs under her body, under the protective shell. When the larvae hatch, they remain under the mother’s protective shell so that the baby worms can feed on the living body of the mother worm for three days. After three days, the mother worm dies and her body excretes a crimson or scarlet dye that stains the wood to which she is attached, and also stains her baby worms. The baby worms remain crimson-colored for their entire lives and so they are identified as crimson worms.
The dead bodies of these insects were then collected and the scarlet fluid extracted; the resulting brilliant dye was prized for colouring fabric and thread. In biblical times, the red dye excreted from the crimson worm was used in the High Priest’s robe. Uses of this red dye continue today.
Since, towla can be properly translated in two ways: either as worm or as scarlet material. The context determines the meaning.
It is interesting to note that In Isaiah 1:18 the word is translated into scarlet. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet [shaniy—root word of tola’ath], they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson [tola’ath], they shall be as wool.” How fitting the use of this word to describe the love of Jesus for mankind, who is willing to wash away the scarlet stains of sin by shedding His own blood.
There is very much symbolism we can see in the use of this crimson worm to describe Jesus on the cross. He was nailed to the cross, as the mother worm attaches herself to the wooden tree or fence. Jesus was bruised on the cross and shed His blood, just as the worm excretes a crimson dye. The worm’s dye covered her offspring and she fed them, and in doing so she died. Jesus shed His blood, in order to give life to those who accept His sacrifice and gives them new life.
Isaiah wrote: “Fear not, thou worm [towla] Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 41:14. The baby worms received their colour from their mother as she was dying. They needed her to die in order for them to live. Here the nation of Israel are compared to a worm. They are baby worms in need of their mother, to feed on their mother (the Lord) in order to live. He came to help them and gave His life to redeem them.
Of themselves, the children of Israel had no power or glory. They would be trampled by the other nations as
easily as people would trample a worm. But God promises deliverance to His people, protection from their enemies, and triumph in the end. “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (verse 10). Though they are a mere baby worm, a symbol of insignificance, the Lord God Almighty was on their side.
In two verses, the word worm appears twice and both times the different Hebrew words were used.
In reference to the King of Babylon, Isaiah wrote, “Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.” Isaiah 14:11. The word worm is mentioned twice here. The first mention is rimmah and the second towla. Yes, when he dies, the maggots will do their business but also he is covered by crimson worms. Why did Isaiah use the two different words here? It would be an interesting study.
And also in this verse. “How much less man, that is a worm? and the Son of Man, which is a worm?” Job 25:6. Bildad, Job’s friend, is here speaking. He calls man less than a worm (rimmah-maggot). With these words he intended to humble Job and impress upon him his littleness. Job was indeed sick with decaying flesh. A good breeding ground for maggots. And again, the second word for worm is from towla. Here we could say that truly, mortal man is as a maggot, but the Son of Man, the crimson worm who gave His life for mankind.
Let us read another verse from Isaiah. “And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against Me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.” Isaiah 66:24. In this verse, the Hebrew word, towla is used again.
This verse is commonly understood that the worm will continue its work until all evil flesh is devoured, as confirmed in the following statement. “I saw that some were quickly destroyed, while others suffered longer. They were punished according to the deeds done in the body. Some were many days consuming, and just as long as there was a portion of them unconsumed, all the sense of suffering remained. Said the angel, ‘The worm of life shall not die; their fire shall not be quenched as long as there is the least particle for it to prey upon.’” –Early Writings, p. 294. This is a well-founded and reasonable explanation.
Jesus quotes a portion of this verse in Mark 9:44, “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” It is in the same context of the unquenchable fire.
The small lowly worm also had a significant impact on Jonah’s state of mind one day. After the city of Nineveh was spared, and he was sitting in the shade of a gourd on a hot day, “God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.” The word towla was the word of choice for worm here. Why? It was truly a literal worm, but can we not say that the Lord will sometimes cause us discomfort when we stray to wake us up? “Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up.” Hosea 6:1, Yes, He does. But He has promised healing. Jonah was not having the right attitude when the Lord spared the people of Nineveh and thus the Lord sent the worm to cause him grief, to teach him a lesson.
Now, I want to address the lowly earthworm. In the following verse, it likely was an earthworm that was written about. “They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of Thee.” Micah 7:17. The word worm here is translated from the Hebrew, zachal which literally means, to crawl, but was translated into worm. It is earthworms that crawl out of the holes of the earth.
People often view an earthworm as weak, helpless, insignificant and despised, and do not care if they are trampled underfoot. If you call a person a worm, you are insulting them by saying that they have a very weak or have an unpleasant character and you have no respect for them.
Is it really true, though, that earthworms are insignificant? What would happen if we eliminated all the earthworms from this earth? Our soil would become rock solid. Worms are vital to the health of the soil in the world. With their constant burrowing, they keep the soil from becoming compact. Thus, as they keep the soil softer, there is increased nutrient availability to the plants and better drainage. They also break down organic matter like leaves and grass. They feed on plant debris (dead roots, leaves, grasses, manure) and soil. When they eat they leave behind castings that are good fertilizer.
They are described, as “fantastic burrowing creatures are the living, breathing, engineers of the underworld, eating and recycling organic matter to keep our soil healthy.” –https://www.soilassociation.org/causes-campaigns/save-our-soil/meet-the-unsung-heroes-looking-after-our-soil/why-are-worms-important/
These poor lowly creatures were created by God and have a very useful purpose. They go about their work silently. They are not a threat to humankind. Although sometimes despised and not appreciated, they quietly go about their work to benefit mankind without complaint or animosity.
We are to work as the worm, silently working for the Lord, not looking for recognition from anyone, because our reward is in heaven. “Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9. “Be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58. We may be despised by those on the earth, and our work may not be appreciated even by some of the members in our own church, but our work is vital to the cause of God if we faithfully do the work He has outlined for us. Never give up.
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also.” John 15:18–20. Just do your work and ignore those who do not appreciate it. The Lord does, and that is all that matters.
Yet, the wicked owe some of the blessings they have in this life to the righteous even though they may despise them (as we depend on the lowly worm).
“Hearts that respond to the influence of the Holy Spirit are the channels through which God’s blessing flows. Were those who serve God removed from the earth, and His Spirit withdrawn from among men, this world would be left to desolation and destruction, the fruit of Satan’s dominion. Though the wicked know it not, they owe even the blessings of this life to the presence, in the world, of God’s people whom they despise and oppress.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 306. Sodom would have been spared if ten righteous souls had been found (Genesis 18).
Worms have no eyes, but have cells called receptors that can sense whether it is light or dark. This allows worms to tell if they are underground or above ground. Thus, they know where the light is at all times. We are to be like the worm and know where the light of Jesus is at all times. We may face dark times in our lives, we may feel like we are deep in the depths of the darkness of the earth. We may not physically see the light of Jesus, but we can know He is there. We are to know where the light is at all times so that we do not get overwhelmed with the darkness.
“As His [John the Baptist] work was closing, He taught His disciples to look to Jesus, and follow Him as the Great Teacher.” –Early Writings, p. 154. “Look, O look to Jesus and live! You cannot but be charmed with the matchless attractions of the Son of God.” –Christian Education, p. 76
Worms actually have five hearts, but their hearts and circulatory system are not as complicated as ours because their blood does not have to go to so many body parts. The heart, although just a muscle that pumps blood, is commonly referred to with a feeling of love. When someone does something from the bottom of their heart, they have done it out of love. When someone puts their heart into a task, they put all their energies into it—it is a task that they have a love and passion for. When two people fall in love, it is said to be coming from the heart.
The Love of Jesus reached to all humanity. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. He showed His love by His actions. He did not just give lip service to love. “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:7–8
Many who were despised by the Jewish leaders and society were drawn to Jesus. He had a heart of hearts. We also need to have a loving, kind and generous heart—loving even our enemies, “Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.” Romans 12:20
One with a loving heart will be able to say like Jesus, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34) and Stephen, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge” (Acts 7:60) when they were being killed by their own countrymen. “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” 1 John 3:16 (and for our enemies).
Moving on to the brain of the worm. It is not particularly complex. Each worm’s brain sits next to its other organs, and connects the nerves from the worm’s skin and muscles, controlling how it feels and moves. Our brain, likewise, has to determine and control how we feel and move. Many today are controlled by their emotions, appetite and passions. They excuse their sin or think light of it, allowing passions and feelings to control their actions. Health reform is looked upon as too complicated. People love their meat, dairy and unhealthful food items. Their taste buds crave them and their system craves the euphoric feeling that follows. Or they fall in love with their neighbour’s wife, or maybe a non-member of the church and passion takes control of reason. Yet, our brain is to control our decisions and all our actions, not our appetites and passions. We must deny ourselves many sinful desires that our hearts may be crying to be fulfilled. This is a challenge for many, but not an impossibility in Christ.
Worms breathe through their skin—but only if it’s kept moist. A worm’s skin is covered in mucus that helps it absorb oxygen. Its body is 90% water and the most common cause of death is its drying out. If a worm’s environment becomes too dry, it will dry out and be unable to breathe. We also have to be kept moist by the blood of Jesus. It was shed for you and I. Thus if we lose sight of Jesus, and our first love (Revelation 2:4) and become dry Christians, we too will spiritually suffocate and be unable to breathe.
Worms have the ability to regrow lost tissue and can survive losing parts of their body. Mature worms have a swollen gland just below the head, known as a clitellum. If cut below this gland, the worm will be able to regenerate the tissue it has lost. A wounded Christian is not a dead Christian. There is healing in Christ. “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.” Proverbs 24:16. This verse brings comfort to the struggling Christian who is discouraged by his failure in his struggles against sin. We can rise up in fresh hope after each failure, if we lay hold again upon the saving strength so freely offered to us (Matthew 11:28). The desire to become righteous and the strength to carry out the desire both come from Jesus. Therefore, we do not need to despair, however weak we may think we are, or how hurt we are. As long as we are willing to be made willing to do the right, the strength will be provided.
“Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.” Micah 7:8. This verse reads, “when I fall,” not “if I fall.” A note of triumph is brought here to the discouraged soul. The enemy may try to hold us in darkness, but we have the light of the Lord to lift us up. The enemy is a conquered foe.
There are times that it is necessary for us to be cut and wounded for our salvation. “And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.” Matthew 5:29–30
Next time you see an earthworm, do not trample on it and look upon it as a lowly creature. Look at it in wonder and remember the lessons that we can learn from this essential creature that God has created. Appreciate them and treat them gently. And if someone calls you a worm, do not take it as an offense. Lift up your head. You can be a worm for Jesus. You can show love in the face of hatred, five times over, with five hearts. You can get up when hurt and wounded and you are controlled, not by your passions, but by the reasoning power of your brain.
You can gladly say like the Psalmist, “I am a worm” and be happy. Jesus truly was a worm in its truest sense. He meekly and quietly did His work, opening the way for millions to be saved. He never answered in a rude manner or retaliated when hurt.
Let us be true worms for Jesus is my wish and prayer for each of you reading this article. Amen.
Wendy Eaton