Genesis 3

"Then the Lord God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than any livestock and more than any wild animal..."

Genesis 3:14

We often talk about the curses placed on Eve and Adam after eating the forbidden fruit, but it's interesting to note that the serpent is the first to be cursed.  God tells the serpent that he will forever move on his belly and eat dust, and that there will be hostility between him and the woman.  This last part is extremely strange when you consider that, in the garden, the man and woman were given complete authority over all wildlife - and there was complete harmony between all living things.  However, after this curse, the serpent is now separated from the rest of wildlife because of his separation from mankind.

I think that all three of the curses in this chapter can be seen as logical consequences for improper actions.  We see the same kinds of consequences in our own lives when we sin in various ways.  When we deceive others, we incite hostilities between us.  When we allow ourselves to be deceived, we lose authority (Eve was not only cursed with labor pains, but also told that her husband would dominate her).  When we knowingly follow in sin, we make ourselves miserable and lose our ability to find joy in the work of everyday life.

In a way, since we know the consequences of sin, it could be said that we curse ourselves every time we fall short of the glory of God.  We don't need Him to curse us any more because we're quite capable of ruining our own lives.  That's part of why Jesus is such an important part of Life - without Him, we'd be bound by an eternal chain of sin - curse - more sin...